Dragons 2020: Five things we learned from the Charity Shield

Being a traditional fixture, the Charity Shield has long been the most hyped, and watched, preseason fixture in the game. For a long time before Fox became a staple in most league households it was the only trial game people could watch on TV.

Certainly with streaming it's no longer the case. There were four trials streamed on Saturday but, for whatever reason, people seem to place a lot more stock in the CS result than the others.

History shows the finals score is never an indication of how either side will fare come round one but, like all trials, there were lessons in it. Here are the five main takeaways from the annual clash in Mudgee.

Kicking game shapes as the Dragons achilles heel... again.

Last year the Dragons ran last in forced line dropouts and first in conceding seven-tackle sets. It meant they could rarely build pressure on their rivals or enjoy repeat sets.

It's hard to reconcile given the arsenal they had in Ben Hunt, a left-footer in Corey Norman, and (when fit) Gareth Widdop. It needs to be a big area of improvement this season but the signs weren't good on Saturday.

They had four kicks roll dead and too many others found Souths back three on the full. It let them run for more than twice the kick return metres as their Dragons counterparts.

The Dragons tries came when Dane Gagai and Latrell Mitchell fumbled bombs. Both had an element of good fortune the kicking game asked very little of the Rabbitohs back three.

Zac Lomax had his work cut out at the other end as Adam Reynolds and co. forced four line dropouts.

Widdop's no longer there this year and, even when he returns from injury, Cam McInnes is not a natural kicker of the footy. It's not something you'd like to add to Lomax's plate so it will all fall Norman and Hunt.

Both copped criticism for that part of their game through their careers - in particular Hunt - and it's something they'll absolutely need to get right come round one.

The back five still a puzzle for Paul McGregor.

It raised an eyebrow back in November when McGregor made such an early declaration that Lomax would be his fullback come round one.

It was aimed at bringing come certainty and stability to the spine, but it's also understandable why McGregor wanted to lock in at least one spot in the back five given the others were so clearly up for grabs.

He would have hoped at least one or two would step up and cement one or more of the others but it hasn't been the case.

On their trial efforts Mikaele Ravalawa and Jordan Pereira look likely to start on the flanks but the fact Tim Lafai played 40 minutes on the wing on Saturday points to the fact that's not set in stone.

To be fair Lafai had a real crack but he and Euan Aitken are the most under pressure pair in the line-up.

Brayden Wiliame is the only one to have brought some genuine creative attacking flair to the back five in his moments but they have come against second-string opposition.

He and Lafai are both specialist lefties but McGregor would have to be giving serious thought to giving Wiliame a crack.

There was a lot to like about the first 40 minutes.

There was no doubt some troubling shades of 2019 in the second, but the Dragons first-half effort was promising after an obviously disastrous start

Conceding points cheaply and early put them behind the eight-ball but they fought back hard and absorbed a mountain of pressure on their own line from the Bunnies top side to lead by halftime.

They also completed 14 straight sets heading into halftime. They were out-enthused and out-hustled by the Rabbitohs second stringers in the second half but that's not an unusual thing in trial matches.

Paul Vaughan needs to have a career-best season... again.

It's no secret that Vaughan's career has taken off astronomically since joining the Dragons.

Year-on-year he's improved to become one of the premier big men in the league. As a Test and Origin incumbent, he's going to need to step up in the leadership stakes again this season.

He was outstanding in an unbroken near 60-minute stint on Saturday and there's no doubt the Dragons lost their way in the middle on his departure, as McGregor pointed to post-match.

With Jack de Belin now almost certain to miss another season, Vaughan is the only true-prime middle forward in McGregor's rotation.

James Graham is in the twilight of his career while Trent Merrin is walking a path to resurrection. Blake Lawrie and Jacob host are young and still to put a real stamp on the NRL.

It makes Vaughan's impact, and health, even more important than previous seasons.

For God's Sake sign Frizz.

Everything written about Vaughan rings equally true for Frizell. The Dragons looked a different side without their stand-in skipper - who has interestingly switched edges this season - after halftime on Saturday.

It shows how thin the stocks are behind him. There's no doubt the club was blindsided by the weight of the Newcastle offer that could lure him away but they'll have the final crack at it.

He's had his knockers (we'd all love Reuben Garrick back) but recruitment chief Ian Millward has got it right in similar bidding wars over recent seasons.

The likes of Brett Morris, Mitch Rein, Josh Dugan and Merrin the first time around all felt 'low-balled' by Millward's approach of determining a value and not wavering.

Time proved him right on those occasions but the club simply can't lose Frizell. He's reportedly set to make his call prior to round one.