Dave Donaghy interview

[Broncapz]

So no mention from him about my love letters then?

Keep playing coy, Dave, it’ll only make me want you more

At this point he needs an inbox dedicated to love letters, sorry.

Genuinely going to be a HUGE decade for the Broncos. Bring it on.

 

[WASSHHH]

It was hilarious, no one knew what he was talking about and neither did he.

Old guy?
No one knew what he was taking about?

Was it you @Huge

 

[Allo]

Old guy?
No one knew what he was taking about?

Was it you @Huge

Impossible.

Rhys Kennedy and his contract value wasn’t being discussed

 

[McHunt]

- Disappointed to lose Coates but the door is open to him to return in '24 and they hope he does

Yeah I think there's definitely a plan to bring him back

The Coates one makes me think Donuts has had some conversations with him already. 2 years down in Melbourne to develop and we take him back as a elite winger.

Coates isn't coming back. Or at least not as an elite winger. Here's why:

1. We don't buy elite wingers. We promote kids to that position, or we pick up bargains who are out of favour or in their twilight years. Like Mead and Pereira. Or we shift a player who's brimming with talent but doesn't click into the backline or fullback as we'd hoped, like maybe Herbie, Jamayne, Selwyn, Tesi etc. We produce tons of these players. We already have a logjam on the wings.

If we have money to spend, we don't spend it on the wing.

2. Coates is already an elite winger. But he has two flaws that rule him out as being the best winger in the league: he habitually gets found out in defence by being out of position; and he fumbles high balls. The first might be a bad habit he picked up at the Broncos that Bellamy will stamp out. I reckon you can pencil that in as done. The second is one Kevvie was starting to get across by having him leap and tap back. If he can't sort out his hands, he's out the door. But it's very likely those won't be such issues in two years. If that's the case, he should command big money. We're not paying him that.

3. So if Coates finds himself on the market, it'll either be because Melbourne can't afford to keep him or he's been earmarked as a lemon, like Croft. We won't be paying top dollar for him, and we should have the sense not to take another of their lemons.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Coates isn't coming back. Or at least not as an elite winger. Here's why:

1. We don't buy elite wingers. We promote kids to that position, or we pick up bargains who are out of favour or in their twilight years. Like Mead and Pereira. Or we shift a player who's brimming with talent but doesn't click into the backline or fullback as we'd hoped, like maybe Herbie, Jamayne, Selwyn, Tesi etc. We produce tons of these players. We already have a logjam on the wings.

If we have money to spend, we don't spend it on the wing.

2. Coates is already an elite winger. But he has two flaws that rule him out as being the best winger in the league: he habitually gets found out in defence by being out of position; and he fumbles high balls. The first might be a bad habit he picked up at the Broncos that Bellamy will stamp out. I reckon you can pencil that in as done. The second is one Kevvie was starting to get across by having him leap and tap back. If he can't sort out his hands, he's out the door. But it's very likely those won't be such issues in two years. If that's the case, he should command big money. We're not paying him that.

3. So if Coates finds himself on the market, it'll either be because Melbourne can't afford to keep him or he's been earmarked as a lemon, like Croft. We won't be paying top dollar for him, and we should have the sense not to take another of their lemons.

Agree with what you've said 100%, but Coates has another flaw that will see him never be the best winger in the game, despite the hype from casual fans and media.
For me, runs out of your red zone from your wingers are among the most important parts of a good winger in today's game. Has been since the sailor, tuqiri, MacDougall days I believe. He was getting better at it once he came back from being dropped, and he will add muscle as he gets a bit older, but he runs with a high chest to build his speed. So he either loses some speed (drops chest) or makes himself more of a target (keeps chest high), a sacrifice somewhere will mean his runs out of the red zone will never be "top level" like a to'o.

 

[Foordy]

It was hilarious, no one knew what he was talking about and neither did he.

maybe he knew more than us ... given what @1910 just revealed in the signings thread about us picking up Harrison Graham from Wynnum Manly

 

[Chewed]

Nice, Harrison's a tank. Hope Cruise Ten is next.

 

[Sproj]

maybe he knew more than us ... given what @1910 just revealed in the signings thread about us picking up Harrison Graham from Wynnum Manly

Indeed, maybe they weren't drunk ramblings but in fact he was from the future and got his times mixed up.

 

[Harry Sack]

Nice, Harrison's a tank. Hope Cruise Ten is next.

You just know a guy with a name like that is going to be a star.

 

[theshed]

Agree with what you've said 100%, but Coates has another flaw that will see him never be the best winger in the game, despite the hype from casual fans and media.
For me, runs out of your red zone from your wingers are among the most important parts of a good winger in today's game. Has been since the sailor, tuqiri, MacDougall days I believe. He was getting better at it once he came back from being dropped, and he will add muscle as he gets a bit older, but he runs with a high chest to build his speed. So he either loses some speed (drops chest) or makes himself more of a target (keeps chest high), a sacrifice somewhere will mean his runs out of the red zone will never be "top level" like a to'o.

