Super Freak
International Captain
Forum Staff
- Jan 25, 2014
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WAYNE Bennett believes the Broncos have what it takes to snap a 21-year NRL hoodoo.
No team has won the NRL grand final from outside the top four since the Bulldogs beat Manly in 1995.
The Broncos are sixth on the ladder, two wins behind Canterbury, going into the clash against the Eels at Suncorp Stadium.
Brisbane halted their free fall down the ladder with a dour win over St George-Illawarra last week and must beat the resilient Eels to keep their faint top-four hopes alive.
Even if they beat Parramatta, Brisbane are at long odds to leapfrog the Bulldogs and Cowboys to finish in the top four and earn a double chance.
After winning seven of their opening eight games, the Broncos have lost eight of their past 12 to drop from first to sixth.
Seven-time premiership-winning coach Bennett believes a strong finish to the season is more important than ladder position.
“I’d rather have momentum than be in the top four,” he said. “If you’re in the top four and not playing well, it’s a big issue for you.
“Momentum is everything. If you are consistently playing well over a few weeks, that’s what you strive for as a coach.
“Where you finish after that doesn’t matter.’’
History shows it is possible to reach the final game of the season from outside the top four, but it is not easy to win it.
The Cowboys qualified for their first grand final in 2005 from fifth position but lost to the fourth-placed Tigers.
In 2010, the Roosters finished sixth and made it through to the decider before losing to Bennett’s Dragons, who were the minor premiers.
The Warriors finished the 2011 season in sixth and lost the grand final to Manly, who had finished second.
The Broncos’ last title in 2006, when they beat minor premiers Melbourne, followed a third-placed finish in the regular season.
The Cowboys finished third last year on the way to collecting the club’s first title and had to do it that hard way after losing to Brisbane in the first week of the finals.
“If you look at the Cowboys last year, they finished top four but they had to play four games straight to win the grand final and they aimed up in every one of those,” Bennett said.
“It’s doable. If you finish outside the top four, you still have to play four games straight.”
The difference with a top-four finish is a vital second chance, which the Cowboys used last year to beat Cronulla 39-0 and Melbourne 32-12 before toppling Brisbane 17-16 in the epic grand final.
No Cookies | The Courier Mail
No team has won the NRL grand final from outside the top four since the Bulldogs beat Manly in 1995.
The Broncos are sixth on the ladder, two wins behind Canterbury, going into the clash against the Eels at Suncorp Stadium.
Brisbane halted their free fall down the ladder with a dour win over St George-Illawarra last week and must beat the resilient Eels to keep their faint top-four hopes alive.
Even if they beat Parramatta, Brisbane are at long odds to leapfrog the Bulldogs and Cowboys to finish in the top four and earn a double chance.
After winning seven of their opening eight games, the Broncos have lost eight of their past 12 to drop from first to sixth.
Seven-time premiership-winning coach Bennett believes a strong finish to the season is more important than ladder position.
“I’d rather have momentum than be in the top four,” he said. “If you’re in the top four and not playing well, it’s a big issue for you.
“Momentum is everything. If you are consistently playing well over a few weeks, that’s what you strive for as a coach.
“Where you finish after that doesn’t matter.’’
History shows it is possible to reach the final game of the season from outside the top four, but it is not easy to win it.
The Cowboys qualified for their first grand final in 2005 from fifth position but lost to the fourth-placed Tigers.
In 2010, the Roosters finished sixth and made it through to the decider before losing to Bennett’s Dragons, who were the minor premiers.
The Warriors finished the 2011 season in sixth and lost the grand final to Manly, who had finished second.
The Broncos’ last title in 2006, when they beat minor premiers Melbourne, followed a third-placed finish in the regular season.
The Cowboys finished third last year on the way to collecting the club’s first title and had to do it that hard way after losing to Brisbane in the first week of the finals.
“If you look at the Cowboys last year, they finished top four but they had to play four games straight to win the grand final and they aimed up in every one of those,” Bennett said.
“It’s doable. If you finish outside the top four, you still have to play four games straight.”
The difference with a top-four finish is a vital second chance, which the Cowboys used last year to beat Cronulla 39-0 and Melbourne 32-12 before toppling Brisbane 17-16 in the epic grand final.
No Cookies | The Courier Mail
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