The professional pollsters were wrong before the last federal election when Scott Morrison took power.
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They also misread the battleground areas before Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the US in 2016.
So any gauge of popular opinion is fraught with danger, but the general mood of Dragons fans seems to be upbeat about Anthony Griffin taking over as coach next year.
In a light-hearted Twitter poll this week, 62 per cent of Dragons fans and assorted trolls were approving of Griffin's appointment, when given Dean Young, Dave Furner or Craig Fitzgibbon as alternatives.
It may only have been a sample size, but those engaging in social media commentary were at least willing to put down the pitchforks and flaming torches they carried for Paul McGregor and before that Steve Price.
Much of the sentiment seems to be based around the move away from the Dragons appointing one of their own again - and the no-nonsense Queenslander persona Griffin carries, like the rugby league messiah Wayne Bennett.
On NRL broadcaster Channel Nine, immortal Andrew Johns declared Griffin should take the nuclear option and promote emerging talent, particularly on the South Coast, to rebuild the playing list.
But Griffin was given a two-year contract, with an option of a third in the club's favour, which means he hasn't got time for a rebuild.
Ben Hunt is 30 and Corey Norman 29, so if he's planning keeping on them as marquee playmakers, they haven't got time in their careers for a rebuild.
Griffin has indicated he wants to work with both of them, so the question is already answered. He has no other choice but to make them instant contenders.
Otherwise, the Dragons will then inevitably face a major shake-up of their roster - and decide whether Griffin oversees it in 2022.
There will be precious little honeymoon period for Griffin, the salary cap situation demands that, despite the doubts over covering for Tyson Frizell, Euan Aitken and potentially Jack de Belin.
When Bennett arrived he put the defensive mentality into the Dragons they crave again now, as Griffin hopes to make St George Illawarra great again. In the premiership year of 2010, the Dragons conceded 299 points in 24 home-and-away games, an average of 12.46.
This year second-placed Melbourne have allowed in the least of any team, at 204 points in 17 games, an average of 12, proving how important defence is, even with the changing dynamic of NRL rules in the past decade.
If defence is the key to transformation, the Dragons at least rank eighth in points conceded at 351 this year, having lost eight games by eight or less, most of them winnable.
