[2025 Trial] Broncos vs. Bears

[Big Del]

His Origin U19's game last year was absolutely horrendous... one of the worst games I've seen from a player.

If this is the first game you've seen of him and you didn't watch that game, then probably go watch that before starting to talk about the criticism.... he looked nowhere near first grade in that game and already had a Top 30 contract lined up.

He looks an absolute behemoth at the moment... will be hoping that Madge can teach him some footy IQ, because if he can then it would mean he can teach anyone and we'd have an absolute specimen to throw on the wing

Footy IQ ? like be at the spot when the ball drops from a kick ?
Or position yourself and time your run on the end of a backline move ?

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Really good feeling after that trial. Attitude and defence, seemed organised and never panicked. Some players were dissapointing, but no one had a shocker (madden did a try saving tackle, defended and kicked ok. And hoeter made some good red zone runs). Most played well.

On players I'm thinking the below:

Stocks rose:
Koellner, BTK, bryce, leota, philitoga, Allen, vaihu, west, semu,

Stocks held:
Smoothy, karipani, rogers, L gale, seigwalt, innes, bukowski, eggerling, powell

Stocks dropped:
Madden, hoeter, jaiyden hunt

Wait and see (didnt show anything or live up to hype but too early):
Black, b Scott, Horne, sefu

 

[Big Del]

His Origin U19's game last year was absolutely horrendous... one of the worst games I've seen from a player.

If this is the first game you've seen of him and you didn't watch that game, then probably go watch that before starting to talk about the criticism.... he looked nowhere near first grade in that game and already had a Top 30 contract lined up.

He looks an absolute behemoth at the moment... will be hoping that Madge can teach him some footy IQ, because if he can then it would mean he can teach anyone and we'd have an absolute specimen to throw on the wing

I remember Darren Lockyear having a shocker for Australia one night too .

 

[1910]

His Origin U19's game last year was absolutely horrendous... one of the worst games I've seen from a player.

If this is the first game you've seen of him and you didn't watch that game, then probably go watch that before starting to talk about the criticism.... he looked nowhere near first grade in that game and already had a Top 30 contract lined up.

He looks an absolute behemoth at the moment... will be hoping that Madge can teach him some footy IQ, because if he can then it would mean he can teach anyone and we'd have an absolute specimen to throw on the wing

I agree his footy IQ development has been slow, but it has to be remembered he went to IGS and didn't play league again until he was 16.

Involvement was always my issue with him, he just didn't read the situation at all he just stayed out on the sideline and hoped the ball came to him.

From 16 to now he's played 20 Meninga games, Nine Colts games, two Qld U19, 1 City game and 10 cup games.

That's 42 games of league- that's not a lot and is about 10 a year all different coaches and different competitions. He's never played a full season in one position with one coach which I always think would have slowed him down a bit.

I'd love to see the result of 20 Cup games under Hunt, Hodges and Lote.

 

[1910]

More Koellner in the rest of the trials please. Done himself a lot of good today

He's the type of player that is good value around the place even if he doesn't ever play; gives good perspective. He's one of those guys that has played local Gold Coast league, he's 28 this year and managed 37 Cup games across two clubs in his career.

Last year was his last chance and he had a good Cup year and has done his best at the Broncos- second best 3.7km run time and was good yesterday.

No idea what Burt has done to turn it around, but he's played 35 of his 37 Cup games under him in the last two years, made a Grand Final and scored two tries in a prelim off the bench. The Bears were right to put his name up to do the pre-season it was a good call and reward.

 

[Sproj]

I remember Darren Lockyear having a shocker for Australia one night too .

People aren’t just pulling this view about Leota out of their butts. It isn’t just the origin. Every televised game he played even in Cup he looked awful. Was caught running offside 20m in front of the kicker, dropped the ball almost every time he ran and couldn’t tackle to save himself.

He’s young though so has time to improve and it is obvious that physically, he’s extremely gifted. Until now though, football wise, he hasn’t just been bad for one game, he’s been embarrassing in multiple ones.

That said, his last game I saw in Cup last year showed some improvement finally, though still with the problematic lack of awareness. If Maguire can figure out how to teach him in that aspect and he can improve his focus, well the talent is obvious.

 

[1910]

I re-watched the 1st half of the game thinking "maybe koellner wasn't that good, just a big body"... and no, he was good. But what was impressed me on the re-watch wasn't the runs or defence, it was that he was an option/decoy/run on EVERY single run past our 40 metre line. It was an incredible show of fitness from such a big body after his 1st nrl preseason. Genuine option if he plays like that again in the next trial, even moreso bcos I read he is actually a 2nd rower too. But let's be honest, it's a whole different ball game up against the nrl boys so he could come crashing back down the pecking order.

He's not a second rower. Played front row all 37 Cup games for Bears and Tweed.

He's come off the bench more than anything else, 20/37 Cup games have been bench.