Broncos NYC 2014

[Brad Miers]

Does anybody have this weeks team

 

[Big Pete]

BRONCOS NYC TEAM
1 Jayden Nikorima
2 Tom Opacic
3 Jordan Drew
4 Jack Tuttle
5 Paul Byrnes
6 Duncan Paia’aua
7 Kodi Nikorima
8 Francis Molo
9 Jayden Berrell
10 Joe Ofahengaue
11 Ajuma Adams
12 Brett Greinke
13 Jai Arrow
Interchange
14 Brandon Lee
15 Aaron Rockley
16 Sam Gee
17 George Fai
Coach Craig Hodges

IN: Jayden Nikorima, Brett Greinke & George Fai

OUT: Elijah Alick, Brendan McBryde & Alex Barr

Out of interest, how has young Alick been performing? From all your reports, it just sounds like he's being out-performed by Opacic which is great from Tom, but I would have expected more of Alick given the wraps he's received.

Happy to see Fai's name in the side. He's definitely a player fans should remember as the mail on him is very positive. It seems like Hodges has placed a lot of faith in him given the rest of the bench is primarily made up of middle forwards. I suppose Ofahengaue can play wide if need be but coaches more often than not would prefer to have that cover.

It's going to be a good test for the boys. Dragons also go into the game undefeated and at home should be a handful. I haven't heard much and only seen a bit of them, but I believe players like Dufty, Hutchinson, McCrae & Bird are the real danger men for them.

 

[Splinter]

Alick has been very quiet the last two weeks. Not offering too much to the team, definitely outplayed by Opacic who puts in strongly every week

 

[Jeba]

How cool is the away jersey!!

 

[Splinter]

How cool is the away jersey!!

love it

 

[talanoa]

the boys should have stayed on the plane, getting totally outplayed by the dragon's

 

[1910]

Paia'Aua playing ISC this week.

 

[Big Pete]

BRONCOS NYC TEAM
1 Paul Byrnes
2 Elijah Alick
3 Jordan Drew
4 Jack Tuttle
5 Tom Opacic
6 Kodi Nikorima
7 Jayden Nikorima
8 Aaron Rockley
9 Jayden Berrell
10 Joe Ofahengaue
11 Ajuma Adams
12 Brett Greinke
13 Jai Arrow
Interchange
14 Brandon Lee
15 Alex Barr
16 Sam Gee
17 George Fai
Coach Craig Hodges

Molo & Paia'Aua promoted to QCup.

Paia'Aua to the Capras, Molo to the Devils.

 

[Splinter]

Interested to see the organising ability of the Nikorima brothers together. I have this notion in my head that it could be all about themselves

 

[Big Pete]

You were onto something Splinter.

Missed large chunks of the game, this is what I gathered...

First half
I arrived just as the boys were lining up for the second conversion. Then I believe we scored again off the next set or just a little while after that. It was actually pretty scrappy play. Kodi threw one hospital pass, then a nice pass to Ofahengaue and off the play the ball, Jayden just scurried over the line.

Parra had a chance to hit back but some very desperate defence on our line saved the day. I believe it may have been Drew or Opacic who came up with a pearler on Davis before the boys covered the offload.

To end the half, I believe we defused one of their cross-field kicks.

Anyways, went for a bit of a hike and came back with about 16 to play. Parra just scored on the fringes with the weight of possession to make it 24-18. Then they scored off the scrum after Byrnes dropped a Dockar-Clay bomb. I turned to my mate and said that number two is going to score, the Broncos were clearly out-numbered and he had a ton of space. So Matterson drifts out draws a few would be defenders and Goodall scores without a hand being touched on him.

Genius! 24-22.

Then it was like I was being treated to a preview of tonight's game. Brisbane had opportunity after opportunity to close the game out...but kept going themselves and turned it over. The Nikorimas were the worst offenders, dead-set would have a massive overlap and they would want to put some foot-work on and play touch football. The worst example was with about 10 to go and the Broncos had a two man overlap and Nikorima decided to put in a grubber kick right to the Parra player. It's lessons like these they'll need to learn.

Fortunately, Parra couldn't find an answer long enough and I thought a bunch of our players really pulled through when we needed them to. Drew came up with a great break which put us in nice attacking position, I believe it was Arrow (couldn't see a number) who made a nice surge that left a Parra player laying. That was sort of unfortunate, but the run was very timely, and that gave us opportunities we otherwise probably shouldn't have had.

Sadly, Parra could only be kept scoreless for so long and once again, Matterson drew a few in, went out to Goodall who made a nice break before linking back inside to Davis to score what was the match winner.

A tough lesson for the boys, but one they'll learn from.

Couple of other observations
- Adams is still a fairly handy player, lays on nice big hits and can make some good surges on the fringe.
- Byrnes was tested a lot and it's a shame he came up with that one bad blue because he was very safe from what I saw.
- Barr impressed me off the bench, couple of nice surges through the middle
- Alick appears to be too slow for the wing...
- I'm mixed on Berrell. He's a good competitive player and picks his runs nicely (most times, couple near the line which were very silly) but his passing game is very weird.

Wish I could provide a more comprehensive report, but sadly got a little sidetracked.

 

[1910]

Very average game, lose like that on the bell after last weeks effort was hard.

They just made too many very simple mistakes at crucial times, they could of closed that game out and hung on. Grienke was strong again. He does a lot of the work others won't.

 

[Splinter]

Grienke is much improved. Last year he was getting dominated but he has filled out a fair bit in the off season and it is showing in his game

 

[Big Pete]

BRONCOS NYC TEAM
1 Kodi Nikorima
2 Elijah Alick
3 Jordan Drew
4 Jack Tuttle
5 Tom Opacic
6 Jayden Nikorima
7 Will Brimson
8 Aaron Rockley
9 Jayden Berrell
10 Joe Ofahengaue
11 Ajuma Adams
12 Brett Greinke
13 Jai Arrow
Interchange
14 Brandon Lee
15 Alex Barr
16 Sam Gee
17 George Fai

Kodi to fullback, Brimson to debut in the halves.

 

[Foordy]

is it that Kodi isn't a good enough half to play there in the 20s ... and if he isn't good enough to play in the halves in the 20s, then he certainly isn't good enough to play in the halves in the NRL

 

[Bucking Beads]

Keen to see how this Brimson kid goes. I've heard good things about him.

 

[Rally Towel]

Molo & Paia'Aua playing in QCup again then?

Was hoping to catch them on a broadcast sometime, but Bears vs Cutters is the 9 game this week, I think?

 

[talanoa]

Brimson is the pick of all the young halves coming through. He is a better 6 than 7 though so hopefully he isnt type cast as a 7. Brilliant hands and vision, what this guy does posess is an ability to take the ball square to the line and create a hole. He isnt afraid to take a hit to put a team mate through a gap, something that is missing from the other halves in the 20's. He is still eligible for the mal meninga cup too.

 

[1910]

is it that Kodi isn't a good enough half to play there in the 20s ... and if he isn't good enough to play in the halves in the 20s, then he certainly isn't good enough to play in the halves in the NRL

Not up to it yet, which makes it funnier when people suggest he should be playing NRL.