One thing I can't work out from Sunday's game...JMK was quite brilliant at times in the first half making two clean breaks yet for the rest of the game it was as though his feet were nailed to the ground,,,surely the excitement derived from the success achieved would warrant more of the same.

The dean of coaches young Shane Flanagan.

So who has the 100% coaching record at the Dragons, is it Dean Young or Shane Flanagan?

Next time Dman kisses everyone at Northies..... he won't start with the bouncer....

100% right but to be fair to the posters on this site, we didnt stick it to Pay until this year...

Barrett enters the role in a better position than Pay and with that comes some responsibility and accountability.

I'm willing to give him next season to change pir style of play and in 2022 I expect a top 8 finish with some key roster changes. By his 3rd year, I'll be either deathriding home or praising him

That is right style is part of it.

But also the right players in key positions, a coach has to understand football and the style he wants to play to understand the players he needs to recruit and teach all players the right way.
I am less critical of Pay and Georgallis as they inherited a mess.

I am more critical of Des, but Des was burdened with high expectations and a particular squad from day 1, as a result Des tried short cuts and ultimately created a mess.

No doubt at all in my mind that all top sides have a good hooker and halfback, 2 good starting props and a fullback who is at least above average.

We have been lacking in these key areas and it is hard for coaching to fix.

But take our first try against the Warriors, a lot of good footy in that even if the Lafai flick is 50/50 at best.

Once Odgen was off we lost a lot of impact in the middle, our yardage game coming out of our end is predictable, and Cogger's kicking game wasn't up to it.

In the better sides someone changes the momentum with an unpredictable play, a strong run, a good kick or a big tackle. Our guys were trying hard, but no one had that in them.
And most times when we get in that position the outcome is the same.
In the better sides the halfback, hooker or some other player steps in and changes the momentum. When the momentum is changed the half and hooker make it count.

This last bit is whst Baz can help us with, taking opportunities and making it count.
He might need new players or perhaps it is a matter of coaching. 

IMO taking opportunities is partially instinct, but practising the right stuff helps.

I'm giving Baz every chance, I don't know how next season will go, as we say lack of effort will not be a problem. Better direction of that effort might yield good results.

As shallow as the talent is in this team, and it is very shallow, I got no doubt that if we were playing a winning style of football as opposed to the deeply ingrained 80's style we've been burdened with for too long we'd be in the 9th-12th range, maybe even challenging the Tigers for 9th spot.

We're better than about 3-4 teams in this comp, not on talent, but on effort and desire. And if we were playing a modern style that'd be enough to get us above them.

Tom is gonna bring a breath of air through this club more like a hurricane in that it will change the style of football we play. Even with no talent injection we would be vastly different in style I say with certainly, and much improved in results I say confidently. And with some talent injection this can only improve that.

However, I hope we all give him a chance (I certainly will), because I reckon at least the first six months are gonna be haaaaaaaaaaaaard. Because Tom's got to change a whole teams and in fact a whole clubs thinking about how to play football and even with the best of intents from team and club it's not gonna be a quick learn.

The f***in shit style we've been playing goes to the bone. Tom has to perform a marrow transplant before he can even begin to tinker with the DNA.

So don't sh.t him until he's had the chance to do so.

Maybe it's because they're not up to it but our halves don't appear to handle the ball as much as the top teams.  This inevitably leads to the lack of variety and rubbish football you describe.  Only a dominant half, a competent dummy half and good coaching can fix it.

I only watched the first half, but from what you said there it's like I've also seen the 2nd half in some kind of surreal dream...

When i say we have an ageing roster, i mean we have plenty of older experienced and former rep players who just cant lift the team and swing momentum.

I feel the same way. We are edging closer but we seriously lack the mental edge to win games.
Every week we find ourselves in positions to win games (except storm game) and every week us fans are left shattered with new schoolboy errors that result in defeats.

We have an ageing roster, but not 1 of our players has the ability to lift the team when it is on a downward spiral. 
We simply dont have the ability to dictate momentum swings in games unlike key players in other games.

It was clear as mud in the 2nd half yesterday that Warriors were aiming up in defence wanting to smother us and have us kick from our 20m or 30m. 
We did nothing to combat this and it was Hoppa, Meaney, Lafai, Holland or Smith running it up for 4 tackles, Tolman with his customary 6m gain and slow play the ball and a rushed kick from Cogger from inside the 30m line. 

We were basically playing for the Warriors to NOT score, NOT hit the lead and then waiting for them to faulter in defence to gift us the game.

Horrible horrible gameplay.

