Auckland 9s - Brisbane vs Cronulla - LIVE Discussion

[Unbiased Nostalgia]

Biggest concern is how our biggest signing of 2015 performed. I can't believe this could turn out like Barba all over again.

 

[broncos4life]

Couldn't agree with you, I'm a fan of progress and something new and exciting should be respected. Any format of the game should be respected and last year was great, unfortunately old man Bennet doesn't like new school footy.

Judging by your assessment neither does bellamy or Hasler. Who gives a ****?

Progress? This isn't progress. This is a Mickey Mouse nothing comp. what matters is he comp that is still over a month away.

Yeah let's take most of our top squad, add to their already loaded schedule, run the risk of injury that will **** our season before it starts and at the same time don't take an opportunity to look at our juniors.

Yep, well down old man bennett, you fucked up again.

 

[broncos4life]

I think too much is being made is Milfords perceived 'bulkiness'. He doesn't look that much bigger and I can't see how it has affected him.

He is shit in defence... We all knew this before this game

 

[BroncosAlways]

I think too much is being made is Milfords perceived 'bulkiness'. He doesn't look that much bigger and I can't see how it has affected him.

He is shit in defence... We all knew this before this game

This. Lets wait and see how he goes in the first few rounds first. Some here even said how quick he looked when he made the break against the roosters off the forward pass.

 

[Morkel]

Milford's defensive issues are mostly to do with positioning. Technique needs to improve, definitely, but it was mostly about reading the play and getting himself in the best position to handle it, which he was poor at. This is his first season preparing for first grade as a half, he'll improve.

And we lost simply because we gifted them far too much possession. It's the 9s, gift possession and field position and Lockyer, Webcke and Tallis wouldnt be good enough to get us home.

 

[1910]

Oh glad I checked, so 2015 is over, pack them up and bring them home. I love extremes, rookie scores two tries he is the greatest ever and has to be there round 1. Rookie on first ever trip loses at the end of the long day, in a foriegn form of the game and we ship him to Russian Front and hate his useless fat guts.

Heap of kids you've never seen play before today and now you're all experts on their training and weight and exactly how their career will pan out. Or lack of career because they're all doomed.

 

[ningnangnong]

Oh glad I checked, so 2015 is over, pack them up and bring them home. I love extremes, rookie scores two tries he is the greatest ever and has to be there round 1. Rookie on first ever trip loses at the end of the long day, in a foriegn form of the game and we ship him to Russian Front and hate his useless fat guts.

Heap of kids you've never seen play before today and now you're all experts on their training and weight and exactly how their career will pan out. Or lack of career because they're all doomed.

I don't agree with what a lot of people are posting about today, but you need to take a step back and get down off that high horse of yours, mate.

Generalising the whole BHQ community once again. We all know you have some kind of inside access to what goes on at the Broncs, it doesn't give you any more right to have an opinion than every other member on here.

I have no idea why you stick around here if you continually make sly digs and basically think we're a bunch of plebs with no grasp of the game and how it operates.

Pull your fucking head in and stop treating everyone on here like they are a lower person than you.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Milford bulking up, another reason having him in the halves instead of fullback is disappointing.

Is he bulking up is he?

Pffft......miss a couple tackles in a touch football game. The end is near. :rolleyes:

 

[1910]

I don't agree with what a lot of people are posting about today, but you need to take a step back and get down off that high horse of yours, mate.

Generalising the whole BHQ community once again. We all know you have some kind of inside access to what goes on at the Broncs, it doesn't give you any more right to have an opinion than every other member on here.

I have no idea why you stick around here if you continually make sly digs and basically think we're a bunch of plebs with no grasp of the game and how it operates.

Pull your ****ing head in and stop treating everyone on here like they are a lower person than you.

Ridiculous emtotive response, I've just read a huge majority of posts talking about the doom of 2015 so I stand by my reaction. A fact you acknowledge and agree with but then say I can't say it.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Oh glad I checked, so 2015 is over, pack them up and bring them home. I love extremes, rookie scores two tries he is the greatest ever and has to be there round 1. Rookie on first ever trip loses at the end of the long day, in a foriegn form of the game and we ship him to Russian Front and hate his useless fat guts.

Heap of kids you've never seen play before today and now you're all experts on their training and weight and exactly how their career will pan out. Or lack of career because they're all doomed.

One of your best. >like<

 

[ningnangnong]

Ridiculous emtotive response, I've just read a huge majority of posts talking about the doom of 2015 so I stand by my reaction. A fact you acknowledge and agree with but then say I can't say it.

I'm more referring to your overall persona on here - you generalise BHQ as one entity and you as the other, always correct entity. You treat everyone with contempt.

I'm not bothered about your opinions, I enjoy reading everyone's opinions - it's the manner in which you express them.

 

[Big Pete]

Well, what a time to have a black-out. Don't know when it came back on precisely but now that it's here, I thought I'd take the opportunity to go through the game since I know how easy it is to cherry-pick moments and sweat all the other stuff that ends up being important.

