Dragons the benchmark

[Crusher_Cleal]

I was pretty impressed with how they went about their business yesterday, even without Cooper and Smith. They look good in all areas. Their defence is best in the comp, and they have plenty of grunt up front and speed out wide. They're throwing out close to a Rep team from positions 1 to 13. Weyman made very good metres/offloads in the first half, Soward was superb running the show, and Stanley and Morris were close to unstoppable. They will take some beating. In past years you could count on them having brain explosions at some time during a game, but Bennett has them much better this year. I'm salivating at the thought of a Dragons-Manly Grand Final, would be the best one in years.

 

[Cletus]

I wasn't all that impressed with them yesterday. They won pretty easily but seemed a bit sloppy at times. Very well coached team and don't rely on one player.
I don't think they're unbeatable though, they don't seem as dominant as a team like the Storm in the last few years.

 

[NYEagle]

Bah! - they'll be found out.

They have a nice run, but they will be vulnerable in the Semis.

I think any of the top 5 teams have a chance to go all the way, I just hope Manly, with some luck with injuries, will emerge based on their recent finals experience.

 

[Dan]

How much did they drop the ball?

They are good no doubt, but beatable too especially if they make as many mistakes as they did yesterday, teams like Manly, Storm and Bulldogs will punish them

 

[Biscuits]

i look forward to seeing how soward will handle watmough. Strong defenders have enough trouble. Even if he gets help from inside or outside that will open it up for choc to use his newly developed passing game to get mattai or brett stewart away.
I like our chances against saints.

 

[The Wheel]

They are the team to beat and this stage but there is an old saying "you have to lose one to win one" - there time could be next season.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Remember guys most of our team has played in the last TWO Grand Finals and a WCC Final in the UK.

I think Des has us going just nicely.....improvement left, not peaking too soon.

Dragons are good (VERY) but I wonder how Grand Final nerves will treat them...whereas for us (or the Storm) it's "been there done that".

 

[Fluffy]

They are playing good footy, thats for sure, do they have another gear? i dont think so.

Over the last 12 weeks we have won as many as them, both 8 from 10 plus 2 byes.

The last few years have shown teams struggle to play the full season from march to october, its just too much footy. We didnt start playing until may so am hoping come finals time we have another gear and some nitrous like last year.

The comp is rather open at this stage, one poor game in the semis and you are gone.

One key injury and you are gone - Soward, Kimmorley, Prince, Smith

 

[Fro]

One key injury and you are gone - Soward, Kimmorley, Prince, Smith

Jason King 🙂

 

[Fluffy]

pfft you are kidding right?

Gorgeous George!

 

[DSM5]

Kingys going OK, but George is killing them.  Payback for the support the club gave him.  Kite might be getting his mojo back as well.  Lots of big boys to punch through.  Looking good.

 

[Fro]

pfft you are kidding right?

Gorgeous George!

I heard a rumour that George Rose will be our secret weapon at halfback in our run into the semis.

They are just waiting for a new shipment of fabric at the jersey suppliers, at the moment they can't find a jumper big enough with a 7 on the back 🙂

 

[Matabele]

Soward is still a pretender and can't tackle.  I'd take Orford over him.  And I'd take T-Rex over Sailor too. 

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

A good side, but very beatable if we are on our game

They are good defensively, and even though we got a toweling from them, I was very interested to see Gould's column the next morning, applauding Hasler's attacking tactics around the ruck and showing the way to unlock their defence

On attack, they are a team that waits for a mistake, and pounces. If we limit our mistakes then they will be less likely to grab something opportunistic. Soward has scored so many 75+ metre tries this season through scooping up a poor kick, and even in our match against them we saw them scoring tries like the Morris one that bounced off the post.

 

[Guest]

It is great that the dragons keep on winning and everyone is strarting to talk about them being certainties to win the comp this year. 

The longer it keeps up the closer they are to going through a losing streak like every team does during the year.  the only problem for the dragons is that they seem to be timing their losses at semi final time. 

Soward/saints are my prediction to choke during the semi's.  Also Sailor is due to pull a hammy and Cooper will be injured again soon.

Poore and weyman showed in origin that they are soft and Weyman is a loose cannon when he gets tired.

Hope the press keep writing up the dragons as certainties as it will build up huge pressure for them to suceed this year. 

 

[kingyfan]

[quote author=Fluffy link=topic=181183.msg233717#msg233717 date=1248661508]

One key injury and you are gone - Soward, Kimmorley, Prince, Smith

Jason King 🙂
[/quote]

Our season would be ****ed if Kingy was to be injured for any length of time.

Lucky for us he has learnt to pay through the pain barrier so it would be only something serious like a broken neck that would stop him playing. 

 

[Fro]

I'm wondering who he pays through the pain barrier, and what he is buying....

 

[Brookvale]

Every NRL champion has awesome halves.

Soward is very good, but Hornby could be found out.

I agree that they are the bench mark, but dessie analyses so much that we will find a way to break them. (that's unless some other team gets them prior to us or the Dragqueens self destruct as usual)

 

[DSM5]

The offloads are the thing with the dragqueens.  That's what gets them going.  Close that down and they don't go forward.  High kicks to Sailor's wing.  His arse is so large he can't get off the ground.  They'll choke in the finals. 

 

[eagle_predator]

Laugh if the Queens won the MP ? and then get smashed by Manly in the GF.