Broncos History Thread

[hayseed]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

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.

True, but Ashton was notorious for making at least one handling error per game, he was blamed because he was a mediocre player (still is) and a severe waste of the salary cap, that dropped ball summed up his whole season, hence the scorn from the fans.

 

[Nashy]

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.

She must have found all his grog and helped him drink it.

 

[Harry Sack]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

She must have found all his grog and helped him drink it.

Highly likely.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Shame you didn't include 2002, who can forget Andrew Gee kicking a 40/20, I think he also absolutely owned Andrew Johns in the same game or at least season? Though his probably best known for his infamous backwards play the ball....

 

[Big Pete]

Done.

 

[GCBRONCO]

2003 was such a fustrating year, so much to look forward to with the move back to lang park, couldn't win a game there and injuries aplenty cause the field was in pathetic condition. I remember me and my old man made sure to get frontrow tickets for the game against the Knights first game back, the only highlight in that game was making the courier mail photos.

One highlight of that season seeing Scott Minto jumping hurdles to score a try to win in extra time against the Storm.

 

[GCBRONCO]

That was also the season Bruno Cullen replaced Shane Edwards as CEO.

 

[Broncoman]

The highlight of Scott Minto's career from memory we had to come from behind to win that game and Bennett was jumping for joy on the sideline. Nice to see Corey Parker as a young man breaking a tackle and coming up with the match winning offload.

 

[Big Pete]

I've been touching on 2003 a bit in order to justify why 2004 was such a good year for the Broncos and arguably one of Bennett's best as a coach.

For my money, 2003 was the best year Darren Lockyer ever had at fullback, I'd almost go as far to say as a five eigth but then there was that one time where he lead his country, his state and his club to victory so...I don't know if I'd go that far but it was an impressive year none the less. What always struck me watching old games is that the gameplan simply seemed to be one out running for three tackles before going to Lockyer on the forth and play off the back of his magic. Time and time again Lockyer would come up with some amazing play that he had no right to do and it served us really well for our first fourteen games where we managed to jag eleven wins but we were exposed when he wasn't around and despite his best efforts, he couldn't carry our mentally weak side into the finals.

At the time, I could feel like the club was on the slide - Ikin and Carroll returned which was nice and we had some supposedly good but turned out kind of crappy hooker called Richard Swain at hooker and then a bunch of crappy wingers emerged which had me crying for the days of Dell, Tuqiri & Walker. We played a really ugly style of footy and if you thought the offence was bad last year, you really need to take a look at the Lockyer-less Broncos - good god...probably one of the worst teams I've seen.

Yet, there were plenty of highlights - largely emenating from the games where by rights we should have lost but found a way to win.

For example...

Round 2 v Souths - We were absolutely terrible that afternoon and Souths were the better team on the day, they just lacked the class. In the end, Gordie rakes the ball from Stringer's hands, finds Tate and we score one of the biggest get out of jail games I've ever seen. I honestly didn't know how to feel because that was Souths circa 03!

Round 14 v Canberra - Where Minto of all people was the hero snatching a pass from Raiders halfback Brad Drew to run the length of the field when Monaghan was carving him up all afternoon. To really appreciate this you have to remember that the Raiders were one of the form teams of the competition and we always struggled to beat them in Canberra.

Then of course was the golden point game which was a sensational effort in a game where the Storm were the better team, but we just managed to hold on and pull through right at the end. Sadly, Lockyer would suffer an injury and it basically derailed our season.

 

[Broncoman]

Man we must've been terrible beyond words if that Souths team had the better of us in that game. That Rabbitohs team is IMO far worse then what Parramatta are fielding these days.

 

[GCBRONCO]

What a moment in the Broncos history that was, I just couldn't comprehend a Broncos side without Allan Langer, he was the heart and soul of the Broncos for so long, other club legends would soon follow his departure that season and we saw the next generation of players introduced. At one stage we were destined for the spoon but the side rallied and put in one of the most superb efforts to make the finals in Broncos history, if not the best considering the circumstances, we may have got flogged against the Sharks in the first round of the finals, but I knew that given the hardships the side had to overcome this side had a lot of potential, 2000 proved that.

 

[Brent81]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

Shame you didn't include 2002, who can forget Andrew Gee kicking a 40/20, I think he also absolutely owned Andrew Johns in the same game or at least season? Though his probably best known for his infamous backwards play the ball....

I remember Gee Gee taking a 20 metre tap the wrong way and getting us penalised against the Roosters.

1998 is my favourite season.

My favourite moments:

- Brisbane flogging the Cowboys at ANZ

- Brisbane flogging Norths (after Taylor's comment that he wanted to play Brisbane after they had lost a game)

- Brisbane flogging the Roosters in the finals

- Darren Smith's club record equalling 23rd try in the Grand Final

- Tallis' try against St George

- and of course - the premiership

I miss how they used to play the "Let's Go Broncos" song after every try (which they don't do any more) and trying to work out whether Buck had done a Melbourne Cup of laps.

