2017 Line-up

[Pushkin]

Can please discuss about broncos 2017 line up instead of talk about Matthew lodge. Why don't create new discussion page about lodge.

 

[Accept]

Can please discuss about broncos 2017 line up instead of talk about Matthew lodge. Why don't create new discussion page about lodge.

Don't be a party pooper. This is an interesting discussion.

 

[winslow_wong]

Can please discuss about broncos 2017 line up instead of talk about Matthew lodge. Why don't create new discussion page about lodge.

Objection overruled

 

[pagey]

No, that was the testimony of the victim and subsequent decision of the judge. Your opinion or mine on the matter is absolutely irrelevant.

As much as I think Bird is a lowlife, the NRL can't punish him for something he hasn't been proven guilty of!

I'm not going to comment further on the bird situation. But things like this get sorted out behind closed doors . As for Lodge, i am willing to give him another chance. That's me done on this subject.

 

[Rico]

1. Boyd (c)
2. Oates
3. Kahu
4. Roberts
5. Mead
6. Milford
7. Hunt
8. Sims
9. McCullough
10. Blair
11. Thaiday
12. Gillett
13. McGuire

14. Marshall
15. Glenn
16. Pangai Jr
17. Fai

This is the way I'm leaning for Round 1.

Having Marshall on the bench ahead of another forward or Nikorima may raise some questions, but I'm quite comfortable with it, it enables us to bring him on at left centre, shift Kahu to left wing and have Oates play some minutes in the backrow. It also enables us to bring him on if Milford & Hunt are stagnating the attack, which they're known to do for large periods of a game, having an extra play maker on stand-by could be huge for a couple of reasons. A) It will send a rocket up their ass, if they don't do their job, Marshall will come on and help them do it & B) Injury cover if anyone from 1-7 gets injured, Benji could more or less fill in, whereas Nikorima has shown he struggles heavily at Centre & Wing defensively.

This team would more or less be experimental, if Milford & Hunt round in to form quickly and Benji turns out to be surplus to needs, or just isn't up to it anymore, we send him to Redcliffe and bring in another forward or Nikorima, whatever seems to be necessary at the time.

In regards to Ofahengaue, Ese'ese, Arrow & Su'A - I expect them all to be playing 80 minutes for their respective ISC teams and ready to play at a moments notice. Pangai Jr & Fai have been our best 2 forwards in the trial vs Sharks and the WCC, they've earned first shot imo.

That's getting bloody close to it if you ask me. I'd be happy to give fai a shot - atleast see what he can do over a few games. I though Joe O's second stint was decent and reckon Wayne wants to use him in round one but Herman won't be on today's showing.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

My question to all is:

If the situation was different, and the Broncos were flush with experienced front row options, would we still be as forgiving of Lodge? Or is it simply a case of NEEDING a big body with skill?

Is the forgiveness and 'second chance' line being pushed because of our own agendas of wanting to see the team win? Because of our fixation with a big prop?

Personally, I feel as though he does deserve a shot, regardless of whether he is at our club or any other. He is a young guy who made a mistake, and has the right to redeem himself and rebuild.

 

[Danoz Direct]

What Bird did was a disgrace, but Lodge went full psycho in a foreign country.

The squad is settled for Round 1, I think:

1. Boyd
2. Oates
3. Roberts
4. Kahu
5. Mead
6. Milford
7. Hunt
8. McGuire
9. McC
10. Blair
11. Thaiday/Glenn
12. Gillett
13. Arrow/TPJ

14. Nikorima
15. Arrow/TPJ
16. Joe O/Fai
17. Glenn/Thaiday

Our troubles with our pack are becoming a real pain in the ass. WE NEED GO FORWARD. It's all well and good to shit on Milf and Hunt when they aren't doing anything but WHERE is their platform? We basically need Thaiday to play like he plays against Melbourne every round in order to band aid the deficiencies. It's not a good setup, and losing our race for Napa may prove to be a bigger deal going forward than we're giving it credit for now.

A lot of people think he is over the hill, but I'd be taking a serious look at Matt Scott if I were Bennett. He has to be good for at least 1 or 2 more seasons and that gives us ample time to prepare our young props.

If you want go forward Fai over Ofahengaue and TPJ over Arrow.

 

[holdzy]

My question to all is:

If the situation was different, and the Broncos were flush with experienced front row options, would we still be as forgiving of Lodge? Or is it simply a case of NEEDING a big body with skill?

Is the forgiveness and 'second chance' line being pushed because of our own agendas of wanting to see the team win? Because of our fixation with a big prop?

Personally, I feel as though he does deserve a shot, regardless of whether he is at our club or any other. He is a young guy who made a mistake, and has the right to redeem himself and rebuild.

It seems most are willing for the club to take on the burden of minding him (like we need another fucking fix me up) because of our forwards situation.

