Some of you who are rewatching the game, are masochists.
I'll rewatch when I get the chance. It's still raw, and I'm gonna still be screaming at the TV those last 20 minutes. But I've put it into perspective.
If you had've told me at the start of the year we would be in the grand final, I'd have been over the fucking moon!! If you had've told me it was against Penrith, both teams basically full strength, I'd have almost written us off then and there. As much as it pains me to say it, that club is now the best team of the modern era, and naturally the benchmark of the entire comp at the moment - in large part due to the pathways and the way it's structured now - and like it or not, that's not going to change in a hurry. So if you told me we would go toe to toe with Penrith in the GF - while absolutely STOMPING the Storm along the finals path - I'd be cheering in the streets.
I was one of the more pessimistic posters here for a good chunk of the year. I almost expected us to drop out of the 8 even halfway through the season. But the boys weathered those rough games and the shitty draw and came out on top - NEARLY. We've been saying all year that when we put the foot down, no team in the comp can go with us. We just showed that even Penrith, despite how good they are, have
literally no answers to our best football. We went round for round in the first half, then absolutely fucking broke them in the space of 15-20 minutes after halftime (the try just before half time was also a big factor though IMO). We just dropped off for the last 20...and that's inexperience. The inexperience I'd wager 99% of us were at least a little concerned about, some of us more than others.
The best part? The drop-off can be countered through training and the guys maturing. All the things we did wrong in that game in hindsight - the bat-back off the dropout, defensive structure etc - that can all be fixed. The foot-to-the-floor that no other team in the competition has like we do?
That can't be coached. It's off-the-cuff, eyes-up footy based on pure talent and skill. Sure, we put some structure around when to hit the go button and I'm sure practice some of those plays. But that gear - no-one else has. We fix up the rest - which I think most of us would agree, they have been working on big time the past couple of years and seen massive improvement in that time - and we will be unstoppable.
We'll be like Penrith but
far more dangerous. We build the ability to grind with the best of them (we showed big improvement this year) and strangle the opposition, then fucking BAM - a couple of tries to put it to bed. Penrith grind better than anyone but their game is built on scoring from pure weight of possession in attacking position. No-one attacks from range better than we do and that's the difference, we can be grinding and not even be close but it doesn't stop us putting the foot down. We showed exactly that in the GF.
There is a hell of a lot to like about what this team are building. They have already shown their resilience over the past few years, especially how they responded to 2022 throughout this season. They have said all the right things and the actions have matched it. I have no doubt the brains trust are already plotting next year's assault and I'd bet some of the key players are too. This year just makes them even hungrier because they know now without a doubt, that a) those errors need to go, and b) if they put together 80 minutes there is not a team in the comp that is even
close. Nothing burns like missed opportunities...
We will see an evolved team again in 2024 and
I am fucking here for it!! Bring on 2024. The Broncos are fucking
back, baby!! It's going to be a long off-season...
