PRE-GAME [Finals Week 1, 2025] - Broncos vs Raiders
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I bleed Maroon
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- Apr 17, 2013
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Alright milkmen, lets dance.
- Sep 6, 2013
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Look I’m not bringing Reynolds back unless Bunt gets injured. Reynolds is a walking injury risk, not worth it when Bunt is killing it.
Mam on the other hand is a really tricky one. I’m bringing him in, no question on that if he’s fit but where? He would already be a CC medalist if not for a Cleary all time epic. So we know Mam steps up in huge games and he offers another huge weapon for other teams to think about if they quadruple team Walsh. The problem is, Billy has been phenomenal at 6, doesn’t deserve to make way. That said, he’s equally amazing at 9 or 14.
If it’s up to me and all players are fit, I’m going:
1. Walsh (it’s his team now)
2. Karapani
3. Staggs
4. Mariner
5. Cobbo
6. Mam
7. Bunt
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Haas
11. Piakura
12. Riki
13. Carrigan
14. Smoothy
15. Hetherington
16. Willison
17. Talty
18. Gibasaki
Harsh on Gibasaki and Reynolds but too bad. This is a team that can win it all.
Mam on the other hand is a really tricky one. I’m bringing him in, no question on that if he’s fit but where? He would already be a CC medalist if not for a Cleary all time epic. So we know Mam steps up in huge games and he offers another huge weapon for other teams to think about if they quadruple team Walsh. The problem is, Billy has been phenomenal at 6, doesn’t deserve to make way. That said, he’s equally amazing at 9 or 14.
If it’s up to me and all players are fit, I’m going:
1. Walsh (it’s his team now)
2. Karapani
3. Staggs
4. Mariner
5. Cobbo
6. Mam
7. Bunt
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Haas
11. Piakura
12. Riki
13. Carrigan
14. Smoothy
15. Hetherington
16. Willison
17. Talty
18. Gibasaki
Harsh on Gibasaki and Reynolds but too bad. This is a team that can win it all.
Santa
State of Origin Captain
- Jun 30, 2020
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Going to this game (thanks in advance to someone giving me a code) and expect the atmosphere to be epic.
Our forwards really need to step up to these guys. The Raiders are looking big and strong this year. They're also going to be rushing up on Walsh, so we need to be ready to take advantage of that.
A win is vital - we need a week off (everyone else of importance has had a rest). We're kind of lucky that we get a long turnaround.
I'm honestly not so keen on changing a winning team. But if you don't do it now, it will be worse doing it in a preliminary final. I just don't know...
Either way:
Broncos 54 - Raiders 6
Our forwards really need to step up to these guys. The Raiders are looking big and strong this year. They're also going to be rushing up on Walsh, so we need to be ready to take advantage of that.
A win is vital - we need a week off (everyone else of importance has had a rest). We're kind of lucky that we get a long turnaround.
I'm honestly not so keen on changing a winning team. But if you don't do it now, it will be worse doing it in a preliminary final. I just don't know...
Either way:
Broncos 54 - Raiders 6
Santa
State of Origin Captain
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The bigger thing for me is Walters defence at 6 (noting that he's killing it in attack too). He was epic against Melbourne tonight, and Mam can have some shockers.
- Sep 6, 2013
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Yep and it’s a really good discussion point. We clearly don’t have any problems scoring even without Mam. My fear though is that if Walsh is taken out of the game, which you can be sure Stuart will have no qualms doing, we lose our entire attacking weapon in the spine. Mam provides a point of difference.
I suppose the other thing to consider as well is, Arthars was amazing in the ‘23 GF, that should probably count for something too.
In any case, Gibs’ screw up might cost him dearly.
