Round 9 - Broncos vs Cowboys Pre-game discussion

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Focusing just on this season and this game, I will, not for the first time, contradict myself and say that maybe the Hoffman experiment is just as much the Barba experiment, and as I posted elsewhere, the Knights game seemed to me that Barba was starting to find his away around our style of play and structures a lot better, and that includes having Hoffman at 5/8.

We scored good tries and a lot of points against a reasonable side. It seems to me Barba is being our real 5/8 so to speak in the style of Bowen + Slater and maybe more.

The Souths game upset those structures and combinations a fair bit IMO, and I am prepared to give this spinal combination another few weeks before I contemplate writing it off.

My only concern is Kennedy who I think contributes very little and is effectively a lump of lard judging by the way I see him run, sorry, lumber, and hit, sorry, pillow.

I see Hook persisting with Parker at prop, Gillett at lock and Glenn and Thaiday in the back row.

I don't see Granville getting another go unless there's an injury.

Assuming the Barba/Hoffman experiment continues to evolve and build on the Knights performance, and, if we mark up on Thurston's support players (and we ought to know his game well enough by now) as well as him of course, and contain Scott, Tamou and Taumalolo, we should win by 12.

Of course, our forwards need to pass the ball and we need to keep letting the ball doing the work, plus kicking games need to improve by 100% to keep turning their big men around all the time like we didn't do v Bunnies.
 
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bronco89 said:
Hey everyone,
Long time reader. First time poster.

I think we can beat the Cowboys. I think Griffin is trying to fit what he perceives as his best players in that backline which to me is why he has Hoffman at 5/8.

If it were up to me my back 5 would be:
Barba
Hoffman
Copley
Hodges
Vidot

Paul White told me at the below the border function that Reed would end up playing backrow and that Jayden Nikorima was ahead of Kodi and would get a shot this year at 5/8.

My team would be
Barba
Hoffman
Copley
Hodges
Vidot
J.Nikorima/Strasser/Paua'aia or any 5/8 thats a 5/8
Hunt
Hannant
Macca
Mcguire
Glenn
Parker
Gillett

Thaiday
Hala/Wallace/Reed
Oates (possibly Reed)
Granville

I think Thaiday would provide the greatest impact of all our second rowers coming off the bench. I think after the initial 20-25 mins our second rowers like Parker can play tighter and would be just as effective as one of our props coming on. I think Reed has good leg drive and can run straight and hard, which can be utilised off the bench. Only reason he's there is cos I know that Griffin loves him and will use him
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Welcome aboard

I would still have Thiaday starting he has been one of our best players this year. I would like a proper 5/8th to but I don't feel anyone in the ranks apart from Kahu are up to first grade standard and I would hate to see a young kid get thrown in, flop badly and lose his confidence.
 
I think this game is easily winnable if we play it straight. Firstly, we need to jump out of the blocks with a good start. If we go 10 or 12 nil up, that takes the ref and the crowd out of potentially costing us with a dodgy decision.

Apart from a really poor start against Souths, I don't think opposition forwards packs have outgunned us so am really looking forward to the battle up front. If Scott and Tamou back up, it will be a good opportunity for the likes of McGuire, Kennedy etc to put up a great showing against the Origin anjd Test props.

Also, the last few times we've played them, we seem to really frustrate the Cowboys and get them to go away from what works for them. On paper, they should beat us comprehensively, but hard running and tackling sometimes rattles them and they look for easier solutions (trying to go out wide, etc).

We did a goob job pressuring JT in round 2 and we need to keep that up. Our record in Townsville is pretty impressive too.

Considering those things, it's definitely winnable.
 
CaptainHook said:
I think this game is easily winnable
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That's what I said about the Eels and look at what happened lol.

Cowboys will take a lot of confidence from their big win against the Eels and Thurston usually hits form again after a rep game. I have a feeling a few of the blokes like Tate and Taumalolo will be very unhappy with being snubbed for test sides and they will be fired up.

I think it's going to be a very close game.

I still stand by a comment I made in the previous game against the Cowboys and that is Broncos should look at kicking it into space towards the corners with a strong kick chase or going for 40/20's. Morgans positioning is average and from what I have seen, so is the wingers..

McCullough should have a look at taking a few cracks
 
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Super Freak said:
That's what I said about the Eels and look at what happened lol.

Cowboys will take a lot of confidence from their big win against the Eels and Thurston usually hits form again after a rep game. I have a feeling a few of the blokes like Tate and Taumalolo will be very unhappy with being snubbed for test sides and they will be fired up.

I think it's going to be a very close game.
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In a weird way, I think their big win against Parramatta might be a bonus for us. There's been a bit of a trend over the last few seasons when teams that have had big wins are upset the next week. It happened a lot last year. The Cowboys have struggled with consistency as well this year, hopefully they have a "she'll be right" attitude and we can make them pay.

Thurston is the danger man.
 
I think their win against Parra wouldve been great for them if we played them next week but everyone's got the bye so it helps us that their momentum is killed!
 
Duncan Paia’aua suspended for a week so he misses a chance this week to press any claims.
 
Duncan had no chance of even coming close to being selected, so it doesn't really matter. Not until the Origin period, anyway..
 
Super Freak said:
Duncan had no chance of even coming close to being selected, so it doesn't really matter. Not until the Origin period, anyway..
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Why in origin none of our halves play origin and hodges might play qld. So looking for a centre not a 5/8. Duncan will only get a crack if hodges in origin and Hoffman injured.
 
Taylor1921 said:
Why in origin none of our halves play origin and hodges might play qld. So looking for a centre not a 5/8. Duncan will only get a crack if hodges in origin and Hoffman injured.
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Griffin may decide to move Hoffman to centre to cover for Hodges, since Mills hasn't been great. Or he could move him to the wing. That would open up the door for a rookie half to get some game time.

There is a very slim chance a rookie half will play during the Origin period, but it's the only time they will have a chance.
 
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