Broncos v Cowboys build up thread

[Jeba]

Our forwards performed poorly last season, but on paper it is a fairly strong pack.

If we're including Thaiday in the front row (which I'd rather we didn't), then this is how it shapes up:

Props: Hannant, Thaiday, Tronc
Backrowers: Te'o, Gillett, Glenn, Parker

They're just the first choice forwards, we've also got a bit of depth with Anderson, Kenny, McGuire, Dodds, etc.

Could be a very damaging pack IMO. Also, unlike most other Broncos packs, this one has the ability to get away plenty of offloads, so hopefully we've been working on our support play in the off-season.

Best back row in the comp, hands down (if Thaiday plays back row). And if Tronc plays like he did in Redcliffe consistently, combined with Hannant's usual good form, you can see it definately has the potential to be the best pack in the comp.

 

[pennywisealfie]

I'm so fkn pumped already. THIS IS OUR YEAR!!

 

[Crazy Sam]

broncos by 30.

 

[Steve]

Beware the wounded cow. They're coming into this season with no real expectations and all the attention for this game seems to be on us. I think we are ripe for the picking.

Having said that our team is better than theirs so we should win. But wouldn't be surprised if they do us.

 

[Charmamba]

Beware the wounded cow. They're coming into this season with no real expectations and all the attention for this game seems to be on us. I think we are ripe for the picking.

Doesn't that happen every year?

 

[Bucking Beads]

I can see Ben Hunt taking over in the 7 this season, he just has more natural talent IMO.

 

[jarro65]

Cowboys will be very hard to roll first up.

A really good test for our young guys ..... can't wait for it icon_thumbs_u

 

[bent]

With Thaiday not getting any trial time, wouldnt it make sense for Thaiday to start from the bench for the first game if hes a little underdone. That way our rotation would be a lot more balanced. Then swap Tronc with Thaiday for game 2. I dont want to see Glenn and Gillett sitting on the bench together. Glenn has good punch as a benched second rower, Gillett is better as an 80 minute starter. Id like to see Thaiday stay in the front row to make this possible either that or trial swapping Gillett to the starting side and moving Teo to the bench as an impact forward.

 

[Raw Boned Youngster]

Gillett has that cutting edge.
He needs to shave a bit of weight off, but he deserves a start by a whisker.

 

[Jeba]

Gillett has that cutting edge.
He needs to shave a bit of weight off, but he deserves a start by a whisker.

Who over?

 

[Raw Boned Youngster]

Jeb,it is very forced, but 'Gillette' make razors and shaving stuff.
I thought that, with all the debate about who should or shouldn't be in the starting 13, I'd use some advertising logic.

 

[Jeba]

Man I could use a distraction.

Ladies and gentlemen Mr Conway Twitty....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJVCjnAolp8

 

[Black Philip]

Man I could use a distraction.

Ladies and gentlemen Mr Conway Twitty....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJVCjnAolp8

[icon_lol1. [icon_lol1. [icon_lol1. [icon_lol1. [icon_lol1.

 

[john1420]

Man I could use a distraction.

Ladies and gentlemen Mr Conway Twitty....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJVCjnAolp8

Well there goes 3 minutes of my life [eusa_doh

 

[john1420]

Man I could use a distraction.

Ladies and gentlemen Mr Conway Twitty....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJVCjnAolp8

Well there goes 3 minutes of my life [eusa_doh

What you actually watched the entire thing? [icon_lol1.

I kept waiting for it to get better [icon_non

 

[GCBRONCO]

Griffin to take punt on rookies

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011 ... ugbyleague

Anthony Griffin is set launch his NRL coaching career with a roll of the dice on two unknown rookies.

And one of them was not even in the club's original 25-man squad.

The pair are Dane Gagai, a 20-year-old winger whose father Ray is a rugby league legend in north Queensland, and 22-year-old Queensland Cup centre Jack Reed, who reminds some fans of former Cowboy Paul Bowman.

They are tipped to make their debuts against the Cowboys at Lang Park on Friday night in front of a crowd of more than 45,000.

With glamour centre Justin Hodges unable to train on Monday because of a niggling hamstring tear that will delay his NRL comeback after sitting out 2010, Reed and another youngster, Gerard Beale, will occupy the centres in the season opener.

Their inclusion will see the Broncos take the field with one of their youngest ever first match backlines in years - the average is just 23.

However, take veteran captain Darren Lockyer out of the equation and the average drops to 21.5 years.

Altogether, the Brisbane backline has played a total of 488 matches or an average of 71 games per man.

But without Lockyer (333 matches) and half-back Peter Wallace (85 matches), it drops to 14 matches per player.

Reed will be hoping to follow in the path blazed by another former Brisbane Norths discovery Matt Gillett, who burst onto the NRL scene last year in a rookie-of-the-year debut season, scoring 12 tries.

Former Queensland and Australian half-back Mark Murray, who tipped Gillett to shine in his first year, believes Reed is an NRL player in the making, but more as a back rower than centre.

"Jack's a different type of footballer to Gillett and I don't know that he could be rookie of the year in his first season," Murray said.

"We nominated him to do an off-season with Brisbane and I'm not surprised he is not coming back (to Norths).

"He's a NRL regular when he gets the time to prove it.

"Initially, I thought that might happen next year but with what he's done in the trials I won't be surprised if it happens this year.

"He can play centre at the moment but I think his right position in the NRL will back row."

Griffin's other selection issue is whether to play Sam Thaiday in the front row with Ben Hannant, although Shane Tronc could be preferred because of his size against the Cowboys.

Thaiday and Gillett would form a dangerous attacking second row, allowing Ben Te'o to deliver a knock-out punch off the bench.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, were forced to train on a hockey field on artificial grass on Monday after heavy rain bogged their training field.

Forward Gavin Cooper, who was not expected to be available until round two, has declared himself ready for the clash against the Broncos

 

[simmo77]

Ben Hannant out [icon_frown
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl ... 6017320751

 

[mrslong]

Hodges out too. [icon_non

Pretty terrible back line really.