POST GAME 2023 NRL Grand Final - Penrith vs Brisbane

[ningnangnong]

I am through the mourning process now, and I'm over it.

I'm dirty we have to wait until next year to see the Broncs in action again and gain vengeance.

I only hope the players are champing at the bit like many of our supporters, and not feeling sorry for themselves. It's done, it's happened, we can't change it.

Let's go as hard as we can in 2024 and learn from the events of this season.

 

[Nashy]

Hate this thread now. Die thread die.

 

[BroncsFan]

If only Walshy found a pass or kick to Ezra on this play like every other game this season, Ezra's in untouched for his 4th and we're holding up the trophy.
Ezra's screaming for it, pointing.
If Cobbo supports down his wing Reece also has another option.

The first one Edwards makes a great 1v1 tackle on Walsh before he gets a chance to pass to Ezra... it's surprising Edwards was that high, because from memory Walsh had barely got through the line and he had Edwards onto him already.

He was going sideways to get around Edwards when he got tackled, making the pass to Ezra far harder to complete as well, because he's a chance to overrun it

It's unfortunate, because that would've sealed it, but Walsh just didn't get enough time to compose himself and find the pass.

 

[BroncosFever]

Some of you who are rewatching the game, are masochists.

 

[winslow_wong]

Some of you who are rewatching the game, are masochists.

What game?

 

[LittleDavey]

Some of you who are rewatching the game, are masochists.

I'll rewatch when I get the chance. It's still raw, and I'm gonna still be screaming at the TV those last 20 minutes. But I've put it into perspective.

If you had've told me at the start of the year we would be in the grand final, I'd have been over the fucking moon!! If you had've told me it was against Penrith, both teams basically full strength, I'd have almost written us off then and there. As much as it pains me to say it, that club is now the best team of the modern era, and naturally the benchmark of the entire comp at the moment - in large part due to the pathways and the way it's structured now - and like it or not, that's not going to change in a hurry. So if you told me we would go toe to toe with Penrith in the GF - while absolutely STOMPING the Storm along the finals path - I'd be cheering in the streets.

I was one of the more pessimistic posters here for a good chunk of the year. I almost expected us to drop out of the 8 even halfway through the season. But the boys weathered those rough games and the shitty draw and came out on top - NEARLY. We've been saying all year that when we put the foot down, no team in the comp can go with us. We just showed that even Penrith, despite how good they are, have literally no answers to our best football. We went round for round in the first half, then absolutely fucking broke them in the space of 15-20 minutes after halftime (the try just before half time was also a big factor though IMO). We just dropped off for the last 20...and that's inexperience. The inexperience I'd wager 99% of us were at least a little concerned about, some of us more than others.

The best part? The drop-off can be countered through training and the guys maturing. All the things we did wrong in that game in hindsight - the bat-back off the dropout, defensive structure etc - that can all be fixed. The foot-to-the-floor that no other team in the competition has like we do? That can't be coached. It's off-the-cuff, eyes-up footy based on pure talent and skill. Sure, we put some structure around when to hit the go button and I'm sure practice some of those plays. But that gear - no-one else has. We fix up the rest - which I think most of us would agree, they have been working on big time the past couple of years and seen massive improvement in that time - and we will be unstoppable.

We'll be like Penrith but far more dangerous. We build the ability to grind with the best of them (we showed big improvement this year) and strangle the opposition, then fucking BAM - a couple of tries to put it to bed. Penrith grind better than anyone but their game is built on scoring from pure weight of possession in attacking position. No-one attacks from range better than we do and that's the difference, we can be grinding and not even be close but it doesn't stop us putting the foot down. We showed exactly that in the GF.

There is a hell of a lot to like about what this team are building. They have already shown their resilience over the past few years, especially how they responded to 2022 throughout this season. They have said all the right things and the actions have matched it. I have no doubt the brains trust are already plotting next year's assault and I'd bet some of the key players are too. This year just makes them even hungrier because they know now without a doubt, that a) those errors need to go, and b) if they put together 80 minutes there is not a team in the comp that is even close. Nothing burns like missed opportunities...

We will see an evolved team again in 2024 and I am fucking here for it!! Bring on 2024. The Broncos are fucking back, baby!! It's going to be a long off-season...

 

[Browny]

I’m still not over it.

We fucking had them. We just chose the wrong option every time in that last 20.

I hope we carve up next year and not fall apart.

