POST GAME [Round 23, 2025] Broncos vs Storm

[Jazza]

ThAt Is WhAT thEYll ConSiStenTlY RuLE FrOM NoW oN*


Starting with enforcing this letter of the law rule change with the Broncos as the 1st example... again....

*=until it negatively impacts a club like Melbourne or penriff, then it will be more about vibes and stuff...

It’s too imbalanced towards the attacking team. Can’t touch the kicker either. Meanwhile Coates is allowed to lead with the knees doing a speccy and break Mariner’s back.

 

[Harry]

Whenever we play Melbourne it’s a good measuring stick for how far off the pace we are from playing the type of footy that works in the 6 again era.

Last night highlighted how we are miles away. We’re literally playing a different sport to Melbourne.

We are all here every week telling our players to run harder and dig in and bust tackles and create opportunities. Melbourne players do the exact opposite. Melbourne aren’t playing rugby league, they are playing touch football.

Look at the first Melbourne attacking passage which ended with Harry Grant being taken out as (probably before) he received the ball next to our try line. Jordan Riki gives up the quick play the ball which kickstarts that entire sequence, because the Storm player makes a half break and instead of trying to get up and run again, to make a few more metres and advance the ball (the way any footy player would normally do), he instantly plays the ball instead. The ref hadn’t called held, he probably wasn’t held, but his first priority is to play the ball anyway and that creates space for the dummy half and the next phase of attack.

This is literally how you play touch football at a high level. Engage 2 defenders, initiate completion of the tackle (in touch that’s why attacking players reach out and touch the defender, instead of the other way around) and get a quick play the ball for the dummy half.

Melbourne aren’t looking to go through their opposition, they aren’t trying to run hard and grind out metres the way Haas and Carrigan do, the only thing they want is to find their front quickly and then play the ball quickly. It’s why the moment they are tackled and on the ground with a player on top of them, they are flopping around, complaining, causing a fuss, bucking, acting like they’re being held down. Everything is just to generate ruck speed and then employ a touch football attacking plan.

Sure, since Bennett left we have realised the importance of focus on PTB speed and slowing the ruck, but we are still trying to attack like it’s a traditional footy game.

It sickens me but the way the Storm play is perfectly suited to the 6 again style of game and it’s why they are perennial contenders even with a totally substandard level of talent in their team.

 

[1910]

Bit late for this season but we need to get one of the refs to training and run us through what they expect from us. It just defies belief that we can lose so many penalty counts and 6 again calls game after game.

I know Klein attends Manly training sessions so it's not like they don't do it for other teams.

One session a week is done under ref control, normally the last.

 

[Dash]

One session a week is done under ref control, normally the last.

Is the pea being blown out of the whistle at training, or is it only when they've got another team to favour?

 

[MrTickyMcG]

I'm still shaking my head at the Coates penalty try. Is the NRL now saying that any penalty given within 1 m of the try line is now a penalty try?

What they are saying with that try is that if you completely delete the player that gave the penalty, would they have scored the try?

So if someone was offside 2 metres out, if you completely removed them from the play, would they have scored?

 

[MrTickyMcG]

Is the pea being blown out of the whistle at training, or is it only when they've got another team to favour?

I would think they would go soft on us at training if they are getting paid for it.

 

[Fernando]

Melbourne are playing rugby league, and they do it very well. They also do the 1%ers and the gamesmanship that we don't. How hard is it to consistently walk off the mark in the ptb until the ref says otherwise, and wave your arms around like crazy at the ref a few times per set? Do we not have the brains to do that or is it just too much effort? We are years behind in the wrestle but I don't get why we can't do simple things like this.

 

[Fernando]

I think it was Matty Johns who said when the Storm are on top they straighten their game. Good lesson for us.

 

[BroncsFan]

I would think they would go soft on us at training if they are getting paid for it.

Not sure they're getting paid... I daresay the NRL sends their officials out to every captain's run or something... gives their refs training as well as it being requested by the clubs

 

[thenry]

Whenever we play Melbourne it’s a good measuring stick for how far off the pace we are from playing the type of footy that works in the 6 again era.

Last night highlighted how we are miles away. We’re literally playing a different sport to Melbourne.

We are all here every week telling our players to run harder and dig in and bust tackles and create opportunities. Melbourne players do the exact opposite. Melbourne aren’t playing rugby league, they are playing touch football.

Look at the first Melbourne attacking passage which ended with Harry Grant being taken out as (probably before) he received the ball next to our try line. Jordan Riki gives up the quick play the ball which kickstarts that entire sequence, because the Storm player makes a half break and instead of trying to get up and run again, to make a few more metres and advance the ball (the way any footy player would normally do), he instantly plays the ball instead. The ref hadn’t called held, he probably wasn’t held, but his first priority is to play the ball anyway and that creates space for the dummy half and the next phase of attack.

This is literally how you play touch football at a high level. Engage 2 defenders, initiate completion of the tackle (in touch that’s why attacking players reach out and touch the defender, instead of the other way around) and get a quick play the ball for the dummy half.

Melbourne aren’t looking to go through their opposition, they aren’t trying to run hard and grind out metres the way Haas and Carrigan do, the only thing they want is to find their front quickly and then play the ball quickly. It’s why the moment they are tackled and on the ground with a player on top of them, they are flopping around, complaining, causing a fuss, bucking, acting like they’re being held down. Everything is just to generate ruck speed and then employ a touch football attacking plan.

