Elimination Final - Cowboys vs Broncos - Pre-Match Discussion
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Donald
QCup Player
- Mar 25, 2013
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I think the best chance of beating the cowboys is this...
1. Hodges in attack / Hoffman in defence
2. Vidot
3. Copley
4. Hodges in defence / Hoffman in attack
5. Maranta
6. Barba
7. Hunt
8. Parker
9. Macca
10. McGuire
11. Glenn
12. Gillett
13. Thaiday
14. Granville
15. Kennedy
16. Hannant
17. Oates
Hoffman and Hodges switch in attack and defence. Granville comes on and runs amuck for 15mins late in each half. He would be more effective then Lowrie thats for sure.
1. Hodges in attack / Hoffman in defence
2. Vidot
3. Copley
4. Hodges in defence / Hoffman in attack
5. Maranta
6. Barba
7. Hunt
8. Parker
9. Macca
10. McGuire
11. Glenn
12. Gillett
13. Thaiday
14. Granville
15. Kennedy
16. Hannant
17. Oates
Hoffman and Hodges switch in attack and defence. Granville comes on and runs amuck for 15mins late in each half. He would be more effective then Lowrie thats for sure.
Defence will win it for the boys again. It kept us in the game against the Storm, and we were ultimately a bit unlucky (Fonoa try, Maranta early no try, different landscape).
Just got to hang in there and be patient, even if they skip away to a lead or dominate possession early.
I think the Cowboys aren't in the same heavy weight class as Souths and their power game which really troubles our forward pack. They play attacking footy, and so long as we stay with them and McGuire and Hannant and Thaiday make the metres for us up the middle, the points will come.
Starting to get a bit excited about this one. I think the boys will have a "nothing to lose" attitude, which they must capitalise on early.
0-18 early on, and the thoughts of "well, we made the finals, we over achieved", might start creeping in. OR they relish their second chance draw entry to the finals and give it everything they've got.
This is the exact type of scenario that we are bringing Bennett back into the fold for. Preparing the players for big games against the odds. Giving them some self-belief.
Just got to hang in there and be patient, even if they skip away to a lead or dominate possession early.
I think the Cowboys aren't in the same heavy weight class as Souths and their power game which really troubles our forward pack. They play attacking footy, and so long as we stay with them and McGuire and Hannant and Thaiday make the metres for us up the middle, the points will come.
Starting to get a bit excited about this one. I think the boys will have a "nothing to lose" attitude, which they must capitalise on early.
0-18 early on, and the thoughts of "well, we made the finals, we over achieved", might start creeping in. OR they relish their second chance draw entry to the finals and give it everything they've got.
This is the exact type of scenario that we are bringing Bennett back into the fold for. Preparing the players for big games against the odds. Giving them some self-belief.
That and everyone executing at 100%. We need to be perfect, and then some.
We are as good or better than the Cowboys, but we will need to be perfect to win.
jarro65
State of Origin Rep
- Jun 26, 2008
- 7,187
- 3,215
Yep, no silly penalties and turnovers.
We need to get even (or better) possession rates and we're a real chance.
I have no problems with our defence holding them out.
Yep cleared.
- Jan 25, 2013
- 25,617
- 29,896
Yep.
- Jan 25, 2014
- 44,175
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BRISBANE’S greatest halfback Allan Langer has severed his mentoring role with Ben Hunt, insisting the Dally M contender is now ready to handle a sudden-death finals showdown with Johnathan Thurston.
Thurston shapes as Brisbane’s bogeyman in the Townsville eliminator on Saturday night, but statistics show Hunt has outpointed the Cowboys maestro in several key categories this season.
And such is his maturation, Langer believes Hunt’s call-up for Origin II has equipped him to steer Brisbane through the finals without the help of Brisbane’s most decorated halfback.
Earlier this season, Hunt credited Langer’s tutoring for his metamorphosis from Brisbane bench player to chief shot-caller who has surged into the frame to win the Dally M Medal.
But Langer says Hunt no longer requires a helping hand, saying his week in Camp Maroon watching Thurston at close range has steeled him for the biggest test of his NRL career.
“I don’t work with him any more, he does his own thing now,” said Langer, the Maroons’ assistant coach who won four titles at the Broncos.
“Ben Hunt has had a wonderful year — he doesn’t need me to tell him what to do.
“This is a huge test for Ben but I believe it will bring the best out of him. Some guys don’t handle the finals occasion but I think Ben will.
“Watching him in Origin camp this year was a massive thing for his confidence. He didn’t play but he trained with the side all week and gained confidence being there learning from a guy like Thurston.
“He wasn’t overawed at all ... and he won’t be this time either.”
Hunt’s growth as a playmaker is illustrated by having entered the same statistical stratosphere as Thurston.
Hunt has twice as many line breaks as the Maroons ace (23 to 11) and broken 61 tackles to Thurston’s 36.
The Cowboys halfback has the edge in try assists (33 to 25), but Hunt is superior in errors (26 to 31) and creating second-phase (19 offloads to 15).
Thurston’s lethal show-and-go has made him the code’s No.1 playmaker and he is wary of Hunt’s willingness to test the line.
“He has been outstanding for them,” Thurston said.
“From hearing in the media one of the biggest things about his game was that he didn’t take the line on that much, but this year he has timed it and been picking it well.
“He seems to be running the ball now and testing the line and asking questions.”
Hunt’s rocketing reputation was further enhanced when he was announced as one of 10 finalists for the Provan-Summons Medal voted for by fans.
