2024 pre-season discussion: Pre-season Premiers

[Nashy]

Same with a repurposed fullback, namely Walsh. That's one position that's not broken, and only going to get better. We should leave it the **** alone. Same with our current 6.

At the risk (bring it on) of re-igniting another flame war, that's why 9 is going to be so important: we might have an undercooked 7 learning on the job who needs the direction. Despite all the adulation for Billy, I don't see him as that, and Mozer's testicles are still yet to drop.

Bennett really did **** a lot of future coaches with his little Locky shift back in the day. It was rarely achieved before, I don't think it's worked again since, but by god, coaches keep trying it, and some players think they're the next Lockyer.

 

[BroncsFan]

Well...I need to do a list. Is this a chance of going one better next year?

1. Walsh
2. Arthars
3. Staggs
4. Cobbo
5. Mariner
6. Mam
7. Reynolds
8. Baker/Willison/Jensen
9. Walters
10. Haas
11. Capewell
12. Riki
13. Carrigan

14. Smoothy/Mozer
15. Hetherington
16. Willison/Jensen/Baker
17. Piakura/Te Kura

Possibly... but our preseason is going to be royally fucked.

A bunch of our players will be playing internationals in a couple weeks time, then they'll be shipped off to Vegas to stroke Vlando's ego.

At some point they need their 6 weeks off or whatever it is... so when are we meant to actually do our preseason this year.

If the players dont keep themselves fit over the offseason then we could be coming into the season well underdone fitness wise

 

[Nashy]

Paix has played 44 games for us. Might explain why you recognize his surname.

Well yes I know that. But I meant, what has he shown in those 44 games (lol that's so many more than I realised before today) that he deserves to be mentioned in nearly every conversation about the Broncos future?

In 44 games he's not managed to prove something, but he's our saviour of the future? Can't see it, need to move on from Corey.

 

[winslow_wong]

Don't see us having much choice but to continue with him and blood a youngster: we won't be able to afford anyone who's top of their game.


I think that ship might've sailed. Plus, he won't be cheap.

Gotta keep monitoring walker though. He shows any sign of discontent at the roosters, you plant a seed.

 

[Sproj]

Can't get excited about any of these. Reynolds is a generational halfback whose only fault is his legs are getting old and for whatever reason, we don't often see his A game.

They will need to make some hard decisions on Madden, the sooner the better. Right now, he's looking like he might need to be cut loose, along with Paix. I reckon they're both first grade standard, but maybe not for us given our aspirations.

It speaks to a larger problem and that is that there are not many gun sevens around, hence why Cleary is so so valuable. He is on a level that no one else in his age group gets close to. Walker is the one that looks most likely and therefore the Roosters won't let him go. We are going to have to hope we get lucky or make do with someone not as good as Reynolds.

 

[McHunt]

Bennett really did **** a lot of future coaches with his little Locky shift back in the day. It was rarely achieved before, I don't think it's worked again since, but by god, coaches keep trying it, and some players think they're the next Lockyer.

History doesn't smile on this opinion, but I preferred Locky at fullback.

Well yes I know that. But I meant, what has he shown in those 44 games (lol that's so many more than I realised before today) that he deserves to be mentioned in nearly every conversation about the Broncos future?

In 44 games he's not managed to prove something, but he's our saviour of the future? Can't see it, need to move on from Corey.

I mention him because he's on our books and we're unlikely to ever give him another game. I don't particularly rate him but back when he was tag teaming with Billy, I thought he was the better of the two, if marginal. But what would I know?

 

[Nashy]

History doesn't smile on this opinion, but I preferred Locky at fullback.


I mention him because he's on our books and we're unlikely to ever give him another game. I don't particularly rate him but back when he was tag teaming with Billy, I thought he was the better of the two, if marginal. But what would I know?

I think we could have replaced Billy with anyone back then and we would say they were better.

Walters improved. Smoothey improved. Paix didn't.

 

[McHunt]

It speaks to a larger problem and that is that there are not many gun sevens around, hence why Cleary is so so valuable. He is on a level that no one else in his age group gets close to. Walker is the one that looks most likely and therefore the Roosters won't let him go. We are going to have to hope we get lucky or make do with someone not as good as Reynolds.

Cleary might've made Reynolds look second best in the two grand finals they faced each other, but that's not a massive slight. Reynolds probably has been the second best halfback in the NRL.

On the subject of Cleary, his namechecking Ezra straight after the match was a class act. They'll be the Australian halves one day.

 

[BroncsFan]

I guess this is as good a time as any to raise the question: do we still want to extend Reyno another year or two (2025-2026)?

I'm a little less gung-ho about it after tonight. This is the second time Cleary has got the better of him in a Grand Final, and unfortunately, time is more on Nathan's side.

Even if we do extend him, I think we'll need to have our succession plan in place towards the end of 2024.

Yes

 

[McHunt]

I think we could have replaced Billy with anyone back then and we would say they were better.

Walters improved. Smoothey improved. Paix didn't.

I don't think it matters. He's clearly out of favour, and we don't need his salary on our books.

 

[winslow_wong]

Cleary might've made Reynolds look second best in the two grand finals they faced each other, but that's not a massive slight. Reynolds probably has been the second best halfback in the NRL.

On the subject of Cleary, his namechecking Ezra straight after the match was a class act. They'll be the Australian halves one day.

A lot of the panthers players mentioned Ezra in their interviews and how much of a freak they thought he was. A lot of them are actually not bad guys, it’s the first time I really listened to yeo speak and Cleary for that matter too . It’s just Luai who fits the old saying of the weakest is always the loudest.

 

[McHunt]

A lot of the panthers players mentioned Ezra in their interviews and how much of a freak they thought he was. A lot of them are actually not bad guys, it’s the first time I really listened to yeo speak and Cleary for that matter too . It’s just Luai who fits the old saying of the weakest is always the loudest.

I can't believe how Ezra's flown in under everyone's radar until this week. He's been our MVP, week in, week out.

 

[BroncsFan]

It speaks to a larger problem and that is that there are not many gun sevens around, hence why Cleary is so so valuable. He is on a level that no one else in his age group gets close to. Walker is the one that looks most likely and therefore the Roosters won't let him go. We are going to have to hope we get lucky or make do with someone not as good as Reynolds.

Walker has no kicking game ... cant be considered in the same breath as Cleary at this point.

 

[Nashy]

I can't believe how Ezra's flown in under everyone's radar until this week. He's been our MVP, week in, week out.

He's still got some work to do on his decision making close to our try line.

 

[winslow_wong]

I can't believe how Ezra's flown in under everyone's radar until this week. He's been our MVP, week in, week out.

I didn’t like all the media attention that walsh got during the week but that also meant all eyes were on him. This allowed Ezra to cook.

 

[Sproj]

Walker has no kicking game ... cant be considered in the same breath as Cleary at this point.

Hence he isn't as highlighted in my comment about every other halfback coming through being levels below Cleary at present.

 

[LittleDavey]

I can't believe how Ezra's flown in under everyone's radar until this week. He's been our MVP, week in, week out.

You realise he won 5/8 of the year over the likes of Munster, yeah? That's not exactly flying under the radar.

He's an out-and-out gun. He may well be in the larger QLD squad next year. Walker / Ezra / Walsh / Grant you'd think are the next generation QLD spine.

 

[McHunt]

You realise he won 5/8 of the year over the likes of Munster, yeah? That's not exactly flying under the radar.

He's an out-and-out gun. He may well be in the larger QLD squad next year. Walker / Ezra / Walsh / Grant you'd think are the next generation QLD spine.

Yes, that's what I meant about "this week."