How this season compares

[rnabokov]

What team in the NRL has the luxury of putting their best team on the field for weeks on end? That rarely happens due to the physicality of the sport. Good sides are able to cover their losses and not have to rely on no hopers such as Arthars and Hopoate to try and fill a spot.

I hate to say it but even the best 17 in this squad is still not much of a lineup. They might make up the numbers come playoff time (like last year) but would pose no threat to the title. They are young like you say but this is the team that Seibs has assembled and he was the one touted as the man that will take that extra step to the promised land as opposed to Bennettball.

And who knows, maybe in 3-4 years time if this team sticks together, they could be a force. But again, this is RL, how many teams keep all the players that they desire? It never happens especially if you are getting your ass kicked every week and feeling the relentless pressure imposed on the club by the media and fans alike.

Seibs has big job getting this team out of the giant hole that he has dug. Personally, I think he is in way over his head here and this little Bronco stint is going to ruin his future coaching prospects.

Well, it seems to me that the top sides - Roosters, Eels, Storm, Panthers, Manly and to a lesser extent, Raiders, have had close to their best sides on the field, particularly their settled and experienced spines, and they have competent captains. Our spine is anything but that, and our leadership on the field has been a problem.

Our FB is for mine a caretaker at best. He's a winger with defensive issues and unrealistic hopes and dreams of being the FB we need. Not a lot of people seem to agree about that, but I will give him time. If you look at the performances of the top sides, you can see what Tedesco, TurboT, Papps and Gutherson contribute to their successes. It will be interesting see how Manly go without Turbo and Walker.

The recent performances of our halves are I agree a serious issue despite the reasonable argument that they are getting little help from disorganised albeit young and inexperienced forwards, and less than effective individual performances from experienced players like Lodge and Offa, + the slack discipline of a young Flegler. Still, our halves need a rocket up them, especially Milford. Having said that, this is Croft's first year with us, and so he needs to be a cut a little slack

We haven't had a hooker since Turps broke his leg save for Luke's first game with the side last week. Not much time to adjust there either.

We are without our 1st choice FB and hooker, and we all know the injury toll and (now more) suspensions to our best players.

These are not excuses, they are legit reasons for problems in having a disciplined and organised team.

As I posted elsewhere, we have an absolute wealth of talent in this team, and we have to get them all on the park to see if indeed Seibs is capable of building a great team. I'm giving him till later in the season to see if this starts to happen. Until then, I will watch with interest, and also note how the shit referees find ways to cripple us with appalling, biased decisions.

 

[Porthoz]

One thing that I noticed, is that besides being incapable of controlling the ruck, our team seems to be easily caught and outnumbered on the edges regularly, which is something that did not happen with Boyd as custodian (no, I am not advocating to return Boyd to FB!).
This is not an attempt to blame Isaako on our dismal performances, but one of the most important tasks from a fullback in defense, is to direct the team and watch for glaring holes and overlaps.
I really don't think he has any future as FB. He offers nothing in attack, and doesn't guide the team in defense, putting him square bottom in the NRL's FB ranks IMO. He is a goalkicking winger at best, period.

 

[McHunt]

One thing that I noticed, is that besides being incapable of controlling the ruck, our team seems to be easily caught and outnumbered on the edges regularly, which is something that did not happen with Boyd as custodian (no, I am not advocating to return Boyd to FB!).
This is not an attempt to blame Isaako on our dismal performances, but one of the most important tasks from a fullback in defense, is to direct the team and watch for glaring holes and overlaps.
I really don't think he has any future as FB. He offers nothing in attack, and doesn't guide the team in defense, putting him square bottom in the NRL's FB ranks IMO. He is a goalkicking winger at best, period.

Andrew Johns straight out stated Isaako is not a fullback, and explained why, during and after commentary in the last game. He didn't say he needed to improve; he said he isn't a fullback, period.

Here's one instance:

"The Broncos when they get into attacking position, they have an obsession with attacking in the middle of the field, but that's where teams are most comfortable defending. When they do have a shot, they want to send another man back in the middle – they have this obsession with attacking in the middle of the field. I don't hear a strong voice from the back."

"I don't see Isaako as a fullback. You see the great fullbacks in our game, they're constantly talking to their halves and dummy half on where they are attacking and where the spaces are. I don't see that in the Broncos."

Joey calls for Broncos to drop Milford

'They need to absolutely blow their attack up'

wwos.nine.com.au

 

[dirtyharry]

You see the great fullbacks in our game, they're constantly talking to their halves and dummy half on where they are attacking and where the spaces are.

Isn't that Langer's job?