Sure, since Bennett left we have realised the importance of focus on PTB speed and slowing the ruck, but we are still trying to attack like it’s a traditional footy game.

It sickens me but the way the Storm play is perfectly suited to the 6 again style of game and it’s why they are perennial contenders even with a totally substandard level of talent in their team.

Good analysis! I agree. I think as much as people take the piss out of the Walker brothers, they had a similar ethos 15 years ago (pre 6 again of course). Don't struggle in the tackle, just find your front and play it quickly.... Very much like touch football.

 

[Swordfish]

There was still at least one player around Coates. He’s landed short which means he didn’t make it and had to promote the ball to score.

These two factors have always meant it could be a sin bin depending on the ref but not a penalty try…except last night of course.

I said early in all the fun banter with the Storm supporters around me, you watch at some point tonight, you guys will get a try that’s never a try at any other time. They laughed and then after this they were all like, wow well there you go…and then ripped more into me.

Had Mariner didn’t jump & Turncoats was the sole cnut jumped to catch the ball, we have Haas & Mariner to stop from scoring. How in the world they could determine penalty try is mind boggling.

 

[Broncapz]

It sickens me but the way the Storm play is perfectly suited to the 6 again style of game and it’s why they are perennial contenders even with a totally substandard level of talent in their team.

They have the best spine in the game. Easily. Kotoa is the form 2nd row, and Coates is a rep winger. Only place they are substandard in is their centers and even one of their centres is being picked for Origin.

 

[Sproj]

Man I’ve woken up feeling so gutted. The one game I get to go live a year and I’ve just watched our season fall apart through no fault of our own. We were up for it, we were well and truly in it and on top and in the blink of an eye, all that hard work, all that momentum, all that was building - gone. Was this our year? We’ll never know now and I was there when it ended.

And also just gutted for Cobbo. I love the guy, we all do, now he’s probably gone and looked like he was ready to take finals apart. Now we probably never see him in our jersey again. This feels like 2015 and 2023 all over again just earlier. I think we might be in for a mini-rebuild. We’ve lost an x-factor back, our 7 and 9 maybe had half a season left in them.

Even worse, The look like a red hot contender next year with probably five guys we had carrying them there in Herbie, Selwyn, Flegs maybe, Isaako on an wing and Plath. They look Penrith’s heir apparent now and we need to figure out who we are post-Reynolds and may lose more star players.

Heart breaking.

 

[Harry]

They have the best spine in the game. Easily. Kotoa is the form 2nd row, and Coates is a rep winger. Only place they are substandard in is their centers and even one of their centres is being picked for Origin.

From a purely football talent perspective, teams like ours blow their entire squad off the park. Harry Grant is the only member of that spine that could plug and play and be elite at any other club.

But they play such an efficient system that even average player (the type of players who were never picked in rep teams when they were developing) become productive superstars and rep players.

Theres a reason so few Storm players ever go on and succeed at other teams, and why so few choose to leave.

 

[McHunt]

There was still at least one player around Coates. He’s landed short which means he didn’t make it and had to promote the ball to score.

These two factors have always meant it could be a sin bin depending on the ref but not a penalty try…except last night of course.

I said early in all the fun banter with the Storm supporters around me, you watch at some point tonight, you guys will get a try that’s never a try at any other time. They laughed and then after this they were all like, wow well there you go…and then ripped more into me.

The laws around tackling a player competing for the ball in the air need refining somehow, but in their current state that should be a penalty try every time. You'd be crying conspiracy were the tables turned and we only received a penalty.

If we are able to win the contest in the air occasionally maybe smart teams wouldn't keep targeting us there.

You really showed those Storm supporters, though. I bet once they finished cheering, they wrote a harshly worded letter to the referee.

 

[The Strapper]

Not sure which thread to put this in but here goes.
With our season likely done as far as chasing the premiership I am sure everyone still wants us to play finals footy and finish as high as we can.
With that in mind I am interested to hear views on which team would it be in our best interests to win the Dolphins V Roosters game?

If the Dolphins win they will go past us on the ladder on differential and also Cronulla will as well if they beat St. George which will push us back to 8th but with a 4 pt buffer over the Roosters and Manly (assuming of course the Raiders win tonight)

Alternatively, if the Roosters win we likely end up 7th but will have both them and the dolphins breathing down our necks 2pts behind us on the ladder.

I am leaning towards the first scenario but would be interested to hear any views on this.

 

[mrslong]

Well, it looks like a 20year anniversary premiership it will be lads

 

[BroncsFan]

Not sure which thread to put this in but here goes.
With our season likely done as far as chasing the premiership I am sure everyone still wants us to play finals footy and finish as high as we can.
With that in mind I am interested to hear views on which team would it be in our best interests to win the Dolphins V Roosters game?

If the Dolphins win they will go past us on the ladder on differential and also Cronulla will as well if they beat St. George which will push us back to 8th but with a 4 pt buffer over the Roosters and Manly (assuming of course the Raiders win tonight)

Alternatively, if the Roosters win we likely end up 7th but will have both them and the dolphins breathing down our necks 2pts behind us on the ladder.

I am leaning towards the first scenario but would be interested to hear any views on this.

I think if we want to play finals then we need dolphins to win.

That maintains a two game gap to rorters.

Sharks are effectively in the top 4 already... same wins as wahs and a higher P/D, so we're no longer competing with them.

We also desperately need raiders to beat manly to maintain that 2 win gap... they have winnable games coming up at the backend of the year.