PRE-GAME Finals week 3 - Storm vs Broncos

[Sproj]

There was also a time near the end where Penrith were about 20 out and he shot out of the line to try and shoulder check a forward who never got the ball and the play turned back in and Hunt I think had to cover the gap he left. I was ready to blow up deluxe if they scored.

I agree Blair's time is done here, with the inevitable signing of Lodge + Joe O & Tevita having larger roles come next year, Sims will be our kick pressure niggle merchant. I would've loved to have kept Herman too (especially because I could see us losing one or two more forwards after his mid-year decision) but I've said that too many times to count now

Don't rule out Tueali (or however you spell it). Him and Lodge are psychos but if we sign both of them, don't discount them going a lot of games, they will both have a point to prove.

 

[Number6]

1. Milford
2. Moga
3. Boyd
4. Roberts
5. Kahu
6. Marshall
7. KNik
8. Offa
9. Thaiday (14)
10. Blair
11. Glenn
12. Gillett
13. McGuire
14. Hunt (9 Jersey)
15. Mead
16. TPJ
17. ESE
18. Sua

Arrow and (especially) Oates were both concussed badly can't be serious about safety and play them.

I know a lot of changes but Boyd with a dodgy hammy at fullback, Milford a dodgy shoulder in frontline and Moga (while good this week) will get found out quickly against quality like a Melbourne.

To win we have to swing for the fences and hope it comes off. No point in playing it safe. This is the best attacking 17 available.

Realistically only change can hope for is Thaiday start for 20 mins at 9 to rest Hunt and start a young prop for more go forward early.

 

[BroncsFan]

So joe O came on for like 30 mins and charged for 100 metres. Can't see why he can't do this as a run on and then Blair can come on after 20 mins and do his tricky shit

I agree that Blair should come from the bench, but I would prefer ese to start.

Just don't want to break up joffa and TPJ off the bench, they really are a difference maker for us

 

[Danoz Direct]

1. Milford
2. Moga
3. Boyd
4. Roberts
5. Kahu
6. Marshall
7. KNik
8. Offa
9. Thaiday (14)
10. Blair
11. Glenn
12. Gillett
13. McGuire
14. Hunt (9 Jersey)
15. Mead
16. TPJ
17. ESE
18. Sua

Arrow and (especially) Oates were both concussed badly can't be serious about safety and play them.

I know a lot of changes but Boyd with a dodgy hammy at fullback, Milford a dodgy shoulder in frontline and Moga (while good this week) will get found out quickly against quality like a Melbourne.

To win we have to swing for the fences and hope it comes off. No point in playing it safe. This is the best attacking 17 available.

Realistically only change can hope for is Thaiday start for 20 mins at 9 to rest Hunt and start a young prop for more go forward early.

Mate hardly any of this is going to happen.

 

[Super Freak]

Put Milford at fullback and watch the defence go to shit.

 

[Danoz Direct]

Hunt HAS to start.

 

[Wolfie]

The only reason to put Moga to wing really if Corey is out would be for his size up against Vunivalu. I think defensively, last night was by far his best game for us. Melbourne will test out our left side defence a lot more then penrith though. Chambers, Cronk, Vunivalu and Kafusi are a lot better than Whare, Cleary, Zelezniak and Harawira-Naera. Milf, Moga, Glenn and Oates ( hopefully ) really need huge games.

 

[holdzy]

The only reason to put Moga to wing really if Corey is out would be for his size up against Vunivalu. I think defensively, last night was by far his best game for us. Melbourne will test out our left side defence a lot more then penrith though. Chambers, Cronk, Vunivalu and Kafusi are a lot better than Whare, Cleary, Zelezniak and Harawira-Naera. Milf, Moga, Glenn and Oates ( hopefully ) really need huge games.

Yep the aerial attack is going to be something else, Penrith offered a poor preparation for that.

 

[Big Pete]

I wouldn't normally have an issue with starting Hunt on the bench and waiting until the game opens up for him to come in and catch teams out around the ruck. However against the Storm Brisbane need a devil may care attitude and need to build an early lead if they're to beat Melbourne.

 

[Bucking Beads]

This will be a tough game to win. The Storm have been pretty awesome this year. I believe the Broncos need to attack, attack, attack in this one.

 

[1910]

Can we afford to keep starting Thaiday? Him and Blair together make a pretty goddamn shitty front row pairing. I know Blair does a lot of 1% stuff, but his 99% front rower stuff is mediocre at best. He still offers more than Thaiday though, who I think just needs to be a bench player from now on. Those first 20 minutes will be crucial, and we can't afford to get dominated right from the start and play catch up again.

The coaching idea is they're the better two defensive options. Broncos lose ground though.

 

[2ndPhase]

We need our best 9 for 80mins to be a chance. Hunt has shown he can handle 80 so he can start for mine. And I also think he can up his involvement in attack as he showed in his first couple of games coming off the bench at 9.

I think we have looked our best in attack in recent weeks on the back of his darts from dummy half. He draws the defence and compresses the opposition line giving us more space on the edge. The Oates try last night is an example. The fact that he is at hooker will force our attack to be more direct the more he plays his hand in attack.

