Smells like no team spirit: A frank assessment of the Dragons' squad

I like to see myself as a supporter of rugby league first and foremost, and of St George, NSW and Australia somewhere behind that.

I love to watch rugby league being played by good teams and players who have a go, no matter who they are, but there’s nothing worse than watching a poor team of lazy players put on bad games of football every other week, and that of course brings me to the St George Illawarra Dragons.

By no means the worst team in the competition, but way, way below the standard that the Dragons brand deserves, and that Red V fans expect.

Now, Dragons fans have learned to be a patient lot, as what other choice have they really had? In the 11 years since St George Illawarra’s first and only premiership in 2010, they have played just five finals matches, winning one. Five matches!

In the eight seasons they’ve missed the finals since 2010, they’ve finished on average in 11th position, which is also where they ended up last year.

Right now, they’re occupying their familiar 11th place, having won just nine of the 18 games they’ve played. A pathetic, but not unexpected effort.

Their run home over the next six rounds could result in as few as 2 more wins for the season, and they are accordingly no chance to make the top eight.

It’s painfully obvious that the players and coaches just aren’t up to the task of competing with the better teams in the competition, team spirit is non-existent, and they fold under the slightest pressure from the opposition.

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

It makes you wonder what happens at training during the week.

What do Anthony Griffin, his countless staff, and over $9 million worth of players do all week? Discuss beard fashions, haircut atrocities and their social media profiles?

Do they actually think they’re doing a good job, and that they’re worth their inflated remuneration?

There are St George reserve grade teams from the 1970s that would beat the current first grade team 80 per cent of the time, and I’d love to see the reaction of some of the old-school Dragons coaches like Jack Gibson, Harry Bath and Roy Masters to some of the stuff dished up recently.

There’s a lot of criticism being levelled at Anthony Griffin at the moment, and most of it is justified I guess, but I’d like to focus on the players who are out on the field, as most of the responsibility for the team’s poor performances rest with them.

They’re being paid to do a job, but not all of them are either up to the task or earning their money.

Let’s take a look at the 16 players who are primarily responsible for this year’s performances, i.e. those who have played 10 games or more. (Players are listed in alphabetic order, and their current ages and the year they are contracted to are in brackets).

Talatau Amone (20, 2022)

Whatever rubbish Griffin is whispering in Amone’s ear just isn’t working, and he now seems to have lost his flair for the ad-lib attacking game that he had when he first made the top grade. Amone needs to be allowed to play his natural game.

Assessment: A keeper. Re-sign now before he heads off to another club.

Jack Bird (27, 2024)

Five or six years ago, Jack Bird was one of the game’s best up-and-coming centres, but now he’s a very average second rower.

He’s too slow for the backs and not robust enough for the second row, which is a shame as he’s certainly one player prepared to put his body on the line and compete for the whole game.

Assessment: Puts the effort in and would be a better asset in the 13 jersey.

Jack De Belin (31, 2024 player option)

De Belin hasn’t looked effective since he returned to the Dragons’ pack in Round 13 last year, and the long lay-off hasn’t done him any favours. The ball-playing skills and strong defence that characterised his game back in 2018 have largely deserted him.

Assessment: They can’t let him hang around for two more years. Time he was moved on.

Jack De Belin runs the ball. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

Matt Feagai (21, 2024)

Feagai’s a good young player who is improving each week, and is beginning to build a combination with Moses Suli. I wonder if the left side attack would be more potent with Feagai at centre and Suli on the wing?

A player on the rise.

Assessment: Going well, but I’d like to see him have a crack at centre.

Ben Hunt (32, 2023)

It’s hard to fault Hunt’s effort, leadership on the field, and skill in attack, but he’s being hampered by poor service from dummy half. I’d rather let Hunt run the team from the dummy half position, where he can get the attack moving, change the predictable kicking options, and use his running game near the line to better effect.

Assessment: Playing well, but next season might be his last at the Dragons.

Blake Lawrie (25, 2023)

Lawrie strikes me as a player who would run at a brick wall if asked to, and probably go straight through it if there was a couple of hot pies on the other side. He can’t possibly be fit, and should be sent to the Wanda sand hills for a serious workout before he turns into George Rose.

Assessment: There’s a lot to like about Lawrie, and his contract should be extended, but he needs to be fitter.

