PRE-GAME [Round 20, 2026] - Broncos vs Panthers

This may feel ridiculous to suggest and no way it happens in practice, but realistically Carrigan may be best used off the bench as a ~50 minute prop. His slow feet and weak wrestle is so clearly exposed when he plays long minutes and his passing is becoming less and less effective.

Haas + Willison I don't think has ever worked as a starting prop rotation because neither of them are a first hit up prop like a Barnett/Flegler/Fish. Haas works best with a play one prop partner (I think Semu and Piki both fit this role better), and I don't think its reactionary to suggest that Willison has surpassed Carrigan as a lock already. He simply holds the middle better defensively.

This would be my team list if we were only trying to win for the rest of the year (with no regard for team relations/legacy) and everyone could drop their egos, but I accept there's just no universe where Madge would drop Reynolds or Hunt, or acknowledge that Paix is not good.
  1. Walsh
  2. Karapani
  3. Staggs
  4. Mariner
  5. Anderson
  6. Mam
  7. Duffy
  8. Haas
  9. Walters
  10. Semu
  11. Piakura
  12. Riki
  13. Willison
  14. Mozer
  15. Carrigan
  16. Talty
  17. Piki
  18. Shiba
  19. Perham/Reynolds

I like it

Carrigan is notoriously slow in the ruck and I think him + Reynolds always results in the plethora of early 6 against against us and we're immediately on the back foot
 
Basically the GF squad minus Smoothy?

But ffs, Paix? I don't get it, I just really don't anymore. He does NOT get the team on the front foot.

It's a given that the Panthers will just roll up the field every set but we could at least counter and do the same when we have the ball. Now we'll just have Paix feeding the ball to Reynolds, who'll crab across the field, and the ball carrier will get picked off.

There's no imagination with our dummy half and in this current rule set that is criminal.
It wouldn’t be a Broncos team if we didn’t have a hooker that no one could explain their selection
 
Late mail is Billy won't play.

When asked whether he will play, Madge said "he's 20th man".
 
Late mail is Billy won't play.

When asked whether he will play, Madge said "he's 20th man".
Mad Obsession GIF


Don't push your luck, Madge!
 
Don't worry the sticky tape will fall off one of guys soon enough..

The old saying
Don't be silly protect your Billy
Have him wear the number 20

...wait...
I may have not remembered that one quite right.....
 
We can't break up the very successful hooking combo of Paix and Bunt, they've been destroying oppositions this year. Also can't drop our very durable number 7 and very in form number 6.
There’ll be two game plans -
1. Reynolds will probably tweak a calf which puts hunt into 7 and then paix will play 80.
2. Reynolds has no effect on the game so hunt comes on as ball playing lock which once again allows paix to play 80.
 
We can't break up the very successful hooking combo of Paix and Bunt, they've been destroying oppositions this year. Also can't drop our very durable number 7 and very in form number 6.
A chapter right out of the Blackadder World War 1 battle plan. The opposition won't see it coming.
 
There’ll be two game plans -
1. Reynolds will probably tweak a calf which puts hunt into 7 and then paix will play 80.
2. Reynolds has no effect on the game so hunt comes on as ball playing lock which once again allows paix to play 80.

Maguire:
Happy Brandon Scott Jones GIF by CBS
 
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