I want evidence he is earning a second shot. Not just in footy but society, because that was some seriously psycho shit he pulled. So satisfactory evidence for me as a fan would be him getting psychological help, doing community service and staying healthy/out of trouble.

If he can do those things, he deserves a shot. Next year.

 

[holdzy]

If we had taken in Packer for example, I would have re-considered my support for the club. I appreciate Wayne is a often good influence on troubled people, but when I think of the Broncos, I think of integrity.

 

[Porthoz]

My question to all is:

If the situation was different, and the Broncos were flush with experienced front row options, would we still be as forgiving of Lodge? Or is it simply a case of NEEDING a big body with skill?

Is the forgiveness and 'second chance' line being pushed because of our own agendas of wanting to see the team win? Because of our fixation with a big prop?

Personally, I feel as though he does deserve a shot, regardless of whether he is at our club or any other. He is a young guy who made a mistake, and has the right to redeem himself and rebuild.

Good question, I doubt there would be as much forgiveness if we had Webke and Civo at the club.

In relation to the bold, I don't think you can call what he did a "youth mistake". Most people would and should go to jail for a long time for that kind of offence.

 

[Tunza's Chin]

1. Boyd (c)
2. Oates
3. Kahu
4. Roberts
5. Mead
6. Milford
7. Hunt
8. Sims
9. McCullough
10. Blair
11. Thaiday
12. Gillett
13. McGuire

14. Marshall
15. Glenn
16. Pangai Jr
17. Fai

This is the way I'm leaning for Round 1.

Having Marshall on the bench ahead of another forward or Nikorima may raise some questions, but I'm quite comfortable with it, it enables us to bring him on at left centre, shift Kahu to left wing and have Oates play some minutes in the backrow. It also enables us to bring him on if Milford & Hunt are stagnating the attack, which they're known to do for large periods of a game, having an extra play maker on stand-by could be huge for a couple of reasons. A) It will send a rocket up their ass, if they don't do their job, Marshall will come on and help them do it & B) Injury cover if anyone from 1-7 gets injured, Benji could more or less fill in, whereas Nikorima has shown he struggles heavily at Centre & Wing defensively.

This team would more or less be experimental, if Milford & Hunt round in to form quickly and Benji turns out to be surplus to needs, or just isn't up to it anymore, we send him to Redcliffe and bring in another forward or Nikorima, whatever seems to be necessary at the time.

In regards to Ofahengaue, Ese'ese, Arrow & Su'A - I expect them all to be playing 80 minutes for their respective ISC teams and ready to play at a moments notice. Pangai Jr & Fai have been our best 2 forwards in the trial vs Sharks and the WCC, they've earned first shot imo.

Agree with everything here. Niko getting 80 mins at Halfback in Q-Cup is also a real benefit.

Benji on at the end of the game could do the bulk of the kicking to close it out, he'd be better then Hunt as long as he doesn't try any tricky shit.

 

[Wolfie]

well let me pose this question.

you are employed as a brick layer or bank teller. you get in trouble for the same stuff lodge did?? do you get the sack or told to behave yourself before being allowed back to your profession?? i would have no doubt that people i work with have a history but because it doesnt sell papers its not covered. ill admit i was an ordinary person for a whil when i first turned 18, but you either learn quickly and improve as a person or end up the other way and in an orange jumpsuit out ipswich way..
i used to be in the fold of they can get stuffed etc, however i think the media and so called do good elitist's these days prefer ruin over redemption..

I'd expect to get the sack, and then after the second time messing up, get the sack again and find it pretty difficult to find a job in my chosen career tbh.

Thing is, you cant compare a person in the public eye to get treated the same as some bloke working on a building site, so its a bit of a redundant question really. He has an obligation to his employer to show them in the best light. Getting charged with domestic violence offences and then doing what he did in the states isnt a good look. So rightly or wrongly, he has to prove he is deserving of peoples forgiveness and a third shot at redemption. He is pretty lucky imo to be getting another shot. Hope he can take it and show people he isnt the person he used to be. Its not that easy to regain peoples trust once you break it.

 

[Morkel]

No one "hands over the guidance of their kids" to role models. They'll choose them themselves by what appeals to them.

Rugby League is a true blue-collar sport. It's going to appeal to roughnuts and those who have grown up in families that use their bare hands to make a living. It rewards craftiness, sure, but the dominant trait is hard work, tireless effort, and making good decisions.

In that, it shows kids that you don't need to be the smartest in the class or live a life of privelage in order to succeed. Even if kids aren't suited to league, those values above are still worthwhile to instill.

And it gets totally undone when wife-bashers and thugs get preferential treatment because they are talented. Redemption stories are wonderful, but how many chances before it's clear that someone won't learn? There is no easy answer, it's different for each player and it's dangerous when those in a position to judge have a vested interest, whether that be clubs who want them to play, or the NRL who don't want a rival code benefitting.

