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It’s hard to divorce the Dragons results from the way that they play. The intention, from day dot, appears to be that they will be one point better than eight other teams and therefore make the finals. It’s inherently boring, attritional and, in the long-term, fruitless.
The problem is that, in the short term, it actually works quite well. They were better than a lot of bad teams last year and kept themselves in the hunt – pun vaguely intended, because without Ben they are less than nothing – for Finals until late in the piece.
Much as it ruined season 2021, Anthony Griffin must thank his lucky stars that his players ignored lockdown rules and decided to have a BBQ, because it shifted the attention away from his inability to progress this well-funded, well-supported football team and onto individuals, whom he could dispense with as it suited.
In 2022, that wore thin fast. They picked up a few good wins, and all of them at the right time: they caught the Roosters at their worst on Anzac Day, and the Rabbitohs at their worst on a wet Thursday in Wollongong. They got Manly when half the forward pack went down before half time and the Broncos at the peak of their unravelling.
It’s easy (and fun) to pick holes in Hook’s tactics, but the truth is that they do, in a limited way, work. If you’re a bad side and less than 100%, the Dragons beat you. If you’re a good side and less than 75%, they’ll beat you too.
It has a ceiling of about 8th place in the league and a first round exit in the Finals, but to be honest, most fans would probably take that at the moment. Anthony Griffin certainly would.
2023 is shaping up to be make or break for Hook. The complete-your-sets, make-your-tackles, chuck-it-to-Ben philosophy that has underpinned their footy will either work again, or he’ll get fired. By the noises coming out of Illawarra, it seems that everyone is braced for the latter.
It’s less of a path to the trophy and more of a path to the finals, but the Dragons’ hopes rest on another banner year for Ben Hunt, coupled with Zac Lomax deciding he wants to be a superstar centre rather than a show pony and one or several of their youth players kicking on.
It’s possible that they sack Hook early and get someone in who can make fans a little more optimistic, and give the players confidence to do something with their abilities. One wonders what a Brian Smith or even a Mick Potter might do with this playing group.
Instead, it might be Shane Flanagan and a better version of the current grindathon. Notice, however, that all paths to the finals involve sacking the current coach.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
It’s a long list. Ben Hunt can’t be expected to do it all on his own for another year. They currently don’t have a five eighth. Jacob Liddle, their new hooker, was allowed to walk from the worst team in the league, which is hardly a ringing endorsement. Zac Lomax might keep trying that flick pass.
St George Illawarra are right down among the dregs in terms of the wooden spoon conversation, with many expecting a huge slide from last year’s already quite uninspiring season.
If it goes bad, it could go bad very fast. They are without Talatau Amone and Cody Ramsay for the foreseeable, Jayden Sullivan already has a hamstring problem before he’s played a game and Hook has less than no confidence in Tyrell Sloan. He’s only picking him because there’s nobody else.
Liddle is their only recognised hooker, unless Sullivan and Moses Mbye get shunted there again.
There’s 17 teams in the comp and my guess is that 15 of them have better prognoses than the Dragons. The good news is…
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
The Titans twice in the first two months should buy Griffin plenty of time. Or get him sacked, I suppose. Usually we need to wait until the end of the year to realistically call a Spoonbowl, but we’ll get one in Round 2 and again in Round 6 if pre-season predictions are anything to go by.
St George have a featherbed of a start: the bye first up, then the Titans at home, with the Dolphins in there early too.
They never really get a stretch of multiple difficult fixtures in a row, and get to play the Tigers, Titans, Warriors and Dolphins – aka their potential fellow cellar dwellers – twice, while only facing the Panthers, Storm, Eels and Cowboys once.
What the Dragons lack is creativity, so their three most creative players are their most important. To be honest, this could have just been Ben Hunt on his own, because they were a one man band at times last year, so it goes without saying that he has to play well for them to do well.
Lomax is a funny player, because all the talent in the world is there but he’s never seriously displayed it. Reports are that he will swap sides to improve the left edge defence, which could have the added benefit of taking away that flick pass he so loves.
Sullivan is currently injured but his ability to grow into the five eighth role without Junior Amone there is also crucial. Then again, he might find himself subbing in at hooker, so all bets are off.
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Tyrell Sloan will finally get a prolonged run at fullback, even though it’s only because there isn’t anyone else. His numbers, when he played, were actually fine last year – making it all the most inexplicable that Griffin didn’t trust his defence in a team that so badly struggled to attack.
Now there are no excuses. If he’s going to come good, it has to be now.
The Feagai twins have come through all the grades together, but while Mat made a huge impact on the wing in 2022 and cemented a first grade spot, Max was cruelly injured in the trials and missed out completely.
Arguably he was the more impressive in juniors and could make a serious impression if given game time. Max has been named for the Charity Shield in the extended bench, so he is back fit. After a few weeks in Cup, don’t be surprised to see him in first grade again.
Not great. The vultures are circling and anything other than a stellar start will likely see Griffin gone. I give him until Magic Round.
Anthony Griffin. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
$41 at PlayUp, same as the Titans and with only the Knights, Warriors, Tigers and Dolphins worse.
The talent in the squad isn’t the 17th worst, but the use of it might be. For me, it’s between them and the Titans for last…so 16th it is.
1 Tyrell Sloan
2 Mikaele Ravalawa
3 Moses Suli
4 Zac Lomax
5 Mat Feagai
6 Moses Mbye
7 Ben Hunt
8 Blake Lawrie
9 Jacob Liddle
10 Zane Musgrove
11 Jack Bird
12 Jaydn Su’A
13 Jack De Belin
Interchange
14 Billy Burns
15 Josh Kerr
16 Tyrell Fuimaono
17 Aaron Woods
Others: Francis Molo (suspended until Round 3), Junior Amone (stood down), Cody Ramsey, Jayden Sullivan (injured), Jaiyden Hunt, Max Feagai, Michael Molo, Nick Lui Toso, Tautau Moga, Billy Burns
Round 1 BYE
Round 2 v Titans @ Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Round 3 v Broncos @ Suncorp Stadium
Round 4 v Sharks @ Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Round 5 v Dolphins @ WIN Stadium
Round 6 v Titans @ CBUS Super Stadium
Round 7 v Raiders @ GIO Stadium
Round 8 v Roosters @ Allianz Stadium (ANZAC game)
Round 9 v Bulldogs @ WIN Stadium
Round 10 v Tigers @ Suncorp Stadium
Round 11 v Cowboys @ Queensland Country Bank Stadium
Round 12 v Roosters @ Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Round 13 v Dolphins @ Moreton Daily Stadium
Round 14 v Panthers @ Bluebet Stadium
Round 15 v Rabbitohs @ Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Round 16 v BYE
Round 17 v Warriors @ WIN Stadium
Round 18 v Sharks @ Pointsbet Stadium
Round 19 v Raiders @ WIN Stadium
Round 20 v BYE
Round 21 v Tigers @ WIN Stadium
Round 22 v Manly @ WIN Stadium
Round 23 v Eels @ Commbank Stadium
Round 24 v Souths @ Barlow Park, Cairns
Round 25 v Storm @ WIN Stadium
Round 26 v Warriors @ Mt Smart Stadium
Round 27 v Knights @ Netstrata Jubilee Stadium