Dragons thrashed by Titans in 250th game
· news
Red V reality check as Titans rain on Gutherson’s 250th parade
The St George Illawarra Dragons’ season is all but over after Sunday’s 38-18 thrashing by the Gold Coast Titans. While new coach Dean Young has made progress in recent weeks, this performance was a harsh reminder of the team’s limitations.
The contrast between the two teams was stark. The Titans showed cohesion and determination, while the Dragons looked like cellar-dwellers. Young acknowledged as much: “They ran harder than we tackled and tackled harder than we ran.” These words suggest that he didn’t expect his team to be in this situation.
The celebration of Clint Gutherson’s 250th NRL outing was overshadowed by the visitors’ dominance, forcing Young to make changes. Utility Lyhkan King-Togia replaced Matt Feagai out wide, but it didn’t stem the tide. The Dragons will need to do some soul-searching in the coming days.
Fans of the team had hoped for a resurgence with promising local juniors and big-name recruits Keaon Koloamatangi and Scott Drinkwater on board. Instead, the wooden spoon now seems inevitable. Young has five days to regroup before hosting the Dolphins in Wollongong on Friday night.
His words after the game hinted at disappointment among some players, but it’s unclear whether this will translate into meaningful change on the field. The Dragons’ fate is all but sealed, but how they respond to their impending wooden spoon will reveal more about their character.
The season has been marked by inconsistency and disappointment, with Sunday’s result serving as a stark reminder of the challenges ahead for Young and his team. Can they salvage some pride from the remainder of their campaign? Or will the 2024 season bring little but a new set of expectations for the Dragons’ rebuild efforts?
The NRL landscape will be more competitive than ever next year, with several teams pushing for finals contention. For the Dragons to avoid becoming a perpetual also-ran, they’ll need to address their glaring issues on and off the field.
Young’s tenure is now under scrutiny: can he implement the necessary changes to propel this team towards relevance, or will the wooden spoon become a permanent fixture at Kogarah Oval? The next few weeks will provide some answers.
Reader Views
- CSCorrespondent S. Tan · field correspondent
The Dragons' predicament raises questions about Dean Young's rebuild strategy. While introducing local juniors and big-name recruits was touted as a solution, Sunday's drubbing suggests these additions may not be enough to overcome entrenched issues within the team. The lack of cohesion and determination on display against the Titans is alarming, especially considering the Dragons' supposed "new" look. Young has five days to regroup and make necessary changes, but can he salvage some pride from this season? Perhaps more pressing than results are the decisions that need to be made about the future – not just for the players, but also for his own tenure as coach.
- CMColumnist M. Reid · opinion columnist
The Red V's woes run deep. Dean Young's admission that his team was outworked and outtackled by the Titans should send alarm bells ringing for fans of the struggling Dragons. But what's truly concerning is not just their inability to close games, but also the lack of a clear identity. Are they a team with potential or a bunch of misfits trying to fit together? The wooden spoon is all but certain, but it's how Young and his players respond in the coming weeks that will be telling. Will they show signs of life or simply go through the motions?
- ADAnalyst D. Park · policy analyst
The St George Illawarra Dragons' demise is not just about Dean Young's coaching, but also the failure of their recruitment strategy to deliver impact. Keaon Koloamatangi and Scott Drinkwater were touted as game-changers, but their contributions have been woefully underwhelming. The real question now is whether the club's leadership has the vision to make necessary changes or will they stick with a status quo that clearly isn't working.