 

[Morkel]

Surely the 2013 season was saved by the Rally Towel innovation?

 

[Brent81]

Surely the 2013 season was saved by the Rally Towel innovation?

That's not funny.

Whoever came up with that idea should have been sacked immediately.

 

[Broncoman]

Re: Broncos circa 2004 - 2013

I remember Gee Gee taking a 20 metre tap the wrong way and getting us penalised against the Roosters.

1998 is my favourite season.

My favourite moments:

- Brisbane flogging the Cowboys at ANZ

- Brisbane flogging Norths (after Taylor's comment that he wanted to play Brisbane after they had lost a game)

- Brisbane flogging the Roosters in the finals

- Darren Smith's club record equalling 23rd try in the Grand Final

- Tallis' try against St George

- and of course - the premiership

I miss how they used to play the "Let's Go Broncos" song after every try (which they don't do any more) and trying to work out whether Buck had done a Melbourne Cup of laps.

How does the win against Newcastle rate? The ARL premiers v Super League premiers the Knights being talked up as the good guys (from what I've heard) finished equal first alongside us...but got beaten 26-6.

Back at QE2 buck used to do laps of the athletics track every time we scored. There was a game during the 1997 World Club Challenge against St Helen's where we won by 66-12 and vets thought we were being cruel to him by making him do so many laps.

 

[Brent81]

I don't remember the Newcastle game unfortunately. Remember beating them in 2000 when they people from NSW thought Newcastle were all that.

I remember the Norths one in 1998 because I was there. I've got one try that particularly remember when Norths let a bomb bounce.

I remember in 1997 we whacked 76 on Halifax, that was sweet and when we beat Wigan 34 - 0 on the coldest night ever at ANZ.

Oh in 1997 and when we beat Cronulla due to a Darren Smith try close to the end of the match in bucketing rain (puddles nearly up to your knee round ANZ - storm actually shook the eastern grandstand).

 

[Broncoman]

That Norths game was just days after Lockyers official Kangaroo debut where he had a shocker and Australa lost, he came back to the Broncos and came back and had a blinder.

Some might think differently but IMO the 1997 World Club Challenge was an absolute joke. Nobody attended it, almost every game was a flogging, the Europeans won just 8 games out of 60 pool matches, the organizers lost millions and the rules had to be changed to ensure winning teams played in the final. Even Adelaide and Hunter handed out floggings.

 

[Big Pete]

2005

​

In a lot of ways, this season reminds me what it must have been like to have been an active fan in 96. So dominant for the majority of the season, only to crumble when it matters. Looking back, I think the deciding game for the club was the Round 22 clash against St. George Illawarra - where we were thoroughly outplayed and Lockyer sustained an injury that would keep him out until the first week of the finals. From that point on, the Broncos were chasing their own tails as injuries kept seemingly stacking up and by the time everybody returned, they were all rusty and were exposed at home and on the road.

All I remember at that time was the eery feeling of deja vu - the finish to 05 reminded me of 04 how we came up against the form team of the competition in a huge Sunday afternoon blockbuster at Suncorp, were thoroughly outplayed and to rub salt into the wound lost Lockyer till the first week of the finals. We then had to face up against the Storm and were the weaker team on the night only to lose to a plucky team the next week - it was frustraing how predictible we were.

05 is a strange year to think back on because there were so many highlights for the first two/thirds but it all felt so worthless by the off-season. Looking back, I can appreciate them more and there's a fair bit to discuss.

- The two players that sum up our 05 season is Seymour and Bott. Both promising players who's futures looked bright but faded out as the season heated up and were virtually forgotten about after this season. Seymour in particular is a sad case - a lot of people talk about Tim Smith, but I'd dare say Seymour was just as talented and had more potential. However, as it turns out he had an interupted off-season never really got his head on for 06 where Bennett played him as a bench hooker and when he was given a shot heading into the finals he played poorly and eventually got himself trouble off the field and had his contract torn up.

- We were a much more enjoyable team to watch than in 06 - we played some really good expansive footy but had a ton of weaknesses which the Storm exploited in that horrible 54-4 drubbing in Melbourne. Still, performances against the Roosters, Eels, Sea Eagles etc. were damn good to watch.

- Hodgo went from the most dispised Bronco of all time to one of the form centres in the competition. It'd be another year until he'd really turn it on but he was one of those players moving forward that was promising. Thaiday was another player who improved.

- Smith's last hurrah was pretty damn good, he had a sweet combination on the right with Tate.

- Lockyer couldn't goal kick to save himself - yet the Broncos kept insisting to take the two.

- This was the year where the club really started to use the second man play a lot more and now it's pretty much every team's go-to play. I'd imagine Bennett saw how succesful it was in the 04 Tri Nations with Locky/Mini so decided to try it here with Locky/Hunt.

- Best match of the season was probably the Bulldogs clash at Suncorp - real topsy turvy clash where the Broncos steal it late thanks to a try to Karmichael Hunt, field goal by Lockyer and a cheeky try from McGuire right on full-time.