For years, there's been a running joke that the Bunnies treat the Charity Shield as their grand final.
That's because they were so goddamn awful that the Charity Shield was their only chance each year to nab a piece of silverware.
But that joke isn't likely to work this year. Oh, sure, the Bunnies will still be tough this Saturday but not because it's their grand final. They'll be tough because I think they'll be tough all year.
Really, it's hard to be anything other that tough when you've got some crazy man like Sam Burgess in your team. I watched his efforts in his first game on Australian soil - the All-Star clash - and I was a little scared.
The guy just ran full-tilt at anyone, as if his mission was to try to turn their bones into powder. Add Dave Taylor to the equation (though he's not in this weekend's game) and you have two head-smashers in the one team.
If Burgess runs that hard this weekend - and there's no reason to think otherwise - the Dragons will have to take the game seriously.
Which it looks like they are already. They've named a virtual full-strength side - not like last week's trial against the Dogs where they ran on a completely different side in the second half (including a few players who weren't even listed in the program. My guess is they were lucky fans who won a ``play the second half'' raffle).
The only guys missing are Neville Costigan and Peni Tagive. After a few seasons wrecked with injury, Tagive lasted a few minutes into last weekend's trial before wrecking his knee. The guy is possibly the unluckiest footy player since Brett Papworth (who only had to walk onto a footy field to get injured).
Fingers crossed no-one else in the Red V gets injured this weekend.
Speaking of the Red V, there's been a groundswell of discord from Dragons fans about the black jersey the team will play in this weekend.
Dunno why - I think it looks great and I may even buy one (unless, of course, someone at the club sees fit to fling one my way. Hint, hint). I like that the club has gone for something really unusual. And a trial game is the only time of the year they can do that.
Being such an iconic club, the Dragons officials know they can't tinker with the Red V the team wears during the regular season. So we're the only club whose main jersey looks pretty much the same year after year - same Red V against the same white background.
Yes, I know hardcore fans whinge about the V not being higher on the shoulders, or thicker or redder, but they're just splitting hairs. The jersey has essentially been the same for decades. Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing - I like a little tradition in an increasingly ephemeral world.
But it stops me from buying any more Dragons jerseys - I've already got two Red Vs; why buy another one that looks the same? But that black jersey ... that's a different story. That's special, that's eye-catching, that's out of the ordinary.
That's something I need to have.
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