2009 in perspective

[dukey]

I agree that our main "move" of the last 3-4 years has gone now though so we're going to need a new "move".
The Wallace -> Lockyer -> Hunt -> Grubber/Cutout/Dummy & go....

Sad, I loved that move.

Wallace -> Kemp -> tryline. Sounds good to me.

 

[bob the Smasher]

I'd like to see Lockyer retire from rep footy.

That would mean that our rep committments should be lighter than normal next year, especially if NSW don't pick Wallace.

 

[Black Philip]

Agreed bob, I'd love to see NSW go without Wallace. Lockyer retiring from rep footy would be awesome too.

 

[Dexter]

I I actually think our ball movement in the last 2 seasons has been good and our reliance on the power game has subsided. Our weakness still seems to be to slip into one out rucks for 5 and then kick when we're struggling. I think that's the main area the Broncos need to work on. Rather than just go back to basics, which yes can stem the tide but won't get you out of a hole, come up with alternate plans and tactics.

Good saved me the trouble of typing. This is without doubt what we have to focus on IMO, we were expansive and creative at the start of the year and surprised everyone then we go back to 1 off kick crapola and almost couldn't get out of it.

Sat night under pressure we went back to it again and got spanked.

Hopefully Ivan can get our structures in place and no matter who slots in we stick to it. F@#k me if that Parra forward pack can make a GF there is no reason ours can't.

 

[Huge]

Well truthfully it was Ivans coaching that was responsible for all of the seasons results which is true of all the coaches. Like I typed earlier in another thread i watched our attack at twice normal speed and the difference between the sides was much more noticeable. Melbourne were a great deal more side to side whereas we were straight ahead 95% of the time. That was the game plan apparently. Ivans plan.

We did not play as though we had nothing to lose. We played dumb football, the very thing Coxy and others seem to think WB was responsible for(in his declining years)...strangely St George did'nt play bland football, I find it unlikely WB went to the Saints and wham-o...a brand new plan of attack. BS I say, he took the same formula with him that made him the stellar success he was..............and it would have worked at the Broncs too.

Sadly he's gone and the boring tripe handed to us this season for most of the time was Ivans call. I saw very little different this year and what I did see that was different was extremely unpleasant. An unmotivated team who crawled out of their slump by simply performing to A grade standard mostly likely at the behest of their captain. A few were embarrassed by former greats and others lifted after TC returned because a fat real-estate salesman was doing a better job on the training paddock and during games.

Ivan Henjak has done little so far to convince me that replacing WB with a novice was the way to go.

It was ,on the face of it a good season ,but I believe it has also held some of our weaknesses up to the light. We have problems not so much with our roster but with our direction. Time is the ultimate arbiter.

 

[bob the Smasher]

I dunno, dragons looked pretty boring to me. I'd say they were very conservative in attack.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Yeah the Dragons were poor in attack for 75% of the season. They had a few good attacking games against very poor sides that is all,

 

[Old Mate]

I'd like to see Lockyer retire from rep footy.

That would mean that our rep committments should be lighter than normal next year, especially if NSW don't pick Wallace.

I'd love for him to continue to dominate rep records.

 

[Professor47]

There's been people saying Lockyer will be out in 1 year since he switched to five-eighth in 2004. He can't handle the extra load, they say.

He's come through so far, and I don't see why he can't go around another 2 years. He won't make the breaks he once did (he's not now anyway), but he can still lay on a great pass, reads the play better than any player on the planet, and has a great kicking game when it's on fire.

How about his D of late though?
I'm not saying we don't need him - by GOD do we need him... but like your first post said - we really need to look for something post-Locky.

Personally, I think a ton of effort should have been put into 07/08/09. (Unfortunately we had a change of coach, Locky got injured in 07 and we know what happened in 08) Those three were clinical years where the premiership was in the begging - particularly 08 of course. I would love 2011 premiership but I really don't know how Locky will go in D by then and I doubt we can without him - yet.

 

[The Brizz]

We need to wrestle more and slow other teams down, when we got beaten this year sides got rolls on us way too easily.

 

[Bucking Beads]

We need to wrestle more and slow other teams down, when we got beaten this year sides got rolls on us way too easily.

Yes or the wrestle should be stamped out of the game because fans would much prefer to see points scored rather than chicken wings and grapples.

 

[The Brizz]

I agree 100% beads but as long as every one else is gaining an advantage out of it we should be too.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Some teams would have to change things more than others but it would be better for League in the long run.

 

[Nashy]

Stuff that. I'd rather the Broncos lose. I don't want to see the team I support drop to that shit. I want them to go out and play good hard football.

