Trial 1: Broncos vs Cowboys

[Cult]

its harsh that maranta should be judged on that one call in the nines. he actually had a decent season last year and was improving. sure he made a mistake but its not like it was the grand final. his ability to catch a high ball has come on in leaps and bounds and his finishing wasn't to bad last year. its pretty harsh to judge him on one play in a tournament we didn't care about this year to start with

Yeah and if he wasn't the only person to actually be ruled offside during that bomb he would be getting praised. People were offside all day with no consequences. It was all downhill from there for us.

 

[talanoa]

from what i'm hearing it will be a fairly decent side, mcguire and a few of the bigger name forwards and backs will be on the plane. just depends how long wayne plays them a they are taking a big group up. im in mackay now for the week ahead and there is a good buzz around town. definite sell out at the stadium and huge numbers expected at the kids training and skills session with the boys on friday.

 

[Ari Gold]

its harsh that maranta should be judged on that one call in the nines. he actually had a decent season last year and was improving. sure he made a mistake but its not like it was the grand final. his ability to catch a high ball has come on in leaps and bounds and his finishing wasn't to bad last year. its pretty harsh to judge him on one play in a tournament we didn't care about this year to start with

Not true. Maranta is being judged just on that one call but the countless times in 2013 where he constantly found himself on the wrong side of the sideline for no reason. It was a massive blackmark that I thought might have improved but clearly it hasn't.

 

[BroncosAlways]

its harsh that maranta should be judged on that one call in the nines. he actually had a decent season last year and was improving. sure he made a mistake but its not like it was the grand final. his ability to catch a high ball has come on in leaps and bounds and his finishing wasn't to bad last year. its pretty harsh to judge him on one play in a tournament we didn't care about this year to start with

Im judging him by his ability to bomb countless tries for us in his career, yet he's always selected. I just think it's a good chance to see what some of our younger players have got

 

[Cult]

Not true. Maranta is being judged just on that one call but the countless times in 2013 where he constantly found himself on the wrong side of the sideline for no reason. It was a massive blackmark that I thought might have improved but clearly it hasn't.

It obviously has though, unless we're just going to completely forget about 2014 which isn't exactly how this kind of stuff works.

 

[Porthoz]

its harsh that maranta should be judged on that one call in the nines. he actually had a decent season last year and was improving. sure he made a mistake but its not like it was the grand final. his ability to catch a high ball has come on in leaps and bounds and his finishing wasn't to bad last year. its pretty harsh to judge him on one play in a tournament we didn't care about this year to start with

It had a bit of a Back to the Future vibe though... :shocked:

 

[Unbiased Nostalgia]

I'd like to see us go all out with this one. Give them hell, boys.

 

[Big Pete]

NRL 2015 season: How Wayne Bennett plans to navigate Brisbane Broncos through hectic schedule


WAYNE Bennett has revealed how the Broncos are navigating five trials in three countries, separated by 18,136km, in just 21 days.

It is perhaps the heaviest pre-season schedule in Brisbane’s history but typically Bennett said there was little point in complaining because the schedule wasn’t changing.

Brisbane’s Nines campaign is over and now the 80-minute contests begin, starting in Mackay this Saturday night against North Queensland.

Forward recruit Adam Blair will debut for Brisbane in Mackay and Josh McGuire and other internationals will also return.

Bennett said every player in the squad, except for Darius Boyd, was on track to be available for Round 1.

However, the six players who had off-season surgery — Dale Copley, Jack Reed, Corey Oates, Matt Gillett, David Stagg and Jarrod Wallace — may not be fit enough play a part in the trials.

If any of those players do feature in a trial it will be the clash with Redcliffe at Dolphin Oval on February 21 — the same night the Broncos play Wigan in the expanded World Club Challenge in northern England.

Bennett said the team for Round 1 was far from decided and he was not concerned about the pre-season being too heavy.

“This is what we do. This is part of being an NRL player,” he said.

“We have been doing it for years now at the Broncos. Nothing has changed.