Could just make him a centre then almost none of these flaws will matter, though others may likely appear.

Either way, I agree with @McHunt that he’s not coming back. He’s an emotional kid and leaving has obviously torn him but once he settles into Melbourne I don’t think he’ll look back. It’s actually very rare - and yes, I’m aware Hodges did it

 

[Scorchie]

Could just make him a centre then almost none of these flaws will matter, though others may likely appear.

Either way, I agree with @McHunt that he’s not coming back. He’s an emotional kid and leaving has obviously torn him but once he settles into Melbourne I don’t think he’ll look back. It’s actually very rare - and yes, I’m aware Hodges did it

Fairly confident we're || close to Melbourne falling apart. Surely if you'd sign a contract longer than 2 years if you 'believed' in the system. He's back on the market in what, 12 months?

 

[NSW stables]

Fairly confident we're || close to Melbourne falling apart. Surely if you'd sign a contract longer than 2 years if you 'believed' in the system. He's back on the market in what, 12 months?

They still seem to be able to blow teams away when the ball bounces their way (and this has been assisted by vlandy's ball), but they now seem to struggle in those grinding games which they used to thrive in.

If the game returned to how it should be played without all these fucking bullshit rules to make it a "spectacle", I think they would be coming down the ladder.

The nrl should really assess what is considered a spectacle. Most people's favourite games this year have been close, low scoring affairs that are very much focussed upon teams' defensive efforts.

 

[lynx000]

They still seem to be able to blow teams away when the ball bounces their way (and this has been assisted by vlandy's ball), but they now seem to struggle in those grinding games which they used to thrive in.

If the game returned to how it should be played without all these fucking bullshit rules to make it a "spectacle", I think they would be coming down the ladder.

The nrl should really assess what is considered a spectacle. Most people's favourite games this year have been close, low scoring affairs that are very much focussed upon teams' defensive efforts.

They won't do that though. Our Lord and savoiur's rule changes were motivated by the broadcasters who wanted I guess more action ie. tries and points and ball movement, rather than people with a genuine feel for the game.

They have gone too far in favouring attack over defence.

 

[Galah]

They still seem to be able to blow teams away when the ball bounces their way (and this has been assisted by vlandy's ball), but they now seem to struggle in those grinding games which they used to thrive in.

If the game returned to how it should be played without all these fucking bullshit rules to make it a "spectacle", I think they would be coming down the ladder.

The nrl should really assess what is considered a spectacle. Most people's favourite games this year have been close, low scoring affairs that are very much focussed upon teams' defensive efforts.

I’ve been on a rant about this before but 100% agree with you!

the most popular sport in the world (football) soccer, is the lowest scoring game around. It’s like these knumbskulls forgot that people watch nrl not just for scoring but for the whole range of skills on show for most plays. It’s like 20/20 cricket (I fucking hated it from the start) but people thought it was a cool, but now starting to realise that continuous 6’s is fucking boring and takes away from the fact a slog 6 out of no where or when one is needed to win a 50/50 match is what brings people to their feet.

more scoring doesn’t make a better product, enforcing the rules properly does. 10 fucking meter defensive lines and the wrestling. That means more refs not less. **** v’landys and his cronies.

I did it again, I drank too much coffee this morning.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Could just make him a centre then almost none of these flaws will matter, though others may likely appear.

Either way, I agree with @McHunt that he’s not coming back. He’s an emotional kid and leaving has obviously torn him but once he settles into Melbourne I don’t think he’ll look back. It’s actually very rare - and yes, I’m aware Hodges did it

Centres also need to defend, deal with/catch kicks and get important metres out of your end. His defensive reads would provide even greater opportunity for the opposition, it would be like a gift that keeps giving from there. May be able to hide it at the storm but I doubt it.

Also, he isn't a tackle buster, ball player or elite stepper. That's why he is a winger and not a centre on top of the above

 

[theshed]

Fairly confident we're || close to Melbourne falling apart. Surely if you'd sign a contract longer than 2 years if you 'believed' in the system. He's back on the market in what, 12 months?

Pretty big call about a team that just equaled the all time most wins in a row, won the minor prem and bowed out in a fairly close game a week before the GF against the team that they should’ve only played in the GF.

I think Penrith, Eels, Rabbitohs, Manly (basically the entire top 8 except the roosters) are at a far greater risk of falling off than the Storm are.

The big challenge will be how the club continues post Bellamy.

 

[Scorchie]

Pretty big call about a team that just equaled the all time most wins in a row, won the minor prem and bowed out in a fairly close game a week before the GF against the team that they should’ve only played in the GF.

I think Penrith, Eels, Rabbitohs, Manly (basically the entire top 8 except the roosters) are at a far greater risk of falling off than the Storm are.

The big challenge will be how the club continues post Bellamy.

Yup. That’s why I give them two years at most. It’s all over the day he steps aside

 

[theshed]

Yup. That’s why I give them two years at most. It’s all over the day he steps aside

I guess it depends what he steps aside into. If he stays heavily involved they might kick on.