psychic duck
International
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2011
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- 5,094
Next in the series of tops and flops, the Dragons who managed to improve later in the season with Edwards in charge, after Paul Turner was sacked. A big fault of Turner's reign as one can tell by looking at the flops was his overseas recruitment, Ali McKenzie, Hoani MacDonald, Danny Lee, Nigel Hall, Ben Castle, Tom Willis, Grant Webb and James Arlidge have all come over and all ended up on the bench for the Dragons in recent years, I think they should try getting one really good overseas player instead of filling up their quota with Nigel Hall and Ali McKenzie. An accurate kicker should be top of their list.
Tops:
Aled Brew
Despite still the jury still being out on Brew at international level, Aled Brew for over the past two seasons now has done really well in the Magners League. Brew was the best Welsh finisher this season scoring 16 tries in all competitions. He definitely deserved to be recalled to the Wales squad to play the Barbarians.
Toby Faletau
He added more agility and ball skills this season to the power he illustrated the season before, his style of play is similar to Ireland's Jamie Heaslip and I think Faletau has the potential to be as good as him in a few years time, on form alone there is no doubt he should be ahead of Andy Powell, Ryan Jones and Jonathan Thomas as Wales' world cup number 8.
Wayne Evans
Hasn't got the recognition he's deserved over the past three seasons, he gave good service to Tovey all season and was very unlucky to be ignored by Warren Gatland who even preferred Lloyd Willians who had only 4 league starts.
Flops:
Tom Willis
As a former All Black and the captain, one would expect more than to be on the bench behind Lloyd Burns. I was surprised that the Dragons renewed his contract before last season, he's injury prone and when he is on the pitch he doesn't have that much impact, also takes up an overseas spot and probably has higher wages than most of the squad, poor value for money.
Danny Lee
Again a former All Black, he started the first match of the season against almighty Connacht where the Dragons were thumped 17-40, and then was rapidly relegated to the Newport bench. Retired mid season, and the Dragons fans were probably not too sad at that.
Matt Evans
I saw him play in one match against Glasgow early in the season, and he was totally pants, couldn't catch a high ball or find touch to save his life, I never saw him play again after that. He will be Canada's first choice full back at the World Cup I hope for their sake that he's improved since then.
Aled Brew
Despite still the jury still being out on Brew at international level, Aled Brew for over the past two seasons now has done really well in the Magners League. Brew was the best Welsh finisher this season scoring 16 tries in all competitions. He definitely deserved to be recalled to the Wales squad to play the Barbarians.
Toby Faletau
He added more agility and ball skills this season to the power he illustrated the season before, his style of play is similar to Ireland's Jamie Heaslip and I think Faletau has the potential to be as good as him in a few years time, on form alone there is no doubt he should be ahead of Andy Powell, Ryan Jones and Jonathan Thomas as Wales' world cup number 8.
Wayne Evans
Hasn't got the recognition he's deserved over the past three seasons, he gave good service to Tovey all season and was very unlucky to be ignored by Warren Gatland who even preferred Lloyd Willians who had only 4 league starts.
Tom Willis
As a former All Black and the captain, one would expect more than to be on the bench behind Lloyd Burns. I was surprised that the Dragons renewed his contract before last season, he's injury prone and when he is on the pitch he doesn't have that much impact, also takes up an overseas spot and probably has higher wages than most of the squad, poor value for money.
Danny Lee
Again a former All Black, he started the first match of the season against almighty Connacht where the Dragons were thumped 17-40, and then was rapidly relegated to the Newport bench. Retired mid season, and the Dragons fans were probably not too sad at that.
Matt Evans
I saw him play in one match against Glasgow early in the season, and he was totally pants, couldn't catch a high ball or find touch to save his life, I never saw him play again after that. He will be Canada's first choice full back at the World Cup I hope for their sake that he's improved since then.