 

[Captain Staros]

Like others have said, I'm happy given where we were after Canberra.

 

[lynx000]

Deadset, there are things you can be sure of at the end of every Broncos season.

1. Lockyer to fullback
2. Broncos won't make the finals because we lost [names]
3. Broncos need a new game plan
4. Broncos winning era is over

Give it up people.

+1 What started out as a positive thread by Coxy went very negative. I don't think the sky is falling at all. Have a look at our depth in terms of the kids we have coming through. Our under 20's went well again this year. We have signed some good young forwards and in Ben Hunt and that Corey Norman we have a classy halves pairing for the future. I agree with Russo, I think Norman may make it before Hunt, he has class written all over him, he could be anything if he keeps developing. He is only 17 and he reminds me so much of Lockyer, he has all the time in the world. So chins up, I don't know if it will be as bad as the doomsayers are indicating.

 

[broncosil]

Year in review.

WB leaving was in the end a good thing as it allows the club to remove some of his culture while we still have the players to rebuild. That good old WB magic wasn't getting it done anymore and better he go out or at least from this club while we are still somewhere near the top.

GOOD POINTS are that we have a new coach and a lot of very talented players.

BAD POINTS are that we have no game plan, no set moves, no forwards worth their salt and a million $$ back line that has no room to move.

Yes it's a rebuilding year, but so is every year.

In some areas we did a lot better this year than some expected and in some areas we did a lot worse... we need consistant play every week that is at the level that these players are capable. Not 100% brilliant with no mistakes each and every week, but teams that get flogged as often as we have and fall into slumps as often as we do, will never compete for very long with sides that play consistant football.

The likes on Mel, man, G'C and Dogs will beat us more often than not, because they play a better quality of football more often than not. They play as a team, with a game plan and goals in mind.

To see Darren Lockyer, one of the greatest if not THE greatest footballer of the era, made to look like a fool because his pack couldn't break the line and his other team mates just stood there and waited to be told and even shown what to do, is very sad indeed. He got crushed because he had no room, he got worn out because he got no help and he looked out of his depth because every one just stood there waiting.

I feel for the guy so much, he knew he was screwed against the storm the minute the last game was over... they asked him about the storm and he said with a pained face, "we'll go down there and give it a crack". He knew his backs wouldn't have the room to move because he knew his pack weren't up to it. And a week later he was shown to be dead right.

This culture of let someone else do it, or lets just buy one superstar every few years instead of building a team that plays well together will be the death of us, we should never have touched falou, we lost hunt and we gave away Taylor... the only other superstar is getting old and when he's gone. it'll be wooden spoons for everyone.

This year was the exactly the same as most of the last 20!

I have to agree. Lockyer is constantly left on his own and I wonder how long it will take to wear him out and he finally has enough of trying to save the team. And I do believe he may have to give up rep footy, as can be seen this year, takes too much toll on him.

While we suffered our biggest ever loss this year, slumps are nothing new to us and we have been though them far too often. Henjak only continued on from WB, providing nothing new or dynamic. Even putting TC at 7 reeks of WB.

Our attack needs to improve too. How many times have we seen a bomb go up on the 4th or the 5th? It is boring and predictable. Locky, Wallace and McCullogh should concentrate more on chip kics, grubbers etc, anything that is different.

The next two years are a rebuilding phase. We simply have too many young players and they need time to get better. Ben Hunt must absolutely be on the bench every single game. If not, we will suffer when Lockyer goes and eventually Hunt will get pissed off, and like so many players before him, go elsewhere.

Gymp wrote that we need to make more dominant tackles and wrestle more. I agree. I am sick of seeing us still on the ground while the opposition is already up and ready to play the ball. Pathetic really.

As for Taylor, I disagree. He is still relatively unproven and if he really will be a superstar forward, then we will see where he is in 5 years time when he should hit his peak. He may have had a few good weeks run in to the finals, but next year at Souths will tell us if he will be the next Price or the next Carl Webb.

 

[Black Philip]

As for Taylor, I disagree. He is still relatively unproven and if he really will be a superstar forward, then we will see where he is in 5 years time when he should hit his peak. He may have had a few good weeks run in to the finals, but next year at Souths will tell us if he will be the next Price or the next Carl Webb.

The problem with Taylor is not necessarily whether he is gonna be a superstar or not (that might come into play in the future however), it's the fact that we have bugger all props. After letting him go we now have 3 somewhat capable props signed on for next year, one of which is still very young like Taylor. Given the potential he showed it was surely worth a punt on him despite his bad attitude early on. If we let everyone go for having a poor attitude at some point in their career, the player turnover would be even more than it is now for gods sake.