[Jimmythecuckoo]

What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Mon Aug 21, 2017 11:50 am  

To save the Leigh thread being so cluttered with woe I wanted to start a thread on what you all feel has gone wrong at the Dragons and how long it has been getting worse, maybe even undetected.

For me the departures of the likes of Whitehead and Taia was the key. I felt we might have got away with it this winter due to the number of key back room appointments like Alex Chan and Steve Deakin.

However the signing of Greg Bird now looks like a high profile name coming in to deflect attention from the poor level of recruitment elsewhere.

Burgess and Thornley for example were never Ferriol and Blanch.... or even Taylor and Carney.

I think the coach had been dead man walking since the middle of last season and when he can't motivate the players to at least keep scores respectable away from home then its time to do something about it.

I think McNamara had always been in Bernards mind for some reason. I think someone said in the Leigh thread that he mind have seen him as a yes man.

But this decay set in a couple of summers ago and we have been getting away with it now for too long.

If the Million Pound game is London and us, I fear for Dragons.

[John_D]

Re: What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Mon Aug 21, 2017 11:57 am  

It strikes me that a lot of players just aren't arsed. And those times we've been good have been with a disciplinarian at the helm (Potter). The Canet lifestyle is very relaxed and perhaps it's too easy to get drawn into it.
So big kicks up backsides for me, Clive. And a more French core to the squad. Seem to be going away from our raison d'etre (what is the French for raison d'etre? Do they have a word for that?)

[Jimmythecuckoo]

Re: What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:14 pm  

The junior teams performances are one bright spot I suppose.

Re: What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:10 pm  

After a great start last year it all collapsed at Warrington in a game that we should have easily won.Since then we have won only 20% of our games Too many of our really good players-I mean Whitehead and Taia- had already gone.Then we let Stewart ,Taylor and Carney our 3 best players last year -go
We have one tactic i.e run hard at the nearest opponent and take the tackle-that is if we don't knock on.We have very few really skilful players.Some of the old guard continue to give their all ,but they are in steep decline. Casty above all. Our backs -exempting the excellent half backs- are unable or unwilling to pass. The French players go on about "heart" when they should be using their brains.The u19 players have some who should make it and may get plenty of chances next year in the lower division.

[Bullseye]

Re: What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:35 pm  

Who's been in charge of recruitment over the last 2-3 years? It's been pretty bad, lots of money spent and bugger all to show for it.

Someone other than the coach I suspect.

[Jimmythecuckoo]

Re: What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Tue Aug 22, 2017 3:16 pm  

Bernard Guasch wrote:

"It is not completely lost, but I am very skeptical about the support of the XIII I do not know what they want.Yesterday Leeds and Huddersfield have benefited from the support of theirs to maintain themselves, Is the reverse. As soon as you sink, you try to crush you further. "

It is true that Saturday, the players could not count on an unfailing support of their supporters become mere spectators. Far from filling up, the Gilbert-Brutus stadium seemed to be drowsy, even resigned. It must be said that the delivery of their foals did not necessarily want to encourage them. "You have to give the urge to want" (as Johnny claimed) will be able to answer the supporters to the president of the Catalan Dragons who, in The Independent always, does not oculate his own responsibilities.

Re: What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Tue Aug 22, 2017 6:52 pm  

I think there has been too big a turnaround of players year after year and therefore no continuity.

Last season Catalans went to my team Hull KR and won away 0-40. Catalans were superb, the away day blues a thing of the past and they found themselves 2nd in Super League. Serious contenders for trophies I think everyone agreed and it really did seem that Catalans had come of age

OK Rovers were not the greatest as ultimate relegation showed but actually most of our defeats were narrow and of the plucky losers variety. The previous week we'd beat Leeds at Headingley 10-30 but we couldn't live with Catalans that night they were just far too good.

The Catalans of that night and the Catalans which lost to Leigh with barely a whimper has to be measured in light years such is the difference......and yet it was only last season.

I don't mean to be critical when I say that IMO the main strength of Catalans has always been the ability to attract high quality imports. But these players seem to come & go every year and there is a constant need to start all over . Any success is built on sand.

It would be better in the long term for Catalans, Super League and the game in France for the nucleus of the team to be French IMO. For that to happen maybe we need to go back to licensing and give that model time to work. Although I wouldn't expect any championship wannabes to agree.

[Jimmythecuckoo]

Re: What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Tue Aug 22, 2017 7:25 pm  

His Bobness wrote:

It would be better in the long term for Catalans, Super League and the game in France for the nucleus of the team to be French IMO.

Cant argue with that.

Re: What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Wed Aug 23, 2017 8:26 am  

Is this quote from B.G. from last Saturday? If it is he needs to understand that Fans,who in my case have spent several thousand euros this year supporting the club,are totally fed up with the performances of the players and their sheer inability to even to achieve the basic plan.There is a French attitude of "Le Gloire" epitomised by a succession of glorious defeats to the Spanish Tercios in the 16th Century. In modern times this translates into "playing with your heart",as distinct from your hands ,feet and brain.
Our collapse last year coincided-this is the weekest word I would use-with the arrival of Garcia and with the alleged bad behaviour of Carney Taylor and Escare.What has gone wrong above all this year is the lack of physical fitness and our hopeless defence and attack on both flanks.The fans have had enough of this,and who can reasonably blame them.

[Jimmythecuckoo]

Re: What's gone wrong and how long has it been broken? : Wed Aug 23, 2017 8:44 am  

It was from Independent on Monday