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Nathan Brown knows he has the playing talent at his disposal, he just hasn’t quite figured out how to use it.
The St George Illawarra coach is entering his sixth season in charge of the Dragons knowing he must get his talent-laden squad performing quickly or his NRL coaching career could be over.
While last year Brown struggled to get a fit side together, heading into 2008 he has no such concerns.
All his big names are ready to fire this year including Test centres Mark Gasnier and Matt Cooper and fellow representative stars Jason Ryles and Ben Hornby.
Now Brown is demanding, discipline, control and restraint in the early rounds in a bid to overcome the over-eager Dragons’ habit of starting each year poorly.
Last season they opened with one win from their first six games, in 2006 they went 3-3 and in 2005 they also began with a woeful 1-5 record.
“We showed enough signs to say that we can start the year well,” said Brown after the Dragons’ final trial match, a 24-20 Charity Shield loss to South Sydney.
“I’m pretty confident the way we’re training and the way we’re practising we can be the team we want to be this year.”
But who is the team Brown wants his Dragons to be?
The NRL’s youngest coach admits he still doesn’t know.
Brown is still toying with who to play in the halves now that the Gasnier at five-eighth experiment is over.
Jamie Soward and Rangi Chase finished 2007 in the halves, but former Test halfback and regular fullback Hornby is likely to be thrown into the playmaker role for round one to add experience and stability.
Brown says the Dragons have been guilty of trying to win games too early in matches, attempting to force the play with unnecessary risks, and often found themselves trailing on the scoreboard as a result.
He wants “no-frills” football to win the early rounds, before unleashing the combined thrills of Soward and Chase.
“South Sydney won their first four games last year just playing really good, disciplined and controlled footy,” said Brown.
“That’s what we’ll be looking at, how we can start the year and definitely start games in the most stable way possible.
“We’ve got enough attacking people out there … we’ve got a lot of natural football players now and they know how to find their way to the line.
“I think we can find the points, we just need to not try to score so early and just build our game as the game progresses.
“Then as the year goes on we can progress our game.
“The more controlled we are at the start of the year and early in games the better our backend of games and backend of the year will be because we have won more games at the start of the year.”
The Dragons finished 13th last year, two wins outside the playoffs and just one victory above the wooden spoon.
It was a commendable effort given their early injury toll, and Brown’s ability to blood young prospects under difficult circumstances should hold the red and whites in good stead this year.
Lock forward Ben Creagh, Morris brothers Josh and Brett, Rangi Chase, Soward and Beau Scott all gained valuable experience when forced to lead the side last year.
“We were a very young and inexperienced side last year,” said Brown.
“All those kids are just going to keep getting better and better. They played footy under a lot of tough circumstances last year.
“There were lots of them out there with a lot of lack of experience but when you put them with Gaz and Dean Young and blokes like that who have a lot of experience and have played high level football it obviously helps them and the maturity can come a little quicker.”
Maybe then, the results will follow.
St George Illawarra Dragons
Year entered premiership: 1999 (St George 1921; Illawarra 1982)
Home grounds: WIN Stadium (Wollongong), ANZ Stadium (Sydney)
Premierships: 0 (St George 15: 1941, 1949, 1956-66, 1977, 1979; Illawarra: 0)
Finishes over the past three years: 2007 – 13th; 2006 – Preliminary Final; 2005 – Preliminary Final
Coach: Nathan Brown
Captain: Mark Gasnier
Gains: Jarrod Saffy (Tigers), Kirk Reynoldson (Knights)
Losses: Wes Naiqama, Keith Lulia, Danny Wicks and Chris Houston (Knights), Charlie Leaeno (Bulldogs), Ashton Sims and Tom Hewitt (Broncos), Corey Payne (Tigers), Adam Peek (Sharks)
Money Man: Mark Gasnier. A pectoral muscle tear ruined his 2007 season but the man once considered the world’s best centre is determined to make amends. His deceptive footwork and turn of pace makes him a constant menace for the opposition.
One to watch: Rangi Chase. Capped his debut season with a Kiwi Test tour to England. Just 21, Chase is quickly developing as a dangerous ball runner who isn’t affraid to attack the defensive line.
Best team: Josh Morris, Jason Nightingale, Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Brett Morris, Rangi Chase, Ben Hornby, Justin Poore, Simon Woolford, Jason Ryles, Ben Creagh, Kirk Reynoldson, Dean Young. Interchange: Beau Scott, Stuart Webb, Jamie Soward, Jarrod Saffy.
Premiership odds: Centrebet $20, SportsBet $21
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