POST GAME 2023 NRL Grand Final - Penrith vs Brisbane

[Bish]

Woke up feeling like I got punched in the face, Wanted to go see the boys leave Sydney but didn’t have the heart to do it. Hope the supporters come out in Brissy today. I know the boys will be heartbroken and most of them being so young it will be a tough pill to swallow but hopefully seeing the support today will help

Anybody think Reynolds sub par game come down to himself being gassed? I know some are saying he looked and sounded nervous but jesus how many times did Fisher Harris and Sorenson pick him out and run straight at him. Targeted him all night. I can't remember Fisher Harris running so wide all the time. It was a great tactic. Made the most tackles by a half by far.

They were all gassed to be fair. But personally I think he carried that groin injury the whole game.

 

[Bish]

Had to turn 360 off when buzz was saying we made a mistake buying Reyno from Souths…..and that we shouldn’t extend him for another year because of the last 20 minutes last night.

Yeah he made a couple of bad decisions. But he took us from the gutter to 20 minutes from beating the greatest team of the modern era. I think we’re sweet with our purchase of one Adam Reynolds thanks Buzz.

What a stupid old git. Reynos leadership on and off the field has helped transform us. Dinosaurs are supposed to be extinct.

 

[Bish]

Ok that was an intense 24 hours, but the pain is subsiding a bit. For what it's worth, I thought we were the better team for 60 mins. We mostly absorbed their pressure in the first half, despite our errors. They were lucky to be leading, and you can you can see why they are the best in the comp. So good at building and maintaining pressure.
When we came out in the 2nd half and scored 3, it seemed like we were going to do what we had done all year and run away with it. I think that's what the team thought too and got complacent. Penrith gf experience came to the fore and a master-class by cleary steared them home. Luai going off was the worst thing to happen to us. They looked really lost in attack most of the time with him.
We will grow from this.
Last couple if things, it's great to see some positivity coming back on here after that devastation, we'll bounce back guys, we are a great club and we'll be banging on the door next year.
And lastly, couple of screen shots me and a broncos fan work mate and I had right when it counted. I think it captures the dreaded.moment well, lol.
View attachment 24593
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My first post match laugh…. I needed that. I had similar texts with my mate

 

[Fatboy]

Meh….. hate waking up and realising that was no nightmare.

 

[Mightybroncs2k17]

It's hit me pretty hard this morning. Got that sinking feeling in my stomach.

I think going back to work, no more footy this year, sun getting up early which means summer is coming has really made it sink in the season is done and makes it feel even more real.

The biggest hurt for me is not knowing when we get another shot at it. The second biggest hurt is knowing how bad those guys who went through the wooden spoon era with us deserve a flag.

Like most on here i think I'll take some time away from footy and try distract myself a Little and drop that sinking feeling in my stomach which reminds me of been dumped by my first girlfriend in highschool

The boys have been through a spoon and now a grand final loss. Lets hope they can battle their way to redemption.

 

[Morepudding]

Just watched highlights for the first time and **** me capewell was shit.

Capewell, Reynolds and Herbie all came up with vital errors this game. Staggs didn’t show up at all.

 

[upthehorse]

holy shit.

My emotions when sitting in the stands, watching Ezra absolutely run through the Penrith defence.. I cannot even describe it. From that point on I backed the boys to get the job done. I kept saying to my partner that if we play smart footy from here on, we win this. We could not let them have a sniff. That does not mean stop taking opportunities if they appear, but ensuring our 5th tackle options put us in a great position to control the game

Watching Penrith cross multiple times at my end of the field will remain in my head forever. The absolute worst part of it all is that it was ours to win. We had done the hard work in defence early, pushed back against their dominance and when we put the foot down, they could not keep up.

So many thing had to go right for Penrith in that last 20. Everything did go right for them.

I am still in so much pain. You don't miss a minute of a game all year to just fall short. The only thing that is going to help is time. I want to stay positive and think that we can get back there again, but there is just so much has to go right to ensure that happens. I will always back the boys and this club, till the day I die.

Try be kind to yourselves. All of these moments will make the victory even sweeter.

 

[winslow_wong]

Just watched highlights for the first time and **** me capewell was shit.

Capewell, Reynolds and Herbie all came up with vital errors this game. Staggs didn’t show up at all.

I thought Staggs was pretty good. Yeah Crichton scored a try on him but the cover defence should have been able to stop it.

 

[MrTickyMcG]

I really hoped that the feeling I had yesterday was just tiredness and a hangover.

But as I sit here are work with the same sunken feeling I know that not to be true.

I know it will get better, but it just hurts so much right now. Cannot imagine how the players and coaching staff are dealing with it.

