With Gareth Widdop injured, the responsibility falls on Ben Hunt to ignite the Dragons
It seems most Dragons fans want to blame coach Paul McGregor for what has gone wrong at St George Illawarra. But Tyson Frizell got it right that it’s the players who must fix it — starting with misfiring halfback Ben Hunt.
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EVERYONE wants to know what has gone wrong with St George Illawarra since State of Origin.
We just might have found the answer.
Tyson Frizell bristled at Michael Ennis’s comment this week that it was time for the Dragons players to stop “sooking and sulking”.
“He is entitled to his opinion, but I don’t know what we are sooking about,” Frizell fired. “We haven’t been performing and playing the footy we want to. We need to be better and there is no one else that can fix it.”
Frizell is spot on, but so is Ennis.
It seems most Dragons fans want to blame coach Paul McGregor for what has gone wrong.
Let’s remember, hardly anyone tipped the Dragons to be a top eight team this year, and given this is the first week they have been out of the top four, doesn’t that show McGregor is doing his job?
Frizell is one player who can hold his head high for his performances after Origin. But you can’t say that about many others.
Which brings us to Ben Hunt. It’s a fact when Wayne Bennett dropped Hunt to Queensland Cup last year, it was because Hunt was not running the football.
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Last week Hunt walked off the field with 0 runs for 0 metres.
McGregor was the first to publicly defend Hunt after his Origin demotion.
With Gareth Widdop now gone until the finals with a shoulder injury, this Saturday against Wests Tigers is Hunt’s chance to repay his coach’s faith by showing everyone why he is worth $1 million a season.
When Nathan Cleary went down with his knee injury earlier in the season, it was James Maloney who took charge and had Penrith in top spot and premiership favourites going into Origin.
That’s what the playmakers on the big bucks do.
AN ENDURING JT
JOHNATHAN Thurston will play his final game in Sydney when Cronulla host North Queensland on Saturday night.
After a remarkable career in which the little bloke who started as a butcher’s assistant at a supermarket in Toowoomba conquered it all, Thurston’s challenge now is to try and avoid the wooden spoon.
The Cowboys go into the round last on percentages but on equal competition points with Parramatta and Canterbury.
Thurston has copped some stick this season from some who believe he has played on a year too long. I wish he could play forever.
Even with the Cowboys last, Thurston’s individual stats are still right up with the best, including being equal first in try assists.
I can’t remember a bloke who ever gave more in every game he played.
Listen! Nick Campton and Tim Williams discuss where Ben Barba will end up in his NRL return, who will win the Dally M Medal, while also reviewing the Roosters-Souths blockbuster.
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CAN MANLY STIR TO AVOID SPOON?
ONE team that won’t be finishing with the wooden spoon is the winner of tomorrow night’s game between Manly and Gold Coast.
With the two teams one win ahead of the three bottom-placed sides, victory in this game should put them out of danger.
But on the back of news this week that Trent Barrett won’t be at the Sea Eagles next year, it will interesting to see how that affects his players.
Fox Sports Stats shows if Manly fail to win another game, it will be just the second time since 1965 they have recorded seven wins or fewer through a season.
TACTICS BEEF
A COUPLE of weeks back we had Sam Burgess complaining about the Melbourne Storm’s go-slow wrestling tactics.
Then last Friday night it was Sydney Roosters captain Jake Friend into the refs about South Sydney trying to get fast play-the-balls.
I get Friend’s beef about Souths sometimes being guilty of fooling the refs with surrender tackles, but I know what I’d rather see.