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Opinion
The Dragons were very disappointing last year.
To get back into the finals conversation the team needs to spend their off-season working on their defence. However, within the realms of possibility is a chance to go to a new level altogether.
The defence will allow the team to get into more attacking situations and likely beat the other teams at the bottom of the ladder. This will not be enough to challenge the might of the Panthers, Roosters or Storm, though – they’ll need more firepower to get through the better defences.
In a previous article some other Dragons fans pointed out that they believed the main problem was with the attack more than the defence. In any case both need serious work.
Perhaps there is a player on the market who could help the attack.
(Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
It has long been said there is no substitute for speed. It must have been exciting when Reg ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ Gasnier was going around, or Ken Irvine or Steve Renouf. Watching Josh Addo-Carr and Ryan Papenhuyzen this year has been fantastic.
Speed gives players an ability to pounce on any opportunity that presents itself or create something out of nothing.
James Roberts is looking for a fresh start and is one of the more prodigious talents the game has seen. Apart from his speed, ‘Jimmy the Jet’ is an Origin-quality centre who has had Wayne Bennett as a mentor for some time.
If he wants to, and if it is in his best interests – his mental wellbeing is the most important – it would be an intriguing gamble for the Dragons. He may also come cheap either with Souths chipping in or Roberts keen for a fresh start. Of course he may quit the game altogether.
I heard during the grand final broadcast that Melbourne had scored the most tries out of their own half of any team. That was largely due to the speed of Papenhuyzen and Addo-Carr. Melbourne just won the premiership.
Can you imagine Matthew Dufty linking with Roberts linking with Cody Ramsay? It could be one of the quickest edges ever seen. It will be an edge that needs extraordinarily little space to capitalise.
Dufty has speed to burn, but his passing game went to an elite level last year. Ramsay is similarly quick, and I really like his energy, which more than makes for his size. Any defence would need to be on their toes regardless of the state of the game. An early quick shift to Dufty, Roberts or Ramsay could pay dividends.
Zac Lomax will ensure the right side remains potent, and his combination with Dufty is impressive. Mikaele Ravalawa outside him has shown great finishing ability and will combat a lack of size and yardage metres from Ramsay and Dufty.
Many other issues with the Dragons team seen of 2019 and 2020 will need to be solved, but it would certainly be exciting to see that amount of speed and the Dragons having such potency on both sides of the field.
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