 

[Allo]

It’ll be the million dollar question:

Do we play with the confidence and belief that we can and will beat everyone after making it to the GF

Or do we play with fear of capitulating when it matters most

We know which answer the 2015-era team gave more often than not

 

[winslow_wong]

It’ll be the million dollar question:

Do we play with the confidence and belief that we can and will beat everyone after making it to the GF

Or do we play with fear of capitulating when it matters most

We know which answer the 2015-era team gave more often than not

After seeing all the analysis on here about what went wrong, a lot of it involved Reece walsh. To me he’s still very raw and has a lot of improvement in his game. He seems like an extremely competitive person already so you just know he’s going to make those improvements as he matures.

Mam is pretty much on the same trajectory as well. I actually feel like we are yet to see their break out years which is scary for the rest of the competition.

 

[Foordy]

It’ll be the million dollar question:

Do we play with the confidence and belief that we can and will beat everyone after making it to the GF

Or do we play with fear of capitulating when it matters most

We know which answer the 2015-era team gave more often than not

I'd be looking at how we responded to the capitulation that saw us miss the finals in 2022 ... rather than how a completely different Broncos team handled losing the 2015 GF. This will give us a more accurate likelihood for how we go about business in 2024

 

[Waynesaurus]

Boys have got to learn to be ruthless, when you've got your foot on the throat of the opposition you drive it home.

I feel in the last 20 we thought we had it won and started to cruise like it was just any other game, then we lost the momentum and couldn't get it back.

 

[Professor47]

I’m still not over it.

We fucking had them. We just chose the wrong option every time in that last 20.

I hope we carve up next year and not fall apart.

Don't 100% agree but I feel ya... I'm taking the loss pretty bad... having my ups and downs.
It's just been a LOOOOOONG time ya know?

I think carving up won't be a problem but we have too many errors in us, we were terrible with our handling errors in the GF.

Im OK with errors while making plays, but simple handling unforced errors... how many did we have in the GF?
- Herbie
- Cobbo
- Walsh
- Carrigan

That is 4 off the top of my head... it cost us, if we don't fix that ... you can't do it against Penrith in a GF. We almost got away with it but in the end... it just took its toll.

 

[Jazza]

I revisited the 2020 grand final because of the similarities brought up and noticed some interesting details.

Firstly the Panthers were coming to get Melbourne just as they were us with three tries in the last 20 minutes. Yes there were sin bins, but they arose from cynical play as Melbourne felt the Panthers coming for them. They are a team noted for their game management and containing future immortal Cameron Smith. Ironically, if we had have defended cynically we may have gotten away with it as Mr Gee was determined not to blow his whistle. The only difference between us and Melbourne in this regard is that Melbourne didn’t gift them a free try as a head start.

Secondly, Penrith made 18 errors in that game. At the start of their journey, they made 18 errors in their first GF. Our 11 errors are too many but compares favourably too.

I will add again Penrith making only one error is ridiculous. I can’t imagine any team has lost a game making only one error let alone a GF. Yet we came so close to winning.

 

[Old Mate]

Don't 100% agree but I feel ya... I'm taking the loss pretty bad... having my ups and downs.
It's just been a LOOOOOONG time ya know?

I think carving up won't be a problem but we have too many errors in us, we were terrible with our handling errors in the GF.

Im OK with errors while making plays, but simple handling unforced errors... how many did we have in the GF?
- Herbie
- Cobbo
- Walsh
- Carrigan

That is 4 off the top of my head... it cost us, if we don't fix that ... you can't do it against Penrith in a GF. We almost got away with it but in the end... it just took its toll.

Don’t forget Staggs incorrect play the ball. Stupid errors.

 

[Fernando]

Yeah it is infuriating looking at the stats and seeing the Panthers with ONE error for a 97% completion rate lmao. That's just insane.

And that Edwards tackle on Walsh is just a great fullback play. We are talking about the fastest accelerator in the game and the moment he breaks the line Edwards is on him. If he's back another 5 metres Walsh runs around him.

 

[Fernando]

One play that hurts is Crichton's try. Staggs is so good at those 1 on 1 tackles and slamming them to the ground in an instant, thought he was gonna do it right there but for whatever reason he couldn't get a good grab on him.

 

[winslow_wong]

One play that hurts is Crichton's try. Staggs is so good at those 1 on 1 tackles and slamming them to the ground in an instant, thought he was gonna do it right there but for whatever reason he couldn't get a good grab on him.

He put a good fend on Staggs. Cobbo probably could have wrapped him up better up top. Then walsh completely over compensates as well when Crichton twists out of cobbo.

 

[BroncsFan]

He put a good fend on Staggs. Cobbo probably could have wrapped him up better up top. Then walsh completely over compensates as well when Crichton twists out of cobbo.

Cant recall the lead up to the Crichton try, but the attempted tackle from Staggs and co looked like they were out on their feet.

Cleary was playing both sides of the ruck as well, so potentially they were getting caught out trying to figure out where he was, whilst manning up... and then Crichton has his mit in your face