PRE-GAME [Round 5, 2026] - Broncos vs Titans

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Strange - I'd say similar, not worse
AJ - Not a half, never has been. Only named there because Titans squad is gross.
Sharpe - 100% a fullback, Knights just have 3 fullbacks a 5/8 so have to play him there
Talagi - As per Strange.

I'll give you 2 of those 4, but it would be arguable.

The fact is, Mam is in the bottom handful of 5/8s for defence, kicking and ball playing, and he's being paid in the top bracket for the position.

The reality is though, even if you put him on par with Talagi and Strange, these are 6s in the 2025 minor premiership team and the best side of the last five years. Its pretty good company to be in.

I don't agree Mam is in the bottom handful of 5/8ths for defense and ball playing, though he probably is for kicking as you say. However, where we have a major advantage over other teams is with Walsh at 1, so we don't really need a six who is a great kicker, as he will just get in the way of Walsh and Reynolds. Bunt and Walters are also more than handy kickers as well who would normally be a part of the 17.

Very few 6s defend well, so it is a bit of a moot point, though Mam is getting better there, at least according to the eye test.

But Mam is quite good at ball playing, he just isn't at his best yet this year. However, the two GFs he's played, he rose to the level like few others, so he definitely isn't bottom bracket for ball playing. I remember the game he returned last year, he was best player on the ground.

He just isn't playing well but he is more than capable. I think some of you are just understandably disappointed in him this year. I'm backing him to come good as he usually does when the big games come around.
 
Shiba supposedly turned up to training still hungover... that was more he knew training was on but stayed out anyway and then compounded it by getting sloshed.

Karp was after the game and potentially he was out celebrating with others
If I remember correctly, players were also on a self imposed booze ban.
 
Shiba supposedly turned up to training still hungover... that was more he knew training was on but stayed out anyway and then compounded it by getting sloshed.

Karp was after the game and potentially he was out celebrating with others
Bad example on my part mentioning the 2 together it seems, wasn't comparing the 2 incidents against each other, just that we had priors dropping someone (For an alcohol related discretion), so maybe we would do it again.

Showing up to training still drunk/hungover is obviously going to be a no go with your club, but police weren't involved. Police being involved with Karp they still won't be happy, just think the club will follow suit with the 1 week out again.
 
Absolutely you drop him for a game. Bit of a nothing burger from a legal standpoint but got to drive standards.

He's really coming into his own, and we'll miss him. With Anderson out for a decent stint, good thing we kept Arthars on the books.

Bit miffed Deine will be going back to the wing also.
 
He just isn't playing well but he is more than capable. I think some of you are just understandably disappointed in him this year. I'm backing him to come good as he usually does when the big games come around.
The kid was one or two decent (team) defensive efforts off a Clive Churchill medal a couple of years back.
 
The kid was one or two decent (team) defensive efforts off a Clive Churchill medal a couple of years back.
So was milf. Mam definitely looks injured though, his running game has gone to shit.
 
Let me preface by saying that Ezra like any player isn’t immune to criticism if warranted and some aspects of his game it’s definitely warranted and I too have been critical.

However talks of getting rid of him after a couple of bad games is definitely way over the top. In regards to people questioning his playmaking, I remember a game last year when we had our origin players out including Walsh as 18th man against the dogs who were the best defensive team in the competition and were 18-0 up at HT. Ezra came to life in the second half and laid on 3-4 tries in the space of 14 mins and we won 20-18. He can play make. In a team with Walsh and Reyno though he has to be third fiddle and just needs to pick his moments better.

I think some of us fans are behaving like the current media in that we think just because we won the comp last season, that we suddenly have to be the next coming of Penrith and that we aren’t allowed to lose or have a bad game otherwise the world is ending and that we have to throw the toys out of the cot. It’s ridiculous how lofty the standards are. I get now we have tasted the champagne again that we want more of it but you need to also remain realistic. It’s a 27 round season. Penrith were dead last half way through last season. Short memories.

This is arguable the toughest comp in world sports and there is no such thing as an easy game anymore. Theres going to still be games you are expected to win but if you are off your game 1-2% in this comp you get beat. Whilst you are allowed to have an opinion and be critical, let’s also not get carried away in the same way the outrage media have become in the current landscape.

We should still be enjoying the 2025 success FFS. If you were in a coma for 12 months and suddenly woke up today and read the media articles and narrative doing the rounds, anyone would think we won the bloody spoon last year. Let’s just settle down a touch. It’s only 4 rounds in.
 
I think Mam is injured too. In the WCC the first few times he touched the ball I was surprised how slow he looked.
 
Not even a penalty too
Apparently different situations according to the referee and Adam. After I watch the game again
You can here adam discussing with referee how it wasnt warrant a penalty after taking the legs. You hear the referee say it a complete different situation from what happened to grant to third men coming in and attracting the legs
 
Apparently different situations according to the referee and Adam. After I watch the game again
You can here adam discussing with referee how it wasnt warrant a penalty after taking the legs. You hear the referee say it a complete different situation from what happened to grant to third men coming in and attracting the legs
I also get it an accident but still the onus is on cobbo duty of care to grant Anderson
 
Cobbo was just trying to make a legs tackle and ended up making contact with the shoulder first.

It's a contact sport. Sometimes shit happens. It's not a penalty. People act like he came in leading with the shoulder and speared at the legs, it wasn't anything like that.
 
@Super Freak was it Nelson who used to do those front on below the knees legs tackle? I swear that wasn't the first time we've seen that type of tackle and I think he may have got away with it then as well.

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

I don't think there was any intent from Cobbo, but I still think it's a dangerous tackle and ought to be penalised.

Look at a lot of the head high tackles. No one is going out there looking to clothesline another player, but players just get careless and mistakes happen.
 
Cobbo was just trying to make a legs tackle and ended up making contact with the shoulder first.

It's a contact sport. Sometimes shit happens. It's not a penalty. People act like he came in leading with the shoulder and speared at the legs, it wasn't anything like that.
I get what you’re saying but I look at like a high tackle that just slips up, or the attacking player is falling. Just doesn’t look ok, penalty and move on. Not intentional or particularly dangerous but a little careless.
 
There was a tackle by a broncos player (Maybe Jensen in '23?) where he tripped and fell into an opposition player and injured them. There was definitely a penalty or binning for it. It reminded me of the tackle from cobbo so I was surprised there weren't any repercussions from it.
 
There was a tackle by a broncos player (Maybe Jensen in '23?) where he tripped and fell into an opposition player and injured them. There was definitely a penalty or binning for it. It reminded me of the tackle from cobbo so I was surprised there weren't any repercussions from it.
There was the shot from maybe Taupau on Rapana, where Rapana completely dropped to the ground defusing a bomb, Marty collected him high and the ball spilled out. Was it maybe Marty's knee that collected him because he went straight over the top he dropped that much.

I think broncos picked it up and scored... and we were behind by like 2, but we got penalised for a completely accidental contact and that effectively ended the game
 
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