 

[Danoz Direct]

The coaching idea is they're the better two defensive options. Broncos lose ground though.

The thing is though lately we have been getting scored on more when they have been on.

 

[2ndPhase]

I'm in two minds because it's the Storm, but I don't believe we should give away momentum by taking the 2 points if offered. We are so potent in the opposition 20 and I think we should go for tries. With our lack of long kicking game and the meters we give away in defence. I have lost count of how often we literally give the opposition the run of play the next set after we have taken a penalty goal. As BB said. I think we need a descent score to win this game.

 

[Morkel]

I hate the fact that our boys are starting to play dirty but it is the NRL's fault that they've let that rubbish slide for so long.

I've actually thought about it and I reckon refs let rubbish go all the time so that something illegal happens now in pretty much every tackle of the game and when they see a side behind and want to give piggy back penalties to let that team catch up, they know can start penalising because there will be a penalty available as they know it's been happening all game.

All part of the 'modern game management'.

This is exactly at the heart of my argument.

 

[Morkel]

We've made a lot of errors over the last 3 or so weeks, but if you have a look back there were so many times it was the last pass or a dropped ball on a very promising attacking raid. Oates' dropping it during his second break, Mead catching Marshall's mis-kicked bomb and dropping it when he came to the last defender. Milford's "forward" pass. We could easily have scored 3-4 more tries last night, same story vs the Roosters.

These things are often patchy. The Titans and Bulldogs were shitty opposition but the passes stuck and our hands were good. We're creating just as many opportunities lately but our hands are letting us down. Will the sine curve bend the other way against the Storm? If it does, we're in with a genuine chance.

 

[Super Freak]

Broncos boosted as Darius Boyd cleared to return against Melbourne Storm

September 16, 2017

THE Broncos have received a huge boost with Brisbane medicos giving Darius Boyd the green light for a fullback duel with Billy Slater in Friday night’s grand final qualifier against the Storm.

The cavalry is returning at the perfect time for the Broncos, who will welcome back inspirational skipper Boyd and boom forward Tevita Pangai Jr from hamstring injuries for the blockbuster showdown at AAMI Park.

It has been an agonising fortnight for Boyd and Pangai Jr, who have missed Brisbane’s first two finals games after suffering hamstring strains in the Broncos’ 20-10 defeat of the Cowboys in Townsville.

But classy custodian Boyd is ready to be unleashed on the Storm and Slater, the fullback rival who stole his Queensland jumper three months ago after the Maroons’ heavy loss in Origin I.

Broncos coach Wayne Bennett has taken a cautious approach with his champion fullback but Brisbane high-performance chief Jeremy Hickmans says Boyd has made a sufficient recovery.

“I expect Darius to play,” Hickmans said in the wake of Brisbane’s 13-6 sudden-death disposal of Penrith on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.

“Physically, his hamstring is fine, it’s now just a mental thing and whether Darius believes he is ready to go.

“He was really close to playing against Penrith, we got through that final session OK but Darius later told us he wasn’t 100 per cent comfortable.

“Ideally, we always like to get a hamstring injury right and then wait a week and we’ve done that.

“Darius will train the whole week. He should be fine. I would be very surprised if he doesn’t play.”

Boyd’s impending return is a major fillip for the Broncos.

While he is renowned for his peerless option-taking in three-on-two situations in attack, Boyd is also a brilliant communicator who helps organise Brisbane’s defensive shape.

Former Broncos skipper Darren Lockyer believes the presence of Boyd can help Brisbane orchestrate a Storm boilover.

Melbourne have won 19 of 23 clashes between the sides in the past 10 years, but of Brisbane’s four wins, three have, ironically, been on Melbourne’s turf.

“My gut feel is Darius will play,” said Lockyer, who played with Boyd in Brisbane’s most recent premiership win against the Storm in 2006.

“If there is any risk with Darius, it’s worth taking it. I believe he will be there this week.

“The doctors have been very smart in handling Darius. I felt the Broncos could beat Penrith at home without him but this week they will need all hands on deck to beat the Storm.

“With Darius back, I give the Broncos a real chance ... the Storm are beatable.”

Hickmans also confirmed the return of Pangai Jr, who will add some firepower to a Brisbane bench decimated by the loss of Corey Oates, Jai Arrow and Sam Thaiday to head knocks on Friday night.

Arrow and Thaiday will be available to face the Storm, but Hickmans says there is no guarantee with Oates, who suffered a sickening collision and must undergo a series of cognitive tests.

“Jai and Sam weren’t too bad, but Corey is the concern,” he said.

“Corey’s was not a good concussion. He has to get through some thorough medical checks this week but he doesn’t have a history of concussions so that’s in his favour.”

Hickmans insists he has no concerns over Boyd’s ability to sprint and cover ground in a high-octane 80-minute clash against the Storm.

“It was a small tear and it’s in an area on the hamstring that isn’t the most risky,” he said. “The tear is not on the biggest part of the hamstring so that’s a bonus for Darius.”

Source: Courier Mail

 

[Sproj]

Anyone know when and where the tickets for this go on sale? I really want to buy them ASAP.