THE BOSS Maguire Stomped The Naysayers! But...8 Months Later, Here We Are.

[Oldman]

Overall, We still lack that hard edge. Maguire has definitely used the roster better to give us more depth. However, I have only seen incremental improvements.

We have had a lot of annoying injuries meaning constant changes to the spine, which hasn't helped. The same old issues are still present though. We are still one out in attack a lot of the time. There have been some pleasing comebacks, which is a good sign.

The injuries in the Melbourne game came at a bad time and hurt our premiership chances. I will be happy with good performances and effort for the remainder of the year and hopefully some wins. I can't see us beating the big guns of Melbourne, Canberra and Penrith. Their systems are too good for our game.

Next year I expect more and hopefully some smart recruitment to address our second row depth. I am hoping Gosiewski, J Hunt, and Baker are all replaced with better depth options. Would love to see us move on Ricki and Hetherington but don't see that happening.

 

[Financeguy]

Bellamy has always rested players the last round not the second last round but now because it’s us and we have a potential to be playing for a top 4 spot he will name his best possible

Not really…they did the same thing last year.

If we need to be victims and need someone to blame I’d be more annoyed at the NRL draw about having to play them twice a year. They effectively have +4 points and a +60 for and against every season compared to every other team.

 

[broncsgoat]

Can someone just let goat back into the religion thread again

Bump

 

[Sproj]

Bump

 

[Jason Simmons]

So knocking on 4th place for the finals, worst we can do is 6th meaning worst case scenario is that we get a home final…

Our slump coincided with a ton of injuries and there were still plenty of games we “should” have won (Warriors and Eels) in which case we’d be fighting for top 2 not top 4…

And people are still knocking Madge?

 

[Sproj]

So knocking on 4th place for the finals, worst we can do is 6th meaning worst case scenario is that we get a home final…

Our slump coincided with a ton of injuries and there were still plenty of games we “should” have won (Warriors and Eels) in which case we’d be fighting for top 2 not top 4…

And people are still knocking Madge?

I'm sure if we didn't have a million injuries last year we would have been fighting for top 4 too to be fair.

 

[BroncsFan]

I'm sure if we didn't have a million injuries last year we would have been fighting for top 4 too to be fair.

Injuries definitely played a part, but I think it was the origin period that killed us last year.

We lost Reynolds on the eve of the origin period and he was the one that was going to have to carry us through it.

Walsh was then picked for all 3 games, but was getting picked coming off the back of not playing games for the broncos... I think he only played one game for us during that period which was the panthers game... and then also the Newcastle game after origin 3 when he starred.

We went 1/6 in 2024 compared to 5/6 during the origin period this year... I believe we had similar records heading into origin on both years and this year we were heading into it in the midst of that massive form slump.

Last year we weren't able to recover from that origin period and the team was getting pumped just about every week. This year they have been able to recover and get the season back on track.

Reece is easily our most influential player and we ended up having him for 14 games last year for a 50% win rate, that includes the 4mins panthers before he was taken out by Taylan May.

We've had him for 17 games this year and he's tracking at 70% win rate... that's a pretty big difference for our most influential player, but can show that even when he was there last year the team wasn't performing anyway.

This season could've gone the same way after that manly game, but we got Reece back and he didn't have to play origin this year... he got our season back on track and now we're tracking for finals football.

It's hard to know if the team could've been able to recover last year if origin didn't exist, but it shows how a pack of exhibition games in the middle of a season can completely derail teams.

 

[Jason Simmons]

I'm sure if we didn't have a million injuries last year we would have been fighting for top 4 too to be fair.

Except last year we didn’t.

This year we did.

Pretty big difference there with much the same squad.

 

[Mister Wright]

I'm sure if we didn't have a million injuries last year we would have been fighting for top 4 too to be fair.

Which is why our choke in 2023 is so painful. You don’t get gifted injury and suspension runs like that every year.

 

[BroncsFan]

Which is why our choke in 2023 is so painful. You don’t get gifted injury and suspension runs like that every year.

Makes watching raiders this year hard.

They have had a blessed run this year and they get a shot at the title in the year panthers go to Vegas and don't have a home ground... now they won't have a home final all year and someone else probably takes them out.

It's like 2010 when storm had to sit in last all year.

If raiders don't win it this year they will be heading into 2026 with a rookie halfback and a 6 that doesn't pass it or kick it... Sanders must have a cannon of a boot, because Fogarty's kicking game is elite and they might get a surprise when it's no longer there.

 

[Super Freak]

What ruined our season last year was our inability to handle adversity. As soon as things started going against us, we crumbled.

We were 10 points out of the top 4.

Roosters R1, Titans R12, Dragons R19, Bulldogs R21, Titans R22, Dolphins R26 were games we should have won. We had enough talent in the roster to win those games.

That would have put us in the top 4.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

What ruined our season last year was our inability to handle adversity. As soon as things started going against us, we crumbled.

We were 10 points out of the top 4.

Roosters R1, Titans R12, Dragons R19, Bulldogs R21, Titans R22, Dolphins R26 were games we should have won. We had enough talent in the roster to win those games.

That would have put us in the top 4.

Ye whilst the injury list was worse last year, the team completely crumbled under any sort of adversity. Has for years.

Despite what other clubs fans think, having the worst penalty/6 again for and against year after year, having the hardest draw with all the top teams year after year after year, and getting hammered in the media does not equate to "an easy run". Broncos players will never get a golden run in all those areas to help them (hello sharks). They need to toughen the **** up.

 

[Santa]

So Madge knew what he was doing all along. Seems he actually did learn alot from those losses.

 

[Super Freak]

So Madge knew what he was doing all along. Seems he actually did learn alot from those losses.

We're looking really fit.

Seems like getting flogged earlier in the year is paying off.

 

[theshed]

I am genuinely in shock that we have finished top 4 after the season we’ve had.

Feels like someone miscounted the results somewhere

 

[Wolfie]

Well, he's passed the first test by getting top 4.

If we dont make the grand final then i'd still sack him.

 

[Brocko]

Feels like someone miscounted the results somewhere.

You working with the NRL directly this season @Porthoz ? #DrawGate

 

[Super Freak]

I said early in the season that what Madge was putting this side through would pay off in the long run. There was always going to be a period where we struggled to adapt to his style.

We're starting to see the benefits. We're looking fit, energized, the players are buying in, we're finding form at the right time.

Maybe we don't win the premiership this year, but the signs for beyond this season are very positive.

To make the top 4 after the season we've had, that's quite an achievement. I thought we would struggle when we lost Reyno and Ezra but this side are finding a way to win without them.