PRE-GAME DISCUSSION: Dragons v Manly [Round 6, 2019]

[BOZO]

St George Illawarra Dragons v Manly Sea Eagles, WIN Stadium, 7.35pm

Predicted Dragons team: 1. Matt Dufty 2. Jordan Pereira 3. Euan Aitken 4. Timoteo Lafai 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Corey Norman 7. Ben Hunt 8. James Graham 9. Cameron McInnes 10. Paul Vaughan 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Tariq Sims 13. Blake Lawrie. Interchange: 14. Jeremy Latimore 15. Zac Lomax 16. Jacob Host 17. Luciano Leilua.

Team tips: Paul Vaughan left the field with an ankle injury on Sunday but later admitted he could have returned. He will need to be passed fit to be a chance to play on Saturday.

Predicted Sea Eagles team: 1. Brendan Elliott 2. Jorge Taufua 3. Moses Suli 4. Brad Parker 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Kane Elgey 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Toafofoa Sipley 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Martin Taupau 11. Joel Thompson 12. Curtis Sironen 13. Jake Trbojevic. Interchange: 14. Manase Fainu 15. Jack Gosiewski 16. Corey Waddell 17. Taniela Paseka.

Team tips: Prop Addin Fonua-Blake is facing a two-match ban for dangerous contact on Mitchell Pearce on Saturday, with Toafofoa Sipley to replace him in the pack. Fullback Tom Trbojevic is still battling a hamstring injury and is weeks away from returning.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Sounds like we are just accepting the AFB charge!!

 

[Peter C]

Sounds like we are just accepting the AFB charge!!

The charge itself was only a minor one and he wouldn't have been suspended if he didn't have a prior loading.
In order to contest it he would have to be found not guilty of the charge, which seems very unlikely.
I suppose because the charge is at the low end of the grading, that a downgrading of the charge is not possible.

 

[mickqld]

So reports the Goons want to employ yeh nah but are waiting till we pay him out in full. More incentive to smash these fukers. Trying to drag out this perpetual dragon/steeler loser. Kick him out now, let him go and infect them with his malaise.

 

[Peter C]

So reports the Goons want to employ yeh nah but are waiting till we pay him out in full. More incentive to smash these fukers. Trying to drag out this perpetual dragon/steeler loser. Kick him out now, let him go and infect them with his malaise.

Are we talking about Barrett here?

 

[The Wheel]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/04/15/manlys-back-row-trio-a-throwback-to-workaholic-era/

Our backrow looking forward to Dragons clash

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

St George Illawarra Dragons v Manly Sea Eagles, WIN Stadium, 7.35pm

Predicted Dragons team: 1. Matt Dufty 2. Jordan Pereira 3. Euan Aitken 4. Timoteo Lafai 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Corey Norman 7. Ben Hunt 8. James Graham 9. Cameron McInnes 10. Paul Vaughan 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Tariq Sims 13. Blake Lawrie. Interchange: 14. Jeremy Latimore 15. Zac Lomax 16. Jacob Host 17. Luciano Leilua.

Team tips: Paul Vaughan left the field with an ankle injury on Sunday but later admitted he could have returned. He will need to be passed fit to be a chance to play on Saturday.

Predicted Sea Eagles team: 1. Brendan Elliott 2. Jorge Taufua 3. Moses Suli 4. Brad Parker 5. Reuben Garrick 6. Kane Elgey 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Toafofoa Sipley 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Martin Taupau 11. Joel Thompson 12. Curtis Sironen 13. Jake Trbojevic. Interchange: 14. Manase Fainu 15. Jack Gosiewski 16. Corey Waddell 17. Taniela Paseka.

Team tips: Prop Addin Fonua-Blake is facing a two-match ban for dangerous contact on Mitchell Pearce on Saturday, with Toafofoa Sipley to replace him in the pack. Fullback Tom Trbojevic is still battling a hamstring injury and is weeks away from returning.

Boze, are you not concerned that someone in their camp will stumble over this thread title and then McGregor uses it as added motivation?

 

[BOZO]

Boze, are you not concerned that someone in their camp will stumble over this thread title and then McGregor uses it as added motivation?

Not at all mate

As One great athlete used to openly declare and with out giving a fck to what his opponent thought....... " I am the greatest , Your going down in round 6 !!! "
and had the confidence to back him self up

Confidence worked for him and it has worked for us in the last 3 games .

****Self belief is the most powerful motivation . It is more powerful than what your opponents think ****

We do not fear the Dragons or their coach and they know we are playing for a win . They know we will be running on to the field to rip their heads off .

Anything else said is just politically correct soft talk .

If any Dragons are reading this I would like to say you can all go and get fcked !!!

 

[ManlyMatt]

Are we talking about Barrett here?

Nah yeh

 

[Shoe1]

I thought their official name was St Merge Illawarra Dragqueens??

 

[BOZO]

Dragons v Sea Eagles: Round 6 preview
NRL.com

The good news is Kimmorley has tipped against Manly again


After two golden point wins the Dragons let loose against the Bulldogs last weekend registering their highest score yet for 2019 with a 40-4 win.

