Finals Week 1 - Cowboys vs Broncos - Build Up Thread

[rnabokov]

lets face it we should of won that storm game and if we had any confidence at the time we would of beaten the dogs.

hopefully just getting the win does wonders and we go to townsville with a spring in our step that hasnt been there for over two months.

I'm sure that spring in the step will be there. The issue seems to be to have one or more players on field to keep it there so that when the going gets tough, we get going, and not fall to bits.

That for mine is the most important difference between this year and last - real leadership on the field

 

[Dexter]

Official side

1. Josh Hoffman
2. Gerard Beale
3. Jack Reed
4. Justin Hodges
5. Dale Copley
6. Corey Norman
7. Peter Wallace
8. Ben Hannant
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Petero Civoniceiva
11. Sam Thaiday (c)
12. Alex Glenn
13. Corey Parker

14. Ben Hunt
15. Josh McGuire
16. Ben Te'o
17. Matt Gillett

Am I missing something here.? We go in with a side and spine of 6,7,9,and 1 that have averaged 14 points over 8 weeks with a high score of 22 ( Against Eels who conceded an average of 28.5 in the same period ) and expect to come close to a team which has scored 27 on average over the same period and expect to come close.

I do wear rose coloured glasses when it comes to the Broncos but it's very hard this year.

I hope Griffin has something up his sleeve and we don't try and defend our way to win again.

 

[IBA]

I think the point is that this spine was in slump city and everyone is hoping they start playing like the start of the year where they average 25 odd points a game. No one is of the impression we have been great over the last couple of months, no one was has ever said that and certainly no one is saying "I hope they play like they have been over the last couple of months". It's the team that was getting the job done at the start of the season and as much as it has it's faults, big personnel shifts now seem pretty risky...

It's very easy to sit back and criticize coaching decisions but I'm sure if some people on here's 'hack and slash' teams every week got a run, we would be doing a lot worse. "Hoffman had some troubles, quick, Reed to fullback! Put Copley in the centers, Hoffman on the wing, Hunt at 7, Capewell at 6. etc" It's not going to help jumping around like this every week. They have some combinations (albeit not really firing) that they've been working on all year, and at least a fairly good defensive set up like this. We just have to hope they bring 80 minutes of attacking attitude.

 

[Bull Shark]

firstly appologies to the poster above, IBA .. I didn't intentionally 'dislike' your post, I've got my browser open only a minimal amount (@ work stealth mode) and thought I was hitting the 'post reply' button ..

Anyway, I'm kind of liking this thing the broncos are doing vis a vis talking up Thurston and Bowen deluxe .. strongly suspect its intentional .. and I hope they're listening to it all up north ..

 

[m1c]

Two things will decide our performance - how we start, and whether or not we give up back to back sets.

A good start and limiting the number of back to back sets the Cowboys have will see us win.

 

[Coxy]

I'd throw in success in converting pressure into points. Cowboys defence isn't great, but it's better than Penrith's and we had trouble cracking them (through wrong options mainly). Can't afford to have a lot of trips into the attacking zone and come away empty.

 

[Dexter]

I think the point is that this spine was in slump city and everyone is hoping they start playing like the start of the year where they average 25 odd points a game. No one is of the impression we have been great over the last couple of months, no one was has ever said that and certainly no one is saying "I hope they play like they have been over the last couple of months". It's the team that was getting the job done at the start of the season and as much as it has it's faults, big personnel shifts now seem pretty risky...

It's very easy to sit back and criticize coaching decisions but I'm sure if some people on here's 'hack and slash' teams every week got a run, we would be doing a lot worse. "Hoffman had some troubles, quick, Reed to fullback! Put Copley in the centers, Hoffman on the wing, Hunt at 7, Capewell at 6. etc" It's not going to help jumping around like this every week. They have some combinations (albeit not really firing) that they've been working on all year, and at least a fairly good defensive set up like this. We just have to hope they bring 80 minutes of attacking attitude.

I'd be happy with a little more attacking intent from outside 30 and I really want to see Wallace 2 off the ruck in side 30. Hardly wholesale changes.

