Broncos History Thread

[Big Pete]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Seems like all of BHQ was at the same game. :laugh:

Like I was saying, going in, I was really deflated with the events of the past weekend and it seemed like every day some new news story was coming at - I felt deceived and while I wanted the Broncos to win, my heart wasn't in it as much as it should have been.

However, I was just impressed by the team's performance that night - they were on and really giving to Melbourne - but it was one of those games with so many 'what if' possibilities that it hurts to think on it. So many silly little errors, so many poor performances, not just from Sims but Moon & Clinton who never seem to rate a mention despite being so bad they were both hooked - and even Locky came up with a couple of crucial mistakes.

Still, what killed me was those last five minutes. Hannant had scored folks, we were going to the prelim to play a wounded Sharks outfit...but Slater in a beautiful piece of play had denied him. Of course, it was only a fortnight later the NRL decided to outlaw the move when it happened against a Sydney side...but you know...

Then they launch a counter-attack, Slater has the ball...this is the last roll of the dice, here comes the heart-break...but not tonight, no it's our night, Slater spills it, we're going to win.

I just remember in that last set it seemed like we weren't making any ground, but it didn't matter. 1...2....3.....now it's Sims run with the ball and he's trying to make as many metres as he can...and Manu hits him with a shoulder charge and spills the ball...from there they were always going to score.

Just wasn't our night that night, never had I felt so foolish and it was so difficult to really care about the rest of the season. And sadly, my next game at Suncorp wasn't kind either.

Then there was the sequal and the last time we beat Melbourne at Suncorp - watching Izzy take that bomb is probably one of my favourite memories at the venue - game was a little controversial given Gorrell knocked on from dummy half in the lead up to one of our tries but we were the better team on the night.

 

[Big Pete]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Yep, fair point. I just remember my feelings at the time about it, just because we were so used to success. You're also right about setting us up for the future, 2004 and 2005 seasons were instrumental in us having that focus at the back end of 2006 to go on and win.

Aye, I saw the 2003 fade out as a reality check for the club and in hindsight, 2004 was a welcome surprise.

2005 on the other hand, while it had it's share of positives (Hodges was one of the best buys all season, would have said best, but a bloke named Thurston happened to win the Dally M that year) seemed like a year in which we stammered.

I remember Seymour looked extremely promising, like way better than anything I've seen from say B. Hunt but it seemed like he lost form at the wrong end of the season and he never reached that level again. It's crazy, but there was honestly a time where Seymour and T. Smith were considered over JT for the Queensland halves role.

So many things just went wrong for us all around the same time - the most obvious example was the reality check a lot of our players received from the Blues.

 

[hayseed]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

That 08 semi final is the absolute worst moment in the clubs history, no contest.

A 15-14 loss to Norths in the first round of 94 playoffs ranks up there with that one.

 

[Porthoz]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Are people really talking about "that" game? Do I need to start dishing bans to everyone that reminds me of the hurt I felt that night at Suncorp?

 

[Morkel]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Okay, I guess everyone has had their say on that finals game. I guess I'll just add some notes about the season:

* To start with, even though the Broncos are supposed to challenge for the premiership every year, 2008 was definitely looking like a difficult year. More shards of the '06 GF team had departed. Berrigan, big Brad Thorn, both gone. But the biggest loss of all, and one that no one had really come to terms with, was the loss of Petero to the Panthers. In a bizarre swap, Joel Clinton, their 2003 premiership-winning prop came on board, as well as highly-regarded yet young and raw Ashton Sims. Their other major recruit, Peter Wallace, who had broken the Broncos' hearts the year before with a decisive drop goal, was seen as the team's Great Hope to fill the halfback spot, but that itself was offset by Lockyer's unknown return date from a career-threatening knee injury.

* The season started off as well as any fan could hope. Facing Petero, who had been instated as the Panthers' captain, in round 1 was the perfect start. The 48-12 victory was a Broncos' try-fest, making easy meat of the Panther's defence, with Corey Parker scoring 24 points himself, with a perfect 10 out of 10 conversions, and a try.

* Round 2 was very interesting for me, as with any new season you want to watch the new guys. Up against the Roosters, featuring Bulldogs defectors O'Meley & Mason, it was the perfect test for the new forwards. What stood out to me was Ashton Sims' brutality, especially in defence. While everyone loved watching Tunza tear the opposition in half with his textbook low/mid tackles, Sims was belting the Roosters' forwards chest to chest. While he was a bit loose in technique, as the game wore on it was telling - the much-fancied Roosters pack was noticeably wilting. This would be a common theme throughout the season, and despite it landing him in some trouble with penalties, I truly believe that we would not have gone as far if we didn't have his aggression.

* Round 12 vs the Eels showed that we still had a long way to come in terms of defence, with the Eels shredding us late in the game when we should have locked them out. But it also highlighted why the commentators put forward the suggestion that Darren Lockyer may well be The Football God.

* Fast forward to round 20, and I was really pumped for this game. The Sharks were having an awesome season, and were well in the mix for the premiership, built on the roughhousing of Bruise Brothers Bird & Gallen, and suffocating defence. It was a grinding, tense 80 minutes, but with the Broncos winning, it proved to me that they were in fact the real deal.

* The only thing I'll add to the comments on the final against the Storm is just how grubby they were. Thaiday was simultaneously chicken-winged and grappled by both Smiths in the one tackle, which should have had them both sent off for the rest of the game. In fact the only reason the Storm did end up losing a player (for 10 only though) was that they kept infringing, even after numerous warnings. Credit to them for holding out the Broncos in that 10 minutes (which was the most frustrating 10 minutes of the season TBH).

