Round 14 - Raiders vs Broncos

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lynx000 said:
That was my pick as well, you @Huge, it will be all your fault you big dimbo. If you disagree with me I will fight you at the next BHQ BBQ. :-)
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Cripple fight. I think you'll just end up getting tired from punching me.
 
Gamble just isnt very good. Not saying Khunt will be better but it's hardly surprising to me that Gamble has been given a spell.

Mead is a bit of a surprise though.
 
broncsgoat said:
Gamble just isnt very good. Not saying Khunt will be better but it's hardly surprising to me that Gamble has been given a spell.

Mead is a bit of a surprise though.
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Are you sure he was dropped? I'm certain I heard he's ill. Mind you, his terrible miss led to the first St George try.
 
Kev should pick and stick with Kelly and Gamble in the halves. Give them time to synergise. But this season is a write-off anyway, I don't mind him experimenting with other positions. At least Isaako gets dropped, hopefully he requests a trade to the Tigers.
 
Big Pete said:
I'm really struggling to understand the Karmichael Hunt selection. I'm curious to hear what Walters has to say but I presume it's about giving a player an opportunity after a 50 point flogging. The issue with that is Karmichael plays a very similar style as Gamble except he's a worse defender and is pretty much lacking in all facets. The only thing he has going for him is that he's a club great but that was 12 years ago and he's been struggling in a very up and down Magpies team.

I feel like the play here was to persist with Kelly/Gamble and if need be have Scarlett as the back-up half on a trial and train deal since the Seagulls have been killing it in QCup and his form has only gotten better since he left the Broncos. If that doesn't work out, then Croft gets another opportunity.

What really baffles me is the way Walters has used Bullemor. He's one of the few prospects that's put their hands up and has come up with line-breaks and some big plays for his team. However he only got 12 minutes last week and that was simply to cover Glenn while he was off for an HIA. That was actually a pretty strong period for the Broncos as well, so I don't get the logic at all and if anything thought he deserved an extended role.

If there was one forward who should have made way it's Flegler. He's one of those forwards who could become one of the best in the game but right now for his development he really needs a stint in reserves. Tom had a disrupted pre-season and his shoulder still hasn't healed from the reconstruction so I'd almost be tempted to correct that now and afford him a huge off-season with the idea that you're playing for your future the next year.

I'd say Haas is a 50/50 proposition. It depends on how many minutes he plays for the Blues, Freddy's interchange rotation is always interesting to say the least so there's a chance he only plays 20 minutes which will allow him to back-up. If not I'd imagine Riki will come into the team and will play that loose forward role which I feel is his position. I see a bit of Brad Thorn in Riki and how Brad predominately played as a middle but could run a nice line on the edge and force his way over.

Farnworth at fullback is far from ideal but it's the right call in this situation. Niu is still far too raw for NRL and the risk is not worth the reward and Isaako needed a spell. I expect Farnworth will be more involved from fullback but I can also see him making some clangers as well so it's just a matter of whether he gets that balance right. He can't score 1 good try but then make 3 bad errors otherwise the trade off isn't worth it.

Outside of Bullemor and to an extent Riki, the big shock omission is Paix who is overdue for a return. I get the sense that Paix isn't in the long term future at the club and while he may get his shot, ultimately he'll just be filling Billy Walters' spot which is what it is. I really don't like the way the Broncos have developed Paix at all and I hope he's able to shine in spite of that.
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You thought about becoming a coach? The way it is looking at present, the Broncs might have another opening soon.
 
I just don't get dropping Gamble for Hunt. As Huge has said above, didn't someone say that Gamble is ill or something? Otherwise I'd have him on the bench in case Hunt shits the bed at the very least. Don't get Mead being dropped either but I think that's just smoke and mirrors. I don't think Coates will back up after Origin and Mead will come in. Flegler at 13 over Asiata? Didn't we buy Asiata specifically to be a ball playing Lock? Is this just a case of Kev naming people in one spot but playing them in another? Or is he just throwing darts at a board on Tuesday morning? Flegler is a fucking potato anyway ffs.
 