Georgealis would like to stay in coaching.

So he is trying to win as was Pay.

It isn't that we are getting lapped each week, the team is finding ways of losing close games.

Most can see we have performed better than the Broncos and Cows considering the talent in each side.

But at the end of the season the win/loss column is all that counts.
The coach has to get it right rounds 1-5  or the team needs to steadily build.
Georgealis is trying for wins, he doesn't care about next year.

I would probably throw Okunbor back onto the wing this week, he was served his time, and might make a difference.

I don't think we have many other good young players who are NRL ready.

Unless Georgealis is going to screw us over because they are not keeping him on.

Mdog  totally agree, if we have some youngsters we are keeping next year then swap them out with the underperformers that wont be re-signed with us next season.

Last or second last.  I don't care.  If we have a couple of likely lads give them a go and some experience and drop a couple of duds.

The ‘erbal vaccines doing its thing like it’s always done... 

It’s nice to know that courtesy of the Fivts ad we can say people who had Covid are scum of the earth though... Dirty dirty dirty Coviders...

Next 3 weeks Broncos play Roosters, Panthers and Titans  while we play Raiders, Titans and Manly.

Expectation is that Broncos lose both their games before the titans game. We need to beat the tits in 2 weeks time to get us off the bottom.

If we can knock off Manly also it will be bliss. But knowing our luck Tommy Turbo will return and Manly will look like premiers against us

Similar to the Yugos I’d reckon,..

Never know what the Croats might offer...

Speaking of which, how is our herbal vaccine going?

I am desperate to get rich, we are calling it a cure for pessimism..

I am worried that the before shot (Marki) doesn't look like the after shot (me), one dose should fix that worry.

Sometimes people forget and a coach earns another shot..

But maybe Serbs should hang out for a higher offer.

Wow... saw the Covid 19 ad...

Hope I get AIDS... For a Govt endorsed advert the stigma it endorses/promotes re being C19 positive is fekking disgusting...

Slinky!!! Give us ur vaccine!!!..,

I’ll give thommo an off season and a side that isn’t already half way to a spoon to prepare the egg that will adorn yours and other detractors faces...

Serbs never coaches NRLol again if he takes the payout...

From what I am reading here things didn't go too well. I figured when I saw the team lineup earlier, that SG was heading in the wrong direction. Everyone on this site (and others) knew Meaney should have been left at FB, Hoppa should have been played in the centres and Holland and Tolman left out and I think DWZ to wing. SG is shooting himself in the foot with poor team selection and bench rotation. It's obvious he hasn't learnt ftom Dean Pays mistakes.

If Ogden can show Luke Thompson this is how you run son in the nrl  but seems a poddler Thompson & nothing else 
maybe Barrett can teach him time will tell 
just in bronkos just now offered 1 mil pay out 2 seebold 
to quite on foxsports nrl breaking news

After that game I would stick to our 1 year offer for Foran.
We definitely need to sign one good half and a good hooker who can perhaps fill in in the halves.
While I still think Wakeham has potential I would be happy for Foran, Lewis and Cogger to go.
If Foran partners an experienced dominant half like Pearce or Cleary he would do well.
Foran is still good but he can't do it all and can't do the majority of the kicking.

It is absolutely essential that our new half has a good kicking game.

Tolman needs a fresh start at a new club.

These days the correct role for him is coming off the bench when a coach wants to shore up the defence.

Either our coaches are giving him the wrong instructions or he us ignoring instructions..

Lafai is a rocks and diamonds player, a truckload on rocks  and 1-2 diamonds, his return is panning out as I expected.
The blind flick pass is a low percentage play, his defence was woeful, honesty Montoya is a better option than Lafai and that says plenty.

Pay and Georgallis have picked the wrong side more often than not. Losing regularly has sapped the teams confidence and dumb team selections have made it harder to win.
The team has lacked some leadershp without Elliott and Hoppa.
DWZ has been a major disappointment all season and that started with playing him in the wrong positions.

I think Baz will get something out of the players he chooses to keep and he has probably put a line through quie a few, we wont miss them at all.

There is a big problem I have with foran and that is he wants the big bucks but he just cant take the game from the scruff of the neck and lead his team to victory.

The 2nd half against the wind needed precise kicking game and working the ball forward to fight off the territorial disadvantage. A big thumbs down to the forwards and halves who did nothing to combat this.

This team is just so use to losing they dont even know what a win is. 

The sooner this season is over the better.  This round, rubbish games and poor quality football.  Lucky the crowds are locked out.  They'd be going backwards I think.