Hunt was short-listed alongside some of the biggest names in the NRL including Sam Burgess, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cooper Cronk, Jarryd Hayne, Greg Inglis, Shaun Johnson, Cameron Smith, Jamie Soward and Thurston.
“The biggest question of all was who was going to be the main playmaker? Who is the man in charge?” Broncos great Wally Lewis said.
“To be able to restore the confidence in the No.7 jersey, it was something that was an enormous challenge for Brisbane.
“The coach was quite confident he had the man in place Benny Hunt, Benny probably just had to realise how good he was.
“That is not an insult to Ben, he has displayed his quality a number of times and if anything he has probably surprised a lot of people that have watched the game even the Broncos supporters.
“He has opened the door and it’s now up to him to see how far he is going to go.
“It has been an enormous season for him.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...thurston-by-half/story-fn2mcuj6-1227053102357
Thurston shapes as Brisbane’s bogeyman in the Townsville eliminator on Saturday night, but statistics show Hunt has outpointed the Cowboys maestro in several key categories this season.
And such is his maturation, Langer believes Hunt’s call-up for Origin II has equipped him to steer Brisbane through the finals without the help of Brisbane’s most decorated halfback.
Earlier this season, Hunt credited Langer’s tutoring for his metamorphosis from Brisbane bench player to chief shot-caller who has surged into the frame to win the Dally M Medal.
But Langer says Hunt no longer requires a helping hand, saying his week in Camp Maroon watching Thurston at close range has steeled him for the biggest test of his NRL career.
“I don’t work with him any more, he does his own thing now,” said Langer, the Maroons’ assistant coach who won four titles at the Broncos.
“Ben Hunt has had a wonderful year — he doesn’t need me to tell him what to do.
“This is a huge test for Ben but I believe it will bring the best out of him. Some guys don’t handle the finals occasion but I think Ben will.
“Watching him in Origin camp this year was a massive thing for his confidence. He didn’t play but he trained with the side all week and gained confidence being there learning from a guy like Thurston.
“He wasn’t overawed at all ... and he won’t be this time either.”
Hunt’s growth as a playmaker is illustrated by having entered the same statistical stratosphere as Thurston.
Hunt has twice as many line breaks as the Maroons ace (23 to 11) and broken 61 tackles to Thurston’s 36.
The Cowboys halfback has the edge in try assists (33 to 25), but Hunt is superior in errors (26 to 31) and creating second-phase (19 offloads to 15).
Thurston’s lethal show-and-go has made him the code’s No.1 playmaker and he is wary of Hunt’s willingness to test the line.
“He has been outstanding for them,” Thurston said.
“From hearing in the media one of the biggest things about his game was that he didn’t take the line on that much, but this year he has timed it and been picking it well.
“He seems to be running the ball now and testing the line and asking questions.”
Hunt’s rocketing reputation was further enhanced when he was announced as one of 10 finalists for the Provan-Summons Medal voted for by fans.
Hunt was short-listed alongside some of the biggest names in the NRL including Sam Burgess, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cooper Cronk, Jarryd Hayne, Greg Inglis, Shaun Johnson, Cameron Smith, Jamie Soward and Thurston.
“The biggest question of all was who was going to be the main playmaker? Who is the man in charge?” Broncos great Wally Lewis said.
“To be able to restore the confidence in the No.7 jersey, it was something that was an enormous challenge for Brisbane.
“The coach was quite confident he had the man in place Benny Hunt, Benny probably just had to realise how good he was.
“That is not an insult to Ben, he has displayed his quality a number of times and if anything he has probably surprised a lot of people that have watched the game even the Broncos supporters.
“He has opened the door and it’s now up to him to see how far he is going to go.
“It has been an enormous season for him.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...thurston-by-half/story-fn2mcuj6-1227053102357
Last edited:
- Mar 4, 2008
- 34,778
- 41,477
Not cleared exactly ... He took the early guilty plea and is free to play
- Jan 25, 2013
- 25,617
- 29,896
Interesting article. It's worded as a positive, "he no longer needs Langer's help", but I would think any student of the game would benefit from the guidance of a legend of that position for a lot longer than one season. I hope there's not any negative reason as to why they no longer work together.
I bleed Maroon
International Rep
- Apr 17, 2013
- 15,874
- 20,720
I doubt that. I'm sure a lot of Hunt's performances this year, we have Alfie to thank for.
- Apr 9, 2012
- 12,617
- 14,356
I'm sure it was an amicable split and done with Hunt's best interests at heart ....but
on the eve of the semi fucken finals?
Seriously .....?
Surely continued guidance throughout the finals (how ever long that may be) would have been the wiser move.
noisetheory
NRL Captain
- Mar 31, 2008
- 4,084
- 1,079
timing of the article is a bit odd, but to me it sounds like langer hasnt been working closely with him since origin.
open training session at red hill 9am friday morning if anyones interested the broncos want to get as many fans down there as possible.
open training session at red hill 9am friday morning if anyones interested the broncos want to get as many fans down there as possible.
I bleed Maroon
International Rep
- Apr 17, 2013
- 15,874
- 20,720
Just saw on Nine News that Hoffman is back training with intent to play saturday night.
Slot straight into the centres? Oates back to bench, Lowrie drops off.
Slot straight into the centres? Oates back to bench, Lowrie drops off.
That's not what happened or what the news said, he trained for a few minutes then went back for treatment.
Danoz Direct
NRL Captain
- Oct 12, 2013
- 3,800
- 1,285
Even Reed trained.
noisetheory
NRL Captain
- Mar 31, 2008
- 4,084
- 1,079
gillett was definitely running in the opposed session from the video i saw on abc.
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