I completely agree with the fact that we need stability and consistency in our team but look how our team performs every week. If he wasn’t making changes we’d be calling him a mad man every week. I actually hate how bad our roster is and it’s all cause we wanted a good forward pack, which has done nothing for years. As a result we have to have a huge clear out and rebuild the team… like I’m sorry but there’s a lot of players in our team that should be nowhere near first grade especially with the lack of direction our team has
 
Fitzy said:
I completely agree with the fact that we need stability and consistency in our team but look how our team performs every week. If he wasn’t making changes we’d be calling him a mad man every week. I actually hate how bad our roster is and it’s all cause we wanted a good forward pack, which has done nothing for years. As a result we have to have a huge clear out and rebuild the team… like I’m sorry but there’s a lot of players in our team that should be nowhere near first grade especially with the lack of direction our team has
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All of these are totally valid points and change is obviously needed top to bottom but doing it all at once is rarely a good idea. Players are being provided no chance to gel with anyone. We have barely had the same backline in for longer than two games. We've had a different halves combo almost every week and the props / second row / bench / lock has been different almost every week. The coach bought in Asiata to be a ball playing lock and then decided he doesn't want to do that and then he did and then he didn't and then he did. It has to be confusing to the players and they don't need to be confused, they are dumb.
 
Sproj said:
All of these are totally valid points and change is obviously needed top to bottom but doing it all at once is rarely a good idea. Players are being provided no chance to gel with anyone. We have barely had the same backline in for longer than two games. We've had a different halves combo almost every week and the props / second row / bench / lock has been different almost every week. The coach bought in Asiata to be a ball playing lock and then decided he doesn't want to do that and then he did and then he didn't and then he did. It has to be confusing to the players and they don't need to be confused, they are dumb.
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Can’t argue.

But I would add, Walters has had a real shit sandwich to deal with. When he arrived, who out of our top 30 would you legitimately think was capable of a walk-up start at one of the premier clubs?

Haas. Maybe Staggs (but injured) and TPJ. I’m sure you could argue a few others, maybe. But otherwise, it’s real slim pickings.

Point is, Walters’ has been dealt a pretty shit hand and I think we are seeing him try to bluff his way through with it. Trouble is, he’s not very good at poker and his cards aren’t helping him either, so he’s trying to shuffle them around and hope they somehow land better.
 
Huge said:
Are you sure he was dropped? I'm certain I heard he's ill. Mind you, his terrible miss led to the first St George try.
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It must be a pretty serious illness if they don't think he'll be better in five days time. He didn't even get named in the extended squad. IMO, he got axed. He was terrible against St. George. A depth first grader at best.
 
JAHHW said:
Can’t argue.

But I would add, Walters has had a real shit sandwich to deal with. When he arrived, who out of our top 30 would you legitimately think was capable of a walk-up start at one of the premier clubs?

Haas. Maybe Staggs (but injured) and TPJ. I’m sure you could argue a few others, maybe. But otherwise, it’s real slim pickings.

Point is, Walters’ has been dealt a pretty shit hand and I think we are seeing him try to bluff his way through with it. Trouble is, he’s not very good at poker and his cards aren’t helping him either, so he’s trying to shuffle them around and hope they somehow land better.
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Yep again, all really good points and I don't disagree with any of it. I don't mind Kevvie trying out his squad and seeing who sinks and who swims but it all needs to be done in a more planned manner.

It is painfully obvious our squad is awful, even with some of the really exciting talent coming through but you can't bring them all in at once. Guys like Kennedy, Gamble, Oates, Mead, Copley, Lodge, Haas, Asiata, TPJ, Farnworth and Carrigan should be backbones of the squad as they are all seasoned vets or at least consistent enough players but aside from Carrigan and obviously Staggs, they've all either been in and out of the side or being shopped elsewhere.

Meanwhile we have our second consecutive captain who has gone on two years too long and shouldn't even be on the bench, let alone starting. We have kids who are not ready and are in some weeks, out others for goodness knows what reason and then there's Flegler. I love the kid but he is a kid and he needs a spell in reserves but instead, he keeps getting thrown to the wolves. Our youth is so promising but so many are being thrown to said wolves before they are ready.

Why is Kevvie insistent on dropping Mead and Oates? Oates especially was pretty good upon return from first grade, what was going on there? There just doesn't seem to be any method to all this madness, that's the concern.
 
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