Dragons set to shuffle spine

Following the Dragons' off-season acquisition of former Eel Corey Norman, it left many wondering how the Dragons were going to slot 2018 x-factor Matt Dufty into the team.

However, on Friday coach Paul McGregor revealed his plans for the diminutive fullback to the media, with the Dragons set to play some mid-game musical chairs with the all-important spine.

While many pundits and fans alike expected Dufty to toil through 2019 in reserve grade, that won't be the case. With Mary McGregor having selected the Penshurst RSL junior to come off the bench in their round 1 loss to the Cowboys.

When McGregor does choose to insert Dufty into the game, the Dragons' spine will be torn apart and put back together to accommodate the livewire fullback. This could get confusing but stay with me here, Dufty's inclusion will result in club captain Gareth Widdop shifting from fullback to the halves, Queensland Origin halfback Ben Hunt shifting to hooker, City Origin representative Cam McInnes shifting from hooker to lock, and Dufty slotting in at fullback.

Following years of lackluster options in the spine, it's ironic that McGregor now has a surplus of attacking options at his disposal. However, for McGregor, this is a problem he is delighted to have. With the Dragons now able to call on a genuine game-breaker when points may not be flowing.

"Chasing points, it's a bit exciting when you've got all of them on the field together," McGregor said before the Cowboys clash. "There might be games where your 17th man doesn't get on the field. That will depend on game scenarios and the position we're in at certain stages throughout the game. There's certainly an option there," McGregor told the Sydney Morning Herald.

McGregor's choice to carry an out and out fullback on the bench stray's from the norm for St George Illawarra, who for last season utilised Kurt Mann as their utility off the bench, who was just as comfortable as a ball-playing lock as he was on the wing.

As such, McGregor won't have nearly as many options with Dufty when he brings him into the fray, with the game of spinal musical chairs the only way he can insert the fullback into the game.

With current fullback Gareth Widdop set to return home to England next year, McGregor needed to find a way to keep Dufty involved and interested in the short-term, in order to keep him around for the long-term, with the bench utility spot being the only option.

Luckily for Mary, it has paid off with Dufty re-signing until the end of 2021.

However, the vast shift in playing style and adjustment of the spine as a result of the multiple positional switches can't be good for in-game continuity. And you can't help but feel that the Dragons are sacrificing the short-term for the long-term in 2019.