Broncos Line-Up
3. Greg Eden
5. Lachlan Maranta
6. Anthony Milford
7. Darren Nicholls
8. James Gavet
9. Andrew McCullough (c)
11. Alex Glenn
14. Aaron Whitchurch
15. Tom Opacic

1. Kodi Nikorima
4. Joe Boyce
12. Joe Ofahengaue
16. Matt Parcell
18. Ajuma Adams

Right off the bat, got to give Valentine Holmes credit where it's due. Smart play off the kick of, using his speed to challenge McCullough and winning before summing up the situation to put Ayshford over on the left hand corner. Don't know if the Broncos could have done a whole lot there outside of Nicholls and Whitchurch shutting down Heighington who gave Holmes the opportunity with an offload. 6-0 Sharks.

Brisbane had a right of reply and were looking good through Eden. Greg flashing across, finding Whitchurch before scooping up the loose ball from Maranta to have the Sharks at sixes and sevens. Unfortunately the cut-out pass from Macca had a bit too much on it and caused Nicholls to pause a bit before handing it onto Gavet who just tried too hard to create something out of nothing and threw a dumb offload back to Nicholls who was well covered.

Next try from the Sharks was pretty soft but they shouldn't have had the ball to begin with. Graham threw a pass basically straight at Eden who had both hands on it before spilling it. Sharks with the extra tackles put Ayshford onto Milford and Tony wasn't good enough to make the tackle. Some worrying signs there in defence it must be said. 13-0 Sharks.

The next set from the Broncos was odd. Have no idea what was happening, but it was like Joe Ofahengaue decided he was Wally Lewis and convinced everyone else he wasn't. He took a nice offload from Boyce only to follow it up with a miss-timed hard pass to Milford that killed whatever chance there was on the right side. Then he tips the ball onto McCullough when he should have been looking to use his frame to draw the defence before offloading it before coming up with a bad knock on from dummy half.

Poor play and they punished him for it too as Graham found the Broncos short behind the line and sent Sauiluma over with a nice grubber. Was wondering why the back was so slow chasing for the ball, turns out it was a forward in Joe Boyce. A fair effort from the young fella to get back there but why didn't anybody else have the presence of mind? Guess it comes down to a lack of miscommunication and inexperience with this format. 17-0 Sharks.

Another short kick-off from the Sharks sees Nikorima link up with Eden down the left hand touchline to get the Broncos near the Sharks half. Unfortunately, Boyce's play the ball is sloppy and Parcell makes a meal of it. Few tackles later, Sharks spread the ball down their right hand fringe to Sauiluma who beats Milford, Opacic, Boyce, Parcell and Glenn as he swoops all the way back inside to the right and plays it through the hands, allowing Bird to score in the corner. 21-0 Sharks.

Siren goes off before Glenn can play the ball, taking us into HT.

Cronulla get first use of the footy in the second half where Todd Murphy plugs the ball down field, straight to Eden who gets the Broncos going on the front foot. Then off a nice dummy-half run from Parcell, Milford skips across field and picks up Glenn to get it down into Sharks territory. On the last, Nikorima fakes left before going right, puts a pin-point kick over to Maranta but Lachy steps out over the sideline with no one near him. Hate to pick on players but at this level, knowing how to position your body as a winger is crucial. Unfortunately, this play was a reminder of how poor Maranta is at that regard and even in this format he seems low on confidence, which is absolutely crucial.

Don't know how it happened but the Sharks make it to the Broncos 40m line in one tackle. Given who was actually in the tackle, it appears they just ran at Milford. Couple of plays later, the Sharks go through the hands and Beale puts Sauiluma away with a suspect pass to extend the lead. 27-0 Sharks

Brisbane returning the ball off the kick-off manage to make it inside the Sharks half where they receive a penalty when Wade Graham is caught off-side off a charge down. Unfortunately, Parcell spills it after taking the quick tap to completely squander the opportunity.

Then a messy period of play. Holmes spills it in the tackle deep inside his own half to give Brisbane another opportunity. However, Joe Ofahengaue cuts back on the inside, holds the ball in one hand and loses it when he's brought down on first tackle.

From there, Sharks spread it to prop Houma who makes a big break down field. They go right and Holmes draws in the winger to put Bird down the corner. Sharks 31-0

On the Broncos return set, there didn't seem to be a lot happening until Kodi Nikorima took it to the line, he picked up Adams who found McCullough in support who was brought down inside the Sharks half. On the last, Nikorima draws the defence before spreading it to Milford down the right. Tony passes onto hulking prop Gavet who sums up the situation by throwing a loose offload to Whitchurch who has nobody infront of him down the left hand touchline to finally put the Broncos on the board for a consolation try. 31-4 Sharks.

Then just to add insult to injury, Nicholls kicks the ball out on the full on the last. Sharks with one last opportunity but McCullough forces a knock on, Opacic puts in a wishful grubber that gives Cronulla one last shot but they're content to die with the ball, putting the game to bed.

Summary: Brisbane were completely out-classed here. Got to give Cronulla credit where it's due, the likes of Graham, Holmes and Sauiluma played very well and gave them the early ascedency. Obviously it wasn't a good afternoon for Brisbane, I thought Milford had a shocker and was the worst of the bunch but there was plenty of blame to go around. I think the Broncos Player of the Match is obvious, it has to be Kodi Nikorima who seemed to be the only likely one of the bunch and was just about the only player creating opportunities. Eden's play in the first half was promising but it was only one play and he wasn't good enough to take an intercept that proved costly for the Broncos.