I've given up on Hoff running any useful kind of second man play, he just doesn't get it. The main point is we won't defend our way to a win over the Cows and if we get beaten i just want to go down having a crack not repeating the same dreary attack or leave it until the last 15 and attempt to win with a couple of late miracle tries.

 

[Old Mate]

I'd be happy with a little more attacking intent from outside 30 and I really want to see Wallace 2 off the ruck in side 30. Hardly wholesale changes.

I've given up on Hoff running any useful kind of second man play, he just doesn't get it. The main point is we won't defend our way to a win over the Cows and if we get beaten i just want to go down having a crack not repeating the same dreary attack or leave it until the last 15 and attempt to win with a couple of late miracle tries.

Agree with everything you've said, Wallace needs to be putting on the last pass. After watching the highlights from last year against the warriors you can see how much more we had with Beale at the back.

 

[IBA]

I'd be happy with a little more attacking intent from outside 30 and I really want to see Wallace 2 off the ruck in side 30. Hardly wholesale changes.

I've given up on Hoff running any useful kind of second man play, he just doesn't get it. The main point is we won't defend our way to a win over the Cows and if we get beaten i just want to go down having a crack not repeating the same dreary attack or leave it until the last 15 and attempt to win with a couple of late miracle tries.

I'd certainly like a lot more in attack. No doubting that. It was more a comment on how people are continuously surprised with the team they name. You're 100% right about Hoffman, but I'm not surprised at all they're going back to the combination they had at the start of the year. Oh for a blistering freak of a fullback...

 

[Big Pete]

Too late in the season to change things up in key positions.

Only change you could really make is the shift we made against the Bulldogs & even that didn't result in any Ws. Think Hook is banking on momentum from the victory & hoping it may just give us the confidence we need up in Townsville. It could very well work because we match the Cowboys in plenty of departments. JT + Bowen can pose a big threat but the Broncos defended them extremely well back in Townsville a couple of months back, aside from form there is no reason they can't employ the same tactics. In fact, I hope Hook kept his notes from that game, because honestly it was only the fact we were missing Origin players that ensured we lost that game. Cows just got too many bites of the cherry or so to speak.

Honest to god question, has a team ever changed their spine during the finals and still won the premiership?

 

[Jeba]

Honest to god question, has a team ever changed their spine during the finals and still won the premiership?

The Broncos changed their spine at halftime in a prelim final in '06!!!

 

[Big Pete]

Of course but Hodges had practically been playing there for over a month before they swapped positions.

Plus, Hunt & he basically treated the position like dummy half really.

2012 Broncos aren't going to function that way.

 

[Son Edo]

Congratulations to Justin Hodges for winning Rugby League Week's Bronco player of the year.

 

[pennywisealfie]

I would have given it to Alex Glenn, But Hodgo would have been close, he has had a good season.

 

[Son Edo]

It's a good example of everyone having a different opinion. Hodgie also made the RLW's team of the year, centre paired with Jamie Lyon and he didn't even make the nominees for centre of the year at the dally m's last night.

 

[Kimlo]

Of course but Hodges had practically been playing there for over a month before they swapped positions.

Plus, Hunt & he basically treated the position like dummy half really.

2012 Broncos aren't going to function that way.

You asked a question, you can't then say it doesn't count because of this and that. It has happened and it has worked and it was us that made it work.

I would FAR prefer Beale at fullback. Be realistic, that's not a huge change by any stretch, it's Hoffman moving to the right and Beale moving in centre field. Hoffman has no combinations with our halves or hooker so it doesn't change anything really.

Anyway I hope we win and Hoffman plays the game of his life because we all know he can be a very good player. If he can return to form we're a much better chance of going far this year.

 

[jarro65]

Todays footage on Foxtel of Broncos training showed a lot of second man plays with Hoffman involved, as well as Wallace trying little kicks through the line.

Let's hope they try these things on Saturday night, and they work !!!

 

[Bucking Beads]

I'd love to see us offload the ball more. Our attack is going to be poor regardless of how good the likes of Wallace and Norman play. We need to throw it around more and create more opportunities.