THE annual Dragons cycle has started, that feeling of a smidgen of optimism for the next campaign while realising there is an awful lot of the current one left to slog through.

This season cannot and should not be sugar-coated, 2021/22 is in danger of going down as the Rodney Parade region’s worst, and there is some pretty stiff competition.

Did anybody expect Dean Ryan’s side to beat Ulster on Sunday? Perhaps that highlights a problem, defeats rarely ruin a weekend because we are resigned to them.

Lyn Jones, who led the Dragons to a European semi-final, was booed on the big screen during a seventh defeat on the spin in 2016 (six of them with losing bonuses) but the current lack of such angst from the stands is troubling.

There has always been a gulf in budgets when the men from Ravenhill come to Newport but they’ve often come a cropper or at least been given a bloody nose, and not just in what now must be called the glory days of Paul Turner.

Five years ago, in the season with Kingsley Jones at the helm, an Ulster side featuring Iain Henderson, Ruan Pienaar, Charles Piutau, Jared Payne and Jacob Stockdale only scrambled a win thanks to a pair of late tries.

In the first of Bernard Jackman’s two campaigns in charge it was a dramatic 32-32 draw against a visiting side boasting Piutau, Craig Gilroy, Tommy Bowe, Christian Lealifano and Rory Best.

Sunday was ‘only’ 12-0 but the Dragons never made Ulster sweat after wasting the wind at their backs in the first half.

South Wales Argus:

The region headed into this campaign with hope after a strong finish to the Guinness PRO14 and pre-season encouragement against Leicester and Wasps.

Yet that was all gone before Christmas trees had been brought down from lofts.

The Dragons have won just one of 12 games, an excellent triumph at Connacht which merely adds to the frustration at their inability to repeat that high.

They have suffered six defeats and a draw at Rodney Parade. In the last two seasons they have won in Cardiff as many times as Newport courtesy of their two wins at Principality Stadium.

Jason Strange rejoined Ebbw Vale in December and said that the rest of the season is about “trying to regain some credibility”.

The same applies for the Dragons because at the moment it’s hard to see where a second win is coming from.

Munster? No. The South African double-header against the Bulls and Sharks? Highly unlikely even if the Wales contingent are included.

Gloucester? Perhaps if they take their eye off the ball because of the Premiership play-off scrap.

The pressure is on the Dragons to get a derby success or two to salvage some pride while the games at Zebre and the finale against the Lions in Newport are must-win, even if they won’t have anything riding on them.

Then we will be into next season when we can do it all over again, but pointing out problems should be accompanied by suggesting possible improvements even when there is no silver bullet.

Of course there is a need for a proper Welsh Rugby Union strategy for professional rugby, which will have an impact on the ownership of the Dragons, but at the moment Ryan & Co have to focus on doing better with what they have got.

It is well documented that the Dragons have a smaller budget than their rivals, even if Ryan has greater spending power than his predecessors and a bigger backroom team.

South Wales Argus:

They still have an awful lost of waste and the director of rugby, who has been in charge of three seasons, needs to spend more wisely and be ruthless with squad fodder rather than just keeping hold of bodies, something that Jackman attempted.

There are players on the books that are coming out of contract and the majority that are released will drop down a level from the Dragons, who only have Bath and Zebre beneath them in the rankings of 43 clubs from Europe’s three elite leagues.

Naturally a concentrated squad has its risk because of injury but that’s a route that the Dragons should go down after recent mistakes.

Number eight Dan Baker was strong in the second half of the Ulster game but you can’t spend money on a hefty ball carrier for the odd occasion when playing into the wind in the wet.

The Dragons have never had a problem in churning out back rowers and they should trust that process, leaning on the likes of Lennon Greggains, George Young and Ben Moa. Failing that, plead with Newport RFC for the services of Ben Roach or Josh Skinner.

Ryan and recruitment chief Rob Burgess need a better strike rate because 2021 arrivals Baker, Cory Allen, Ioan Davies, Jordan Olowofela and Lewis Jones have made minimal, or no, impact.

The Dragons have made some encouraging signings with fly-half JJ Hanrahan, prop Rhodri Jones and hooker Bradley Roberts confirmed and centre Max Clark and lock Sean Lonsdale incoming.

Those names give some reason for hope of breaking the cycle and they have to make an impact.

'Roll on September…' cannot be uttered in February 2023.