“The next month is about finding out the best 17 we can put on the park.

“It is a balance at the moment.

“Those who are playing the All Stars game won’t play the Cowboys in Mackay.

“We will be getting guys like Josh McGuire and Adam Blair back for Mackay.

“The players who played for Samoa and Australia will go to the World Club Challenge.

“We still have six long term injuries at the club. They may not trial or some could get a bit of time in Redcliffe.

“We believe they will all be available for Round 1 though except for Darius.”

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-2015-season-how-wayne-bennett-plans-to-navigate-brisbane-broncos-through-hectic-schedule/story-fniabm4i-1227205471922

 

[mitch222]

Not true. Maranta is being judged just on that one call but the countless times in 2013 where he constantly found himself on the wrong side of the sideline for no reason. It was a massive blackmark that I thought might have improved but clearly it hasn't.

He improved out of sight last year compared to 13. The warriors game last year was a fantastic game to see how far he had come.
Just remember Dale Copleys debut season. People were calling for his head after the manly semi final debacle but he put his head down, continued to improve and now is a permanent fixture to our squad. To say we drop him because he put his foot out of touch in a nines game that doesn't count is pretty harsh. Matt Gillett has the worst hands of any bronco player in the oppositions 20. Do you want to drop him for this?

 

[mitch222]

Im judging him by his ability to bomb countless tries for us in his career, yet he's always selected. I just think it's a good chance to see what some of our younger players have got

I am always on the lookout for good young talent to see what they have got but seriously, have we got any good young wingers at the broncos who can finish. I cant see any big name in the 20s making a stake for it. Last serious 20s winger to come out of our system was yow yeh

 

[Waynesaurus]

Its not just Maranta's finishing that is the problem tho...............his returns of the ball are ordinary, he eats up bugger all meters and then gets smashed and pushed back at the line.

Vidot gained three times as many meters last year.

 

[Unbreakable]

Oh and in case anyone was still in doubt, Webcke said on 7 news last night that Kahu will get first crack at Fullback until Boyd is back.

 

[Danoz Direct]

Oh and in case anyone was still in doubt, Webcke said on 7 news last night that Kahu will get first crack at Fullback until Boyd is back.

Thats good, because I would have literally cried if Maranta played fullback, considering he can't even play wing at an NRL standard.

 

[Kimlo]

Thats good, because I would have literally cried if Maranta played fullback, considering he can't even play wing at an NRL standard.

I think Maranta is actually much better at fullback, but very very happy Kahu is going to be the fullback. I'm a huge fan of him, and hope he pushes Maranta out for the wing spot once Boyd is back, or Boyd moves to wing and Kahu stays where he is.

 

[Danoz Direct]

I think Maranta is actually much better at fullback, but very very happy Kahu is going to be the fullback. I'm a huge fan of him, and hope he pushes Maranta out for the wing spot once Boyd is back, or Boyd moves to wing and Kahu stays where he is.

Yeah Kahu has some skills.

 

[Unbreakable]

Oh and they interviewed Kahu and he said he was super keen to play the trial in Mackay, if it was at Redcliffe he would've probably sat out, it's his voodoo ground.

 

[broncos4life]

Thats good, because I would have literally cried if Maranta played fullback, considering he can't even play wing at an NRL standard.

Very glad that kahu is going to get first crack, ironically though Maranta seems to be a much better fullback than winger

 

[Unbreakable]

Reading between the lines on the article on the Broncos website, I'm guessing this'll be close to the team named for the trial.

(Thaiday, Parker, Hodges, Gillett, Copley, Oates, Stagg, Reed, Wallace all rested)

1. Jordan Kahu
2. Daniel Vidot
3. Aaron Whitchurch
4. Greg Eden
5. Lachlan Maranta
6. Anthony Milford
7. Ben Hunt
8. Josh McGuire
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Adam Blair
11. Alex Glenn
12. Todd Lowrie
13. Joe Boyce

14. Travis Waddell
15. James Gavet
16. Mitch Garbutt
17. Joe Ofahengaue