The convincing seven tries to one victory also pushed the Dragons back into the top-eight leapfrogging the Warriors and Sharks to get there.

Full of confidence and flair they now they face another NRL club enjoying three wins on the trot in the Manly Sea Eagles.

And one of the hardest workers in Des Hasler's team is lock Jake Trbojevic, who celebrates his 100th NRL game. If Manly could turn on the fireworks for Daly Cherry-Evans in his 200th last weeked, Trbojevic would be hopeful of a similar favour.

The Rundown
Key match-up
Ben Hunt is unlikely to regain the Queensland halfback jersey this year but his two line-break assists, three try assists and scoring two four-pointers himself against the Bulldogs, makes his duel with incumbent Maroons No.7 Cherry-Evans one to savour. The Manly skipper ran 145 metres as he terrorised the Knights defensive line with a line break and three tackle busts.

For the Dragons to win
Pull together the same team effort at Kogarah last week and let it loose in Wollongong this week, when the home crowd again has your back. With the glue in the Hunt-Norman partnership starting to set firm and hard, the Sea Eagles forwards will have their heads spinning trying to keep up with which way the pair will run, pass or kick.

For the Sea Eagles to win
Five-eighth Kane Elgey reproducing the form he showed against the Knights in both attack and defence only frees up Cherry-Evans to do more knowing that his five-eighth is linking nicely with the Sea Eagles backs. And Tom Trbojevic stand-in Brendan Elliott held his own in kick-return metres and under the high ball. His confidence grows as he works well with his other back-three members - wingers Jorge Taufua and Reuben Garrick.

Brett Kimmorley says
Dessie has the Brookvale faithful back on board. The big pack of forwards are ripping in and playing tough. They are finding different ways of spoiling the opposition attack and coming up with victories. For the Dragons, Paul Vaughan was in superb form last weekend. If Ben Hunt can repeat his performance of last weekend that will also be a huge help. Dragons by 8

Dragons Stat Attack
The Dragons lead the NRL in kick metres (3,273) and are second in total kicks (115) to Melbourne (116). They are fourth in tackles breaks (180) and fifth in line breaks (21).

Sea Eagles Stat Attack
Daly Cherry-Evans is the NRL's top point-scorer after five rounds (45). Jake Trbojevic led by example as usual last week with a team-high 45 tackles against Newcastle and 132 run metres.

And another thing ...
The work being done by starting No.9 Api Koroisau and his bench replacement Manase Fainu must be pleasing coach Des Hasler. The pair of hookers are nimble and energetic as they manoeuvre around tired forwards in the defensive line. Koroisau made a line break against the Knights, while Fainu had four tackle breaks against the Rabbitohs the previous week.

 

[torana355]

Dragons are our bogey team, even at our best we struggle against them. A win would be incredible especially with them hitting some form recently.

 

[PONTIAN SEA EAGLE]

Kimmorley averages 3/4 correct tips a week on nrl.com.What’s he know.

 

[BOZO]

Kimmorley averages 3/4 correct tips a week on nrl.com.What’s he know.

All I know is that he always tips against us

 

[The Who]

Illawarra is the only club that I'll always tip to beat us. It is our bogey side, especially at Wollongong.
I recall even at the height of our greatness that we'd lose at WIN Stadium.
I don't think we have a chance this week, especially without Turbo and AFB. Obviously I hope I'm wrong, but I think of myself as a realist.
I think we'd have a better chance beating Melbourne than Illawarra.
Certain teams have the wood on others. We always seem to beat Cronulla. Canberra always seem to beat Illawarra....
Just saying.....

 

[Andyvb88]

I agree, dragons played themselves into good form, losing AFB and no Tom we will struggle a bit

 

[brad]

If Kimberley is tipping the dragon's by 8 We'll win this.

 

[BOZO]

Illawarra is the only club that I'll always tip to beat us. It is our bogey side, especially at Wollongong.
I recall even at the height of our greatness that we'd lose at WIN Stadium.
I don't think we have a chance this week, especially without Turbo and AFB. Obviously I hope I'm wrong, but I think of myself as a realist.
I think we'd have a better chance beating Melbourne than Illawarra.
Certain teams have the wood on others. We always seem to beat Cronulla. Canberra always seem to beat Illawarra....
Just saying.....

The highest score they ever had against them is against us . We humiliated them by 64 points to nil

I am not suggesting that in our current rebuilding stage we will win by 64 points this week but as a realist after watching our teams resilience unfold and team character building , I think we have a very good chance of beating the Dragons

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Illawarra powder puff dragons??
Whatever else they may be, I'm fairly certain that James Graham and Tariq Sims are not powder puffs.
Neither is Tyson Frizell for that matter.
The main thing we have going for us is that their half back is Hunt and their fullback is Dufty.
Those two can each hurt us, mind you, but they also have some weaknesses and Des might work out a way to exploit those.
It will be a tough game.

 

[SeaEagle21]

This game will be tough, we don't go good against them, especially recently. Granted this is a different team but their squad has strike all over the park. Hopefully the team continue as they have defensively over the last 3 weeks and we could spring a surprise yet again.