 

[vertigo]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

2009 is a bit of a forgotten year, main things I remember are:

• Folau signing out of nowhere
• Gorrell knock on that lead to winning try vs Melbourne
• Absolute pearler of a pass from Wallace to set up Michaels vs Warriors
• Master vs apprentice - Dragons 8th straight win against us
• Lockyers 300th - lightning strike cuts power to Newy's stadium
• Losing 7 out of 8 games over the Origin period culminating with the 56-0 loss to Canberra
• 7 game winning streak with wins over the Titans and Dragons in the finals
• 40-10 hammering vs Melbourne in the prelim

That prelim was a funny night at our mates place, we knew we were going to get belted so we got shitfaced and went berserk when we mustered up 10 points as it looked a lot better than 40 nil haha. I still maintain that having Wallace wouldn't have made much of a difference, look at the Storm's form in the lead up to the Grand Final:

Round 25: 38-4
Round 26: 30-0
Qual Final: 40-12
Prelim Final: 40-10

 

[pennywisealfie]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

True about Seymour! I remember some game against Canberra in the rain with all origin guys out and he really stood up and then never played that good ever again.

 

[Broncoman]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Back in 2004-05 were we laying plans on Seymour to become a permanent halfback?. I can remember him and when I think about him now he did have some good potential and I can remember him playing some very good games.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Back in 2004-05 were we laying plans on Seymour to become a permanent halfback?. I can remember him and when I think about him now he did have some good potential and I can remember him playing some very good games.

Definitely bro, we told Prince we didn't need him because we had Seymour, Berrick Barnes left for Rugby, probably mostly because he preferred Rugby, but it probably had a bit to do with Lockyer at 6 and Seymour at 7 who the Broncos seemed to see as the long term halfback.

 

[Alec]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

2009 is a bit of a forgotten year, main things I remember are:

• Folau signing out of nowhere
• Gorrell knock on that lead to winning try vs Melbourne
• Absolute pearler of a pass from Wallace to set up Michaels vs Warriors
• Master vs apprentice - Dragons 8th straight win against us
• Lockyers 300th - lightning strike cuts power to Newy's stadium
• Losing 7 out of 8 games over the Origin period culminating with the 56-0 loss to Canberra
• 7 game winning streak with wins over the Titans and Dragons in the finals
• 40-10 hammering vs Melbourne in the prelim

That prelim was a funny night at our mates place, we knew we were going to get belted so we got ****faced and went berserk when we mustered up 10 points as it looked a lot better than 40 nil haha. I still maintain that having Wallace wouldn't have made much of a difference, look at the Storm's form in the lead up to the Grand Final:

Round 25: 38-4
Round 26: 30-0
Qual Final: 40-12
Prelim Final: 40-10

The thing I remember the most about 2009 is Henjak promoting a truckload of rookies into FG. Yow Yeh, Winterstein, McCullough, Glenn, McGuire, Dale Copley, Gerrard Beale and Ben Hunt for a couple of games too. Half of them actually ended up playing most of the season. It was a pretty bold move, and while the inexperience probably didn't help when it came to some of the big losses we had that year, the experience helped once Griffin took over.

 

[Big Pete]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

How can you bring up 2009 and NOT talk about Michael De Vere?!

I remember when they announced his signing in November of 2008 and how a fair portion of Broncos fans had him slated for the starting wing position.

Wapau is another that needs more love.

 

[Dexter]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

2008 sucked. I still feel for Sims being blamed for that loss. In that situation with under 90 secs on the clock you take dummy half runs with slow play the balls and get to your kick. Make them come all the way back.

 

[Alec]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

2008 sucked. I still feel for Sims being blamed for that loss. In that situation with under 90 secs on the clock you take dummy half runs with slow play the balls and get to your kick. Make them come all the way back.

Almost everyone on the team dropped the ball at least once in that game. Sims was just the last. Lockyer, Hodges and Thaiday let the try in.

Sims gets singled out, but everyone is to blame.

 

[Harry Sack]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Definitely bro, we told Prince we didn't need him because we had Seymour, Berrick Barnes left for Rugby, probably mostly because he preferred Rugby, but it probably had a bit to do with Lockyer at 6 and Seymour at 7 who the Broncos seemed to see as the long term halfback.

His mother told me that the only reason they got rid of Brett was because he was better than Lockyer....but Lockyer was the media darling and the Broncos couldn't have someone playing better than Lockyer....I was speechless.

It's no wonder the guy's had the problems he's had tbh.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

His mother told me that the only reason they got rid of Brett was because he was better than Lockyer....but Lockyer was the media darling and the Broncos couldn't have someone playing better than Lockyer....I was speechless.

It's no wonder the guy's had the problems he's had tbh.

'
Yeah for sure man. He always seemed to believe the hype.

 

[Big Pete]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

The only element of Seymour's game which was better than Locky's was his short kicking game which was freakish. Kid was nearly Langer like and his ability to thread the needle and find his outside back was first class.

 

[Alec]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

The only element of Seymour's game which was better than Locky's was his short kicking game which was freakish. Kid was nearly Langer like and his ability to thread the needle and find his outside back was first class.

Funny thing is that's what makes Adam Reynolds' career nowdays.

 

[Big Pete]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Pretty much - Sherwin was another who basically made a career out of being the best at that particular facet.