2023 Season review/reminiscing

[mrslong]

OK Lads I feel like a suitable enough amount of time has passed since “the bad thing happened” and I can start to think about what happened in 2023 without weeping and nashing of teeth, and which of those things sparked the most joy.

So I’ll start with my favourite Broncos things:

1.) Beating the Storm. I can’t remember such joy and satisfaction when we started piling the points on in the 2nd half. I had genuinely believed that we were never going to beat this team again. And to do it in our first final post wooden spoon to send us straight into the prelim was GLORIOUS!!!!

2.) Magic Round vs Manly. My favourite non finals games of footy. The festival atmosphere, famous footy stars taking photos with kids, everyone from every club just getting amongst it; and we absolutely belted Manly. again. How good was it!

3.) Patty’s try. I just loved it and him
So much. Words can’t explain.

4.) Ezra mams flick pass to reyno. It was the moment I realised we have a real player here.

5.) Reece Walsh: you guys, we no longer have to be the fans looking on watching other teams cheer for blokes like Mango, Slater and Benji - we have our own whiz kid and boy is it fun when he’s wearing your jersey!

6.) beating the bunnies. It was probably at this point when I realised maybe we were going to go far this year and we might not capitulate like 2022. Also, F the bunnies. Thanks Souths.

My favourite non bronco moments:

1.) The cowboys season capitulation. LOL! especially the part where they got beaten by then tigers by 60odd and I enjoyed every moment. Also enjoyable: South’s worst capitulation in NRL history.

2) the Tigers again, beating Panthers. Nathan Cleary didn’t know what happened.

3.) I didn’t love the rise of the Wahs like most people, but I did enjoy watching SJ and Tohu do well.

4.) Origin. I have a love/hate with origin, because I hate how it derails the NRL and Broncos season year after year, but there was a certain smugness to beating the *unbeatable* blues team back to back, and winning down a man coming from behind with 10 minutes was thoroughly enjoyable.

So, what is your thoughts on 2023 the year that should have been…….

 

[winslow_wong]

When Milford power grubbered into our in goal only for Staggs to field it cleanly to run the length of the field. Loved the city jersey that night and of course.. “Our f****** home!”

 

[Sproj]

The 20 minute periods of the Prelim and GF where we played the most beautiful league I’ve ever seen and turned it on.

Haas re-signing is up there too because I genuinely thought he was gone but he handled the whole thing really well and has arrived as the most frightening forward I’ve seen since JT2 was in his prime.

The Walsh-Mam show was a thing of beauty too.

But I think what I loved most, honestly, was Kevvie arriving as a coach. After everything he copped, to take this side to what really was a premiership if not for Cleary going GOAT level in the GF and us running out of puff, what an emergence and was therapeutic for the dark Seibold reign of terror.

 

[Rookie Alan]

To add:

Billy's rise - he might never ever be the level of Nathan Cleary, but he definitely made his old man proud of his season performance, and I really hope he's sort of late boomer and he can fill the short gap of our bucket

After watching Gordon crying on the show saying how hard it is for Kevin to raise Billy as a single dad, I really do hope this father- son bond can work and get us the final glory

 

[Mustafur]

We got well beyond what we thought of the start of the season with basically every player improving big time and some serious generational talents establishing themselves like Walsh and Mam especially, it's tough losing a grand final like that but when you look at our squad it would be odd if we don't atleast match or improve on what we have done this year, outside Reyno all our key players have room to improve big time.

Massive year for Walsh, Billy, Arthars, Riki, Piakura of what we have for next year and can only see improvement going forward.

and this is not including the very promising players we got coming through like Mozer and Te Kura.

 

[Nashy]

We beat the Dolphins twice and it made the media sad. Fuckem.

 

[Kimlo]

Crushing Melbourne was fun.
But still too soon to talk footy for me.

 

[Nashy]

Crushing Melbourne was fun.
But still too soon to talk footy for me.

London Broncos had a win.

 

[Sproj]

London Broncos had a win.

Nuts, I was waiting to watch the second half of the game and Toulon were up at half time. Thanks a lot for the spoilers.

 

[Renegade]

Honestly I loved the season despite the gf loss. It's the first since since 2015 we legitimately believed, both players and fans. Been a long time since I could get proper excited about us playing. Beating the storm 26-0 though, that was something else.

 

[Nashy]

Nuts, I was waiting to watch the second half of the game and Toulon were up at half time. Thanks a lot for the spoilers.

Sorry. Spoiler alert.

 

[Alec]

Beating the Panthers in round 1 gave some strong hope.
Seeing Walsh unleash.
Beating Melbourne comfortably in the finals.
Just making the Grand Final.

 

[Financeguy]

Beating Panthers round 1 building some credibility immediately after the disaster finish to 2022

Beating the Dolphins when they were getting hyped and it was still early enough in the season for us to falter and be questioned

Payne Haas re-signing...would have undone a lot of the good work building back up our brand if he jumped ship

Beating the Storm after what seemed like forever

 

[thenry]

Living in Cairns I hardly watch live games. However this year in a new job with ridiculous travel, it just happened I was around for a few games. I think I watched 4 live games, then the Storm final, Prelim and GF live. So, 7 games.

The only loss I saw live was the GF. And even that game has awesome memories!

First year since 2016 that I've felt confident Before and during games..

 

[MrTickyMcG]

First year since 2016 that I've felt confident Before and during games..

This point is so important; I still don't think I felt overly confident before many games, but there were so many times this year where I didn't have the overwhelming feeling of dread that we would **** it up, or I had the confidence that we would come back from a small deficit at the end of the game to win. It was nice to have that again.

I think next year I will have the confidence in the team to win most games before the game which will be a welcome change.

 

[Harry Sack]

It wasn't even just beating the Storm, it was how we did it. At no point was I genuinely concerned that we would lose that game and to keep them to 0...beautiful.

Beating the Bunnies with Reynolds scoring after all the bullshit in the media...JD saying that Ilias would be the best HB the club has ever had etc etc was just glorious as well.

We beat every team at least once and we made the GF while making a ton of errors. We went within a whisker of beating the best team over the last however many years, while making a ton of errors and them playing nearly perfect football. I guess what I'm getting at is, cut out those errors and it's crazy what this squad can achieve.

It was great not being the main story on 360 a couple of times a week.

 

[mrslong]

Crushing Melbourne was fun.
But still too soon to talk footy for me.

I’ve never watched anything from 2015. I still can’t. Some things we never get over.

 

[Santa]

Screw 2023.

When's next years draw coming out?