- Sep 28, 2012
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Just like we got in the faces of certain players tonight, we need to do it to a few of the Raiders
Big one for mine is Hudson Young. He’ll be going full grub trying to take our players out like NAS tried tonight. He needs a figurative* punch in the mouth to know he won’t get away with anything
*literal is ok too if someone wants to take the bullet *looks at Jordan Riki*
Big one for mine is Hudson Young. He’ll be going full grub trying to take our players out like NAS tried tonight. He needs a figurative* punch in the mouth to know he won’t get away with anything
*literal is ok too if someone wants to take the bullet *looks at Jordan Riki*
BroncosFever
State of Origin Rep
- Jun 6, 2014
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Has anyone seen Canberra's draw? Holy shit they've had a good sequence to get to where they are. Prior to Penrith their last top 8 opponent was the 1st of June
Lockysillegitimatechild
State of Origin Rep
- Apr 10, 2015
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A lot of media is going on about the disruption those players might cause and its a bad thing we have this decision to make. But the huge positive is the players need to earn their jersey every training session and for 80 minutes every game or there is a more than suitable replacement waiting kn the wings of they aren't picked. Shiba and cobbo in the backs, reynolds and mam in the spine, willison in the backs are all just frothing. Every single player has someone at their heels for a spot (bar haas and walsh of course).
Unreal position to be at this time of year. I'm at a loss for words of just how good a coaching performance this is from maguire.
Unreal position to be at this time of year. I'm at a loss for words of just how good a coaching performance this is from maguire.
theshed
Just a Game
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I just don’t think we can take Hunt and Walters out of the halves. The balance is working and both are far more robust defenders than their counterparts.
Hunt barking at them one the huddle while Walsh kicked goals was such a breath of fresh air.
Unfortunately, as much as I love what Reyno has done for the club, the team is now Walsh and Hunt’s.
Hunt barking at them one the huddle while Walsh kicked goals was such a breath of fresh air.
Unfortunately, as much as I love what Reyno has done for the club, the team is now Walsh and Hunt’s.
Midean
State of Origin Captain
- Jun 5, 2019
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I have to agree, I love Reynolds but we can't change this side now.
The team is playing in sync and I just can't justify dropping either Hunt or Billy at this point.
As much as i like Shiba, I think it might be a blessing in disguise him not being there last night as well.
**** knows what we do with Ezra either, but i know its bad juju to **** with a team thats working (just ask Galvin and the doggies)
- Jul 28, 2016
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Yeah Walters and Bhunt have been so solid in defence... Mam is elite in attack, but if we bring him onto that edge then he is a beacon for the opposition attack.
I'd consider Mam as a super sub off the bench... we don't use that 17 jersey much anyway.
Contact in defence is not an issue with Ezra so I think he can hold his own in defence in the middle. Mam popping up in the middle late in the game could cause all sorts of havoc.
We do need someone as that edge back up if we were to bring Ezra onto the bench... that could be Willison when he returns, but he's fresh to 2nd rower and a big call in the finals.
Another example where if Kobe could play some second row we'd be sweet.
It’s taken a while for the team to start working without Reynolds and it’s finally clicked so it makes me nervous to shake up the team and add him back in, adding onto the fact he could get injured again mid game lol
Going to be real interesting come Tuesday. Canberra practically have a break this week since they’re resting 7-8 players? So they’ll be fresh come next week too.
I didn’t know that stat about Canberra not playing any top 8 teams besides 1 since May, which Is crazy. If we play like we did last night , we have this game.
The only advantage Canberra have is it’s in Canberra. Home games do make a huge difference but hopefully the boys can shake off the nerves and ignore the crowd and they’ve got this.
Going to be real interesting come Tuesday. Canberra practically have a break this week since they’re resting 7-8 players? So they’ll be fresh come next week too.
I didn’t know that stat about Canberra not playing any top 8 teams besides 1 since May, which Is crazy. If we play like we did last night , we have this game.
The only advantage Canberra have is it’s in Canberra. Home games do make a huge difference but hopefully the boys can shake off the nerves and ignore the crowd and they’ve got this.
- Jan 8, 2018
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Another huge plus is Canberra will not be the unwelcoming ice station zebra this time of year compared to when we are normally made to play them.
The storm game was a good warm up for us coming up against one of the grubbiest teams of the comp. I think they're only just pipped for grubbiness by those lowlife dogs.
The storm game was a good warm up for us coming up against one of the grubbiest teams of the comp. I think they're only just pipped for grubbiness by those lowlife dogs.
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