Someone like Todd Carney was given so many chances and still never learned. I think he's had more than enough chances. Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan, however, have so far proven me wrong and on the surface have got their shit together.

And look at Jake Friend and Anthony Watts. Both at a crossroad in their career, one given another shot and turned out to be a genuine success story. The other sacked and ends up getting mixed up in organised crime and the rest is history. Does that vindicate the decision, or just that those that don't get as many chances (because they are less talented) end up more likely to become exactly what we expect them to, a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts?

So for Lodge, if we keep giving him chances just because he's likely to benefit our team this year, will he ever learn? Maybe, but probably not. But if he gets kicked to the curb and banned from the NRL he's pretty much assured of either fucking up again and going to jail, or getting a rich deal from overseas, in either case he's not actually learned his lesson.

Forcing him to play in second grade, for minimum dollars tests out his character. I would bet that WB will make sure he is given every opportunity and support measure to improve as a man. If Lodge still pisses it away, then that'll be on him. If he stays clean and works hard, he deserves a shot.

Showing favour because it benefits us just teaches kids that life is unfair. If you work hard, and make good choices, you'll still be passed up in favour of a fuckwit who has more talent. In doing so, you'll be turning away all the good ones before they even have a chance. And showing all the parents who want what's best for their kids that League is genuinely a game for dumb, violent deadshits.

I for one would rather an old, slow Benji Marshall, who has shown that even those from Whakatane, the unemployment and crime capital of NZ, can still win premierships with hard work, and back themselves to win a spot in the world's best club even when that talent starts to fade. As opposed to Benji Barba, the marketing lie that proves that you can (allegedly) bash your partner, have it covered up, get million dollar contracts, and blow it all on drugs and who knows what else, and then still bitch and moan about getting a raw deal and being forced to go overseas in order to maintain a money-rich lifestyle, instead of actually facing the consequences of your actions.

 

[Jason Simmons]

My question to all is:

If the situation was different, and the Broncos were flush with experienced front row options, would we still be as forgiving of Lodge? Or is it simply a case of NEEDING a big body with skill?

Is the forgiveness and 'second chance' line being pushed because of our own agendas of wanting to see the team win? Because of our fixation with a big prop?

Personally, I feel as though he does deserve a shot, regardless of whether he is at our club or any other. He is a young guy who made a mistake, and has the right to redeem himself and rebuild.

That is my view as I said earlier, yes I feel we need a player that I feel he can be, but not at any cost.

However cynical I or we may be, giving people second chances has to be the way our society deals with problems. Place conditions on those chances by all means, but the alternative is we start building very, very large prisons and watch an endless downward spiral unfold.

If Lodge does what we all think he should. Receive the medical / psychological help he needs, works to make amends for his actions and improves himself as a person, that is the sort of role model the NRl should be looking to develop.

Not the cheesy redemption story, but providing a genuine pathway for people who need help and are prepared to work for it. Not all NRL stars are as gifted as each other. Many get there on pure hard work and graft. Someone like Cooper Cronk should be the pin-up boy for this. Not that he has ever got in any known trouble per se, but overcame any lack of talent or experience with sheer hard work, to make him into the player and from all apperances, person he is today.

If Lodge is will to do all that, he deserves his chance. If not, he deserves everything that will come his way and that won't include an NRL career.

Trying and failing is always better than never trying at all.

 

[pagey]

My question to all is:

If the situation was different, and the Broncos were flush with experienced front row options, would we still be as forgiving of Lodge? Or is it simply a case of NEEDING a big body with skill?

Is the forgiveness and 'second chance' line being pushed because of our own agendas of wanting to see the team win? Because of our fixation with a big prop?

Personally, I feel as though he does deserve a shot, regardless of whether he is at our club or any other. He is a young guy who made a mistake, and has the right to redeem himself and rebuild.

Not at all joe ! I don't care who he plays for , i would prefer one of our juniors get a shot . I just think he deserves another shot , he is only young.

 

[pagey]

If you want go forward Fai over Ofahengaue and TPJ over Arrow.

Did you see joes stats he made over 100m , he didn't do as bad as everyone thinks

 

[mitch222]

Did you see joes stats he made over 100m , he didn't do as bad as everyone thinks

The physical presence in the opening 20 of that trial was deafening. They were easily outmuscled by Sims and Co. Joe might have a future this year on the bench but he didn't impress anyone with starting on Sunday morning. Blairs and Korbin Sims simply must start to lay a platform

 

[Porthoz]

Are people seriously trying to say Blair is a great ball carrier?
He is undoubtedly very important to us, but his strengths lie in his defense, niggle and harassment of the opposition's halves, especially their kicker.