Zac Lomax (22, 2026)

Remember when Lomax was an emerging talent who was even being mentioned as a possible Origin option? Well, Zac has now safely put that well behind him and the only way he’ll get a rep jersey anytime soon is if he borrows one from Hunt.

His passing game has now become an embarrassment and he looks to be playing with a couple of chips on each shoulder.

Assessment: Sitting on a long contract, and he needs to drop the low-percentage plays from his game.

Zac Lomax of the Dragons is tackled. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Moses Mbye (28, 2023)

Moses strikes me as a lovely fellow, but has there ever been a player who can be equally bog average in so many positions?

Assessment: Should be offloaded before next year.

Andrew McCullough (32, 2023)

McCullough was once a top-line hooker, but the effects of over 300 first grade games and a few hundred thousand tackles are starting to show, and his slow service and non-existent running game just make things more difficult for both Hunt and Amone.

Assessment: Should be offloaded before next year.

Francis Molo (27, 2024)

At his best, Molo is a damaging ball runner and a strong defender, but is far too inconsistent and error-prone. Griffin needs to simplify his game assignments and make sure he stays on script. Just run it, Frank!

Assessment: A keeper who needs a simpler game plan.

Cody Ramsey (22, 2024)

I just may have been wrong about Ramsay as he has certainly improved since regaining the fullback jumper in Round 11. His catching could still do with some work, and his one-on-one defence will need to improve if he wants a permanent spot in the top grade, but there’s a lot to like.

Assessment: Beginning to realise his early potential.

Mikaele Ravalawa (24, 2024 player option)

Rava is now one of the most feared wingers in the game, and will improve even more if Lomax can get his act together.

Assessment: Worth extending his contract right now.

Tariq Sims (32, 2022)

Sims has been a great servant for the Dragons for the past seven years but is far less effective now than when his late hits terrorised opposing halves.

Assessment: Why not let him head to the Storm right now?

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Jaydn Su’A (24, 2024)

No doubting his skill and toughness, but his game has gone backwards under Griffin. Like a few other players in the team, he just needs some clarity around his role, and he’ll return to top form.

Assessment: A keeper who can bounce back to his best.

Moses Suli (24, 2024)

Suli has been a surprise packet this year and has finally struck his best form, but while he is a very destructive ball runner, he still doesn’t have either the passing game nor defensive nous to be a first grade centre.

Playing outside Suli would be like warming up on the sideline. The coach needs to either improve both his passing game and lateral defence or play him on the wing where all he has to do in attack is catch the ball and run hard.

Assessment: A great prospect who needs to be retained.

Aaron Woods (31, 2023 player option)

How in God’s name did Woods play 17 Tests and 14 Origins? Just watch some recent Dragons games, if you can bear it, and see how their intensity in both attack and defence drops off a cliff almost the minute Woods comes off the bench.

Assessment: Fortunately, his player option folds if they don’t pick him.

There they are, the 16 players used most by the Dragons so far this year.

Eleven of them are either producing the goods or have room for improvement, three have passed their use-by date and should be moved on immediately despite the fact that they have contracts beyond this year, one has a player option that should fold in a couple of weeks, and one is thankfully off to Melbourne in 2023.

Now, what about the rest of the squad? Let’s start with the players contracted beyond this year.

George Burgess (2023) should never have been signed in the first place and should have his contract torn up, while Tyrell Fuimaono (2023) is more trouble than he’s worth and should be shown the door.

Michael Molo (2024), Jayden Sullivan (2025), Max Feagai (2024), Josh Kerr (2023), Jaiyden Hunt (2024) and Tyrell Sloan (2024) are all players with a bright future if coached properly and given an opportunity. They should all be retained.

The remainder are players whose contracts expire this year, and I’ve seen enough of Jackson Ford, Poasa Faamausili, and Jonathon Reuben to conclude that they are excess to requirements, while Tautau Moga, Billy Burns and Jack Gosiewski are worth re-signing for another year as depth players.

By my count, that’s a total of 11 players who are either leaving this year or who should be shown the door.

One-third of the squad!

The Dragons haven’t announced a single signing for next year yet, or confirmed who they’re moving on, so they’ll need to get busy to ensure that next year’s squad can be more competitive than what we’ve seen for the last couple of years.

Hanging on to dud players is not an acceptable option.