Penrith found a way to beat the Dragons............

[supermario]

But have been blowing their chances with STUPID STUPID options and poor handling !!!

they have done pretty much everything right except hold the ball and actually get a kick away on the last tackle !!

The Panthers proved tonight that the Dragins can and will be beaten, especially up the middle third of the field !

[Rooster_6]

They've got some of the best defenders in the league out wide... Scott, Creagh, Smith, Prior. Panthers just aren't adapting, they're too used to throwing it out wide to Pritchard and Jennings.

The only team that can beat the Dragons imo are the Storm.

[supermario]

Manly with Whatmough on song will carve up the Dragons, like i said, you get the dragons straight up the middle of the field.

Teams with a really creative hooker should really take advantage of some quick runs from the play of the ball to tke the advantage

[Guest]

and take Steve Clarke out of the video refs box ...

[Rooster_6]

Manly with Whatmough on song will carve up the Dragons, like i said, you get the dragons straight up the middle of the field.

Teams with a really creative hooker should really take advantage of some quick runs from the play of the ball to tke the advantage

Hence Storm and Smith, he plays like a second halfback. Our first half against the Dragons spoke massive volumes of Friend's potential. I just don't think Ballin is creative enough as you said and their props just aren't potent enough imo. Watmough would be a one man attack and that's something the Dragons would eat up.

[Rooster_6]

and take Steve Clarke out of the video refs box ...

Ennis just isn't creative enough imo, Dragons are getting better each week and Dogs seem to be doing the opposite... hopefully just a hiccup because I hate those ****ing Saints

One bloke who I reckon will give the Dragons some trouble is Eastwood, you just need to get more minutes out of him... apart from that you lack some forwards who can poke their nose through the line.

Warbutton
Ryan
Stagg

All good tacklers and do their job but no x-factor.

[Guest]

Ennis just isn't creative enough imo, Dragons are getting better each week and Dogs seem to be doing the opposite... hopefully just a hiccup because I hate those ****ing Saints

One bloke who I reckon will give the Dragons some trouble is Eastwood, you just need to get more minutes out of him... apart from that you lack some forwards who can poke their nose through the line.

Warbutton
Ryan
Stagg

All good tacklers and do their job but no x-factor.

Yeah, no argument there. In fact, admitted by the coaching staff in a closed forum the other night.

We need an angry hard running back rower to really make an impact in the finals.

In fact, our form as dropped in recent weeks because Ennis has tried to do too much himself. The team is best served by Ennis getting fast clean ball out early, especially to Roberts. The sooner Ennis stops trying to play like Robbie Farah the better for us.

The Dogs are trying to hang on to Eastwood at the moment, but Leeds are insisting he get on a plane asap if his appeal is successful on Wednesday.

[Rooster_6]

Yeah, no argument there. In fact, admitted by the coaching staff in a closed forum the other night.

We need an angry hard running back rower to really make an impact in the finals.

In fact, our form as dropped in recent weeks because Ennis has tried to do too much himself. The team is best served by Ennis getting fast clean ball out early, especially to Roberts. The sooner Ennis stops trying to play like Robbie Farah the better for us.

The Dogs are trying to hang on to Eastwood at the moment, but Leeds are insisting he get on a plane asap if his appeal is successful on Wednesday.

That prop from your 20's looks pretty good TOWPOW. Very mobile and potent, I'd be keen to see him get a run from a doggies point of view. Hannant and Hodgson (most underrated player in the league) will do their job and taupau (sp?) and Hickey can add some punch as good as Armit has been. Not sure if getting 80 minutes out of Hannant is actually the best thing at the moment, it's not like you're short on front rowers or anything.

[Guest]

That prop from your 20's looks pretty good TOWPOW. Very mobile and potent, I'd be keen to see him get a run from a doggies point of view. Hannant and Hodgson (most underrated player in the league) will do their job and taupau (sp?) and Hickey can add some punch as good as Armit has been. Not sure if getting 80 minutes out of Hannant is actually the best thing at the moment, it's not like you're short on front rowers or anything.

I agree with you about Hodgson and I think Armit has also gone unnoticed this year. He has been superb. We're flogging Hannant at the moment, the season is too long to do that to forwards.

Moore has to get the side to find another level, they've been playing like a swarm of bees all year. That's tough to maintain and hopefully they find something extra for the semis. Our bench is too big and too much same-same. Pity Daniel Harrison was injured and Barba doesn't look NRL standard otherwise they would have given our bench more balance. Buddy Gordon has been a surprise though.

I think we are short on genuine line breakers in the back row and at prop, this should be addressed for next season though.

Not sure about Taupau, or any of our U20s for that matter. Paki Afu is a maybe but as John Kite has shown, running roughshod over Toyota cup doesn't necessarily translate into the NRL. Our 20's are absolute rubbish, have been most of the year. At least since Josh Reynolds was injured, whether it was coincidence or not.

[Guest]

Taupau is definitely the top player at the Bulldogs this year, without doubt.

Paki Afu is just John Kite MKII, he is a big unit who can score a try and break the line from close range, but has very little mobility and lateral movement, Taupau is big, mobile, aggressive and has a good workrate too.

I have actually been impressed in the brief appearances of Josh Reynolds (hooker - far better than the other options), and the wingers Peter Tuiafiso and Kele Niusere. Keresoma Sione has been pretty poor at centre, as have the regular backrowers Shea, James, Finucane, Dib, etc. The halves of Jack and Minto were failures too, although Pumipi seems to have added some spark.

[Guest]

Taupau is definitely the top player at the Bulldogs this year, without doubt.

Paki Afu is just John Kite MKII, he is a big unit who can score a try and break the line from close range, but has very little mobility and lateral movement, Taupau is big, mobile, aggressive and has a good workrate too.

I have actually been impressed in the brief appearances of Josh Reynolds (hooker - far better than the other options), and the wingers Peter Tuiafiso and Kele Niusere. Keresoma Sione has been pretty poor at centre, as have the regular backrowers Shea, James, Finucane, Dib, etc. The halves of Jack and Minto were failures too, although Pumipi seems to have added some spark.

I'll have another look at Taupau tomorrow night, happy to be proven wrong.

Speaking of which, Lopeti Timani? What happened there?

[Kingbilly]

Its a very big call Muzz.
Watch the Roosters / Dragons game, looked liked the Roosters had figured it out too. Then in the second half everything the dragons did was different and they blew the Roosters away.

To me one of the huge things the dragons have going for them is the ability to change what they are doing, against Penrith I always thought they were in control and remember the dragons have acheived what they need to for now, so results are not that important, what is important to them is how they carry out their instructions

[TheLoneRooster]

The Panthers were unlucky with two key decisions going against them that should rightly have gone for them:
1) The no try ruling should have been try with benefit of the doubt
2) sailor took the ball dead and it should have been a line drop out

The Panthers were also short a player and possibly another half a player what with Elford, Paulo and Pritchard being injured. You can't be short players against the stains and get away with it for long. I was cheering on the Panthers but unfortunately had to witness another of those lucky broken field tries that the biting milkman turd scored.

Unlucky and under-manned Panthers, they can at least be proud of their effort.