Super Freak
International Captain
Forum Staff
- Jan 25, 2014
- 43,805
- 32,702
A DOGFIGHT in the driving rain has sparked an old school Broncos revolution.
New skipper Darius Boyd is leading the rebellion.
In a rugby league world that has stagnated over the last 20 years, Brisbane are out to revive the Entertainers tag and freewheeling football that saw them reign supreme throughout the ’90s.
Beaten to a soggy pulp by Canterbury’s colossal pack at ANZ Stadium, and sitting 2-3 after five torrid weeks of footy, Boyd made his most telling call to date since taking the captaincy.
“We had a chat through the week after that game about things we wanted to do and things we wanted to improve,” Boyd says.
“We were in a fair position, losing by only one or two points but we weren’t playing our best, or playing the way that we really wanted to play.
“There was a mantra to throw the ball around after we met with a few different people throughout the club.
“We came up with a strategy that works for us, it means throwing the ball around.
“That was more like the Broncos we want to be, and the team we know we are and know we can play that way.
“Personally, it was a moment where I learnt a bit about how to handle a team through those tougher periods and pushing a style that plays to your strengths rather than your weaknesses.”
Brisbane have been undefeated since their offensive overhaul but have only truly fired for roughly two hours of football in that period.
The Roosters were torched to the tune of 32 points, 11 line breaks and 52 tackle busts a week after the Bulldogs loss.
And a dreadful Panthers mob had 28 points and 29 tackle busts piled on in 40 minutes at Suncorp two weeks back.
Otherwise, the Broncos have scraped by in clumsy victories over the Titans and Rabbitohs, yet still averaged 28 points a game in the last month, almost double their 15.6 from the first five weeks.
A hamstring injury to Ben Hunt hasn’t helped and the sides they’ve beaten aren’t any you’d have batting for your life.
But if Boyd, Anthony Milford, James Roberts (also currently sidelined by a bung hamstring) and the like catch fire, it won’t matter the defence trying to douse them.
New assistant coach Jason Demetriou has taken charge of the attack, set on fixing a fatal flaw of defending second-half leads to the death.
It cost them a 2015 grand final win against North Queensland, after Wayne Bennett’s ‘small ball’ revamp — a mobile, tenacious forward pack able to scramble in defence, then outflank bigger opponents in attack — took them so far.
Boyd grew up watching Allan Langer, Kevin Walters, Steve Renouf and Wendell Sailor throw caution to the clock and the contest, netting five premierships in nine seasons.
His pack is a different beast to those champion Broncos forward contingents of yore but the skipper says the same approach is the best bet to end the club’s longest title drought.
“We’re trying to use the ball more because we’ve got skilful backs like Jimmy and Milf but also some skilful forwards too,” Boyd said.
“It’s about using our strengths, letting them play what they see rather than getting bogged down in structure.
“It was a realisation that this is how we play our best footy. Defence is always critical and will always keep us in the game, so it’s still a priority.
“But after that (Bulldogs game) our attack was a bit conservative for a while, so we’re backing ourselves and that’s how we play our best footy for the rest of the season.
“Structure doesn’t suit certain players, or certain set plays really don’t use a player’s best skills.
“I’d say our team has a lot of guys who play their best off the cuff.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...n/news-story/74b7e30222f1efb13014bb76ccee9b18
New skipper Darius Boyd is leading the rebellion.
In a rugby league world that has stagnated over the last 20 years, Brisbane are out to revive the Entertainers tag and freewheeling football that saw them reign supreme throughout the ’90s.
Beaten to a soggy pulp by Canterbury’s colossal pack at ANZ Stadium, and sitting 2-3 after five torrid weeks of footy, Boyd made his most telling call to date since taking the captaincy.
“We had a chat through the week after that game about things we wanted to do and things we wanted to improve,” Boyd says.
“We were in a fair position, losing by only one or two points but we weren’t playing our best, or playing the way that we really wanted to play.
“There was a mantra to throw the ball around after we met with a few different people throughout the club.
“We came up with a strategy that works for us, it means throwing the ball around.
“That was more like the Broncos we want to be, and the team we know we are and know we can play that way.
“Personally, it was a moment where I learnt a bit about how to handle a team through those tougher periods and pushing a style that plays to your strengths rather than your weaknesses.”
Brisbane have been undefeated since their offensive overhaul but have only truly fired for roughly two hours of football in that period.
The Roosters were torched to the tune of 32 points, 11 line breaks and 52 tackle busts a week after the Bulldogs loss.
And a dreadful Panthers mob had 28 points and 29 tackle busts piled on in 40 minutes at Suncorp two weeks back.
Otherwise, the Broncos have scraped by in clumsy victories over the Titans and Rabbitohs, yet still averaged 28 points a game in the last month, almost double their 15.6 from the first five weeks.
A hamstring injury to Ben Hunt hasn’t helped and the sides they’ve beaten aren’t any you’d have batting for your life.
But if Boyd, Anthony Milford, James Roberts (also currently sidelined by a bung hamstring) and the like catch fire, it won’t matter the defence trying to douse them.
New assistant coach Jason Demetriou has taken charge of the attack, set on fixing a fatal flaw of defending second-half leads to the death.
It cost them a 2015 grand final win against North Queensland, after Wayne Bennett’s ‘small ball’ revamp — a mobile, tenacious forward pack able to scramble in defence, then outflank bigger opponents in attack — took them so far.
Boyd grew up watching Allan Langer, Kevin Walters, Steve Renouf and Wendell Sailor throw caution to the clock and the contest, netting five premierships in nine seasons.
His pack is a different beast to those champion Broncos forward contingents of yore but the skipper says the same approach is the best bet to end the club’s longest title drought.
“We’re trying to use the ball more because we’ve got skilful backs like Jimmy and Milf but also some skilful forwards too,” Boyd said.
“It’s about using our strengths, letting them play what they see rather than getting bogged down in structure.
“It was a realisation that this is how we play our best footy. Defence is always critical and will always keep us in the game, so it’s still a priority.
“But after that (Bulldogs game) our attack was a bit conservative for a while, so we’re backing ourselves and that’s how we play our best footy for the rest of the season.
“Structure doesn’t suit certain players, or certain set plays really don’t use a player’s best skills.
“I’d say our team has a lot of guys who play their best off the cuff.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...n/news-story/74b7e30222f1efb13014bb76ccee9b18