 

[BroncsFan]

Not that it matters anymore but my wife sent me this from her FB feed:

“It was absolutely devastating and there were tears at fulltime last night, but I do want to point out one significant fact about the last 5-10 minutes of last night's Grand Final. Gale force winds picked up in that time and made it impossible for the Broncos to get the ball out of their end with those goal line drop-outs. If Reynolds had tried to kick long balls (which would have been the ideal play for the Broncos), the ball would have ended up in the grandstand to the left of where he was kicking. Even the short balls were ending up on the left sideline. Without that gale force wind picking up toward the end of the game, the Broncos would have won the Grand Final last night! THAT'S MY TEAM! ”.

Can someone who attended the game confirm this?

I recall a long kick from Reynolds in the second half that just held up massively... when I saw that I was getting worried, because it meant we couldn't even kick it long to ease some of the pressure.

 

[FACTHUNT]

I recall a long kick from Reynolds in the second half that just held up massively... when I saw that I was getting worried, because it meant we couldn't even kick it long to ease some of the pressure.

Yeah the wind was roaring behind Penrith

 

[Fatboy]

Yeah the wind was roaring behind Penrith

I remember the commentators saying something toward the end of the first half about the wind change coming through.

 

[winslow_wong]

I recall a long kick from Reynolds in the second half that just held up massively... when I saw that I was getting worried, because it meant we couldn't even kick it long to ease some of the pressure.

Maybe in hindsight, due to the wind, we could have went the 2015 way. Kick it low to the sideline more in the last 10-15 minutes. Would have given us more a break and slowed their momentum.

 

[1910]

Two periods cost the Broncos, the first half, five errors in the first 15 minutes, 43% of the ball they just did too much tackling and errors. It was a miracle that it was 8-6.

That's where Panthers won it, if that is even then they aren't full of running at the end.

That was a nervous football team, that first half and Penrith just stayed the course.
No errors.

I read during the week about how the Broncos have all played Origin and it's no different- it is different- it's a different mindset. Origin you're in camp away from everything and the QRL control the narrative. Grand Finals no hiding away it's all pressure and attention and even if a player doesn't acknowledge it, you'll play 22 Origins, you will get picked game two, game two happens no matter what- you might never play in another Grand Final.

Broncos 20 minutes was sensational, but it was a good 20 minutes in a game and that doesn't beat Penrith.

In the end Penrith played a great 60 minutes and Broncos played a great 20 minutes.

 

[1910]

Not that it matters anymore but my wife sent me this from her FB feed:

“It was absolutely devastating and there were tears at fulltime last night, but I do want to point out one significant fact about the last 5-10 minutes of last night's Grand Final. Gale force winds picked up in that time and made it impossible for the Broncos to get the ball out of their end with those goal line drop-outs. If Reynolds had tried to kick long balls (which would have been the ideal play for the Broncos), the ball would have ended up in the grandstand to the left of where he was kicking. Even the short balls were ending up on the left sideline. Without that gale force wind picking up toward the end of the game, the Broncos would have won the Grand Final last night! THAT'S MY TEAM! ”.

Can someone who attended the game confirm this?

Yep it was a like a Queensland storm but no storm, really hot all day then cool strong wind at the end.

There was a big container that blew across the field.

 

[BruiserMk1]

already in NBA mode myself

NFL mode for me, the 49ers win eased some of the pain.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Two periods cost the Broncos, the first half, five errors in the first 15 minutes, 43% of the ball they just did too much tackling and errors. It was a miracle that it was 8-6.

That's where Panthers won it, if that is even then they aren't full of running at the end.

That was a nervous football team, that first half and Penrith just stayed the course.
No errors.

I read during the week about how the Broncos have all played Origin and it's no different- it is different- it's a different mindset. Origin you're in camp away from everything and the QRL control the narrative. Grand Finals no hiding away it's all pressure and attention and even if a player doesn't acknowledge it, you'll play 22 Origins, you will get picked game two, game two happens no matter what- you might never play in another Grand Final.

Broncos 20 minutes was sensational, but it was a good 20 minutes in a game and that doesn't beat Penrith.

In the end Penrith played a great 60 minutes and Broncos played a great 20 minutes.

Exactly what I've been saying to people. I think Penrith aren't getting the wraps they deserve. People think we threw the game but there's no way there wasn't a comeback coming with a 37/38 set completion rate.

2015 was harder to take because we were the better team for large periods. This year we were the better team for 20 mins, that's it.

 

[1910]

Ezra was good again in MM yesterday, he's enjoyable to watch. Five tries in six games in MM this year and kicks goals.

Enjoyable indeed!

Four tries on Sunday would have been more joy. Joy or fun are still the best ways to describe him.

He's just fun.