IF Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf was employed at Rodney Parade then he would currently be lauding Newport Gwent Dragons for their impressive start to the season at the set piece.

The former Iraqi Information Minister, dubbed 'Comical Ali' for his unrealistic press briefings, would no doubt ignore the five defeats, high error count, poor kicking game and spluttering attack, preferring to highlight the strides they have made to have some grunt up front.

But the rest of us can't hide what has been a hugely disappointing first six weekends of the season and the Dragons have copped plenty of flak.

The talk in August was about the Rodney Parade region being dark horses in the Guinness Pro12 following a summer recruitment drive that saw them supplement burgeoning talent with seasoned campaigners.

There was a determination to change the perception of the Dragons as Wales' whipping boys and to avoid the embarrassment of being the bottom region for a ninth time out of 12 seasons.

Director of rugby Lyn Jones stressed that the region's mindset had to change and that they needed to foster a winning culture.

Well, with increased expectations comes closer scrutiny.

The start to the season has been a shocker for the Dragons with six poor performances out of six and a solitary victory against hapless Treviso.

Despite what many players may think the media take no joy in pointing this out. There is nothing I'd love more than to be reporting on a side that enjoys finishing in mid-table, let alone pushing near the top.

But Jones demands that his squad doesn't settle for second-best or accept failure so neither can fans and journalists.

The Dragons have bumbled along for years and we grew sick of praising them for showing spirit in defeat and having the consolation of at least giving the opponents a bloody nose.

At the moment it would be nice to be lauding plucky losses rather than demoralising losses but we have to demand better than that, otherwise we are just contributing to them being also-rans.

Things are grim at the moment and they have been comprehensively beaten by a pair of decidedly average sides in the Scarlets and Edinburgh, not excellent ones like Leinster or Glasgow.

Increased television coverage of the Pro12 has meant that underwhelming performances that previously would have gone under the radar have been there for all to see.

Their failings have been glaringly obvious for viewers that watched their losses to the Ospreys (BBC), Glasgow (Sky), Scarlets (S4C) and Edinburgh (Sky) while they had a few wobbles in victory against Treviso (S4C).

It makes it impossible to ignore their problems and say that there are positives in defeat. The cameras are holding the Dragons accountable and in the long-term that will be a good thing.

There has to be a touch of realism and their budget means that they will never be expected to be slugging it out with Saracens and Clermont.

When Newport County endured a sticky start to the season they at least had the fortune of being in League Two, a division where anybody can beat anybody and teams can go from a relegation battle one season to a promotion tussle the next.

That won't happen for the Dragons but mixing with the Ospreys, who are also desperately underfunded, is a realistic long-term ambition.

And if the region is to get there then they need to be called out when they are underperforming.

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons spluttering start to the season has highlighted the importance of a player who might not even feature in the first-choice XV of many folk.

The Dragons have been hit hard by injuries to their midfield with burgeoning pair Jack Dixon and Tyler Morgan sidelined along with powerful prospect Ross Wardle.

However, it has been Pat Leach, who could be seen as something of a 'Steady Eddie', who has been missed the most since injuring his knee against Northampton in pre-season.

The 29-year-old North Walian doesn't get over the gain line like Dixon, have the fast feet of Morgan or nose for the try line like Wardle but he is one of those players that allows those around him to shine.

Leach provides snap when leading the defensive line and is a good all-round footballer who is appreciated by his teammates.

Fingers crossed the rest of us will soon be able to appreciate him helping give the Dragons some shape in attack.