 

[Kimlo]

One thing that I noticed, is that besides being incapable of controlling the ruck, our team seems to be easily caught and outnumbered on the edges regularly, which is something that did not happen with Boyd as custodian (no, I am not advocating to return Boyd to FB!).
This is not an attempt to blame Isaako on our dismal performances, but one of the most important tasks from a fullback in defense, is to direct the team and watch for glaring holes and overlaps.
I really don't think he has any future as FB. He offers nothing in attack, and doesn't guide the team in defense, putting him square bottom in the NRL's FB ranks IMO. He is a goalkicking winger at best, period.

Honestly, he reminds me of Hoffman in that he offers nothing but a running game but I think Hoffman had an even better running game. He's serviceable in the event of injury but all said and done I would deadset rather Boyd there. Isaako is solid but he's just a winger.

Our issues aren't individual talent, I never thought our roster was shit to begin with, I simply think our coaching used to be reasonable and now it totally sucks. Seibold needs to get way better at coaching the team to win the ruck. I was very optimistic that getting someone from the Storm system could at the very least set us forward in our ruck management which was really Bennett's biggest flaw/stubborness.

I think he should be on the phone to Kearney yesterday, Kearney is a good assistant. Seibold isn't beyond saving right now but if he's serious about keeping his coaching career he needs to drop the ego and get the best assistant/staff he can get immediately.

 

[Big Pete]

The unfortunate thing for Isaako is that he's not really a winger either. He's horrible at competing for the high ball and doesn't have the size or speed to be a quality player there. The fullback role actually suits him because he can use his foot-work to break tackles and get inbetween defenders. In a struggling team, I actually think he's been one of the Broncos better players, he just had a poor night against Newcastle. Unfortunately I don't think he has a high enough ceiling to compete with the Trbojevics, Tedescos, Tuivasa-Shecks, Pongas etc. He's similar to Hoffman in that regard, but you sacrifice some of his positional play for Isaako's skill-set.

Coming through the grades he was more of a Dylan Walker style five eighth/centre. He was a handful with the footy but his defence was always suspect and in first grade they tend to lean more towards defensive centres than attacking ones.

I don't think he's anything like Maranta. Maranta was an honest player who was actually strong under the high ball but struggled in every other department. The only real similarity they had was that they were both far more comfortable at fullback, but even then, Maranta was the type who'd float around the middle and push up if there was a break - Isaako tends to float around his playmakers looking to hurt teams around the edges.

 

[BroncsFan]

Well, it seems to me that the top sides - Roosters, Eels, Storm, Panthers, Manly and to a lesser extent, Raiders, have had close to their best sides on the field, particularly their settled and experienced spines, and they have competent captains. Our spine is anything but that, and our leadership on the field has been a problem.

Our FB is for mine a caretaker at best. He's a winger with defensive issues and unrealistic hopes and dreams of being the FB we need. Not a lot of people seem to agree about that, but I will give him time. If you look at the performances of the top sides, you can see what Tedesco, TurboT, Papps and Gutherson contribute to their successes. It will be interesting see how Manly go without Turbo and Walker.

The recent performances of our halves are I agree a serious issue despite the reasonable argument that they are getting little help from disorganised albeit young and inexperienced forwards, and less than effective individual performances from experienced players like Lodge and Offa, + the slack discipline of a young Flegler. Still, our halves need a rocket up them, especially Milford. Having said that, this is Croft's first year with us, and so he needs to be a cut a little slack

We haven't had a hooker since Turps broke his leg save for Luke's first game with the side last week. Not much time to adjust there either.

We are without our 1st choice FB and hooker, and we all know the injury toll and (now more) suspensions to our best players.

These are not excuses, they are legit reasons for problems in having a disciplined and organised team.

As I posted elsewhere, we have an absolute wealth of talent in this team, and we have to get them all on the park to see if indeed Seibs is capable of building a great team. I'm giving him till later in the season to see if this starts to happen. Until then, I will watch with interest, and also note how the shit referees find ways to cripple us with appalling, biased decisions.

I was stumbling around the internet the other day and found out that we have used 26 players already... 26 players in 6 rounds. It is the most in the comp and equal with the titans.

Compared to 19 players for parramatta... **** me imagine only having to change 2 players from the 17 that played in round 1 !!

Even this week we are missing 6 starting 13 players (Bird, Staggs, Carrigan, Flegler, Fifita & Turps) and 2 additional players that would be back ups to those injuries in Arthars & Kahu.

Even after this week it will only be Carrigan and Flegler back with Turps, Staggs and Fifita probably not back till rounds 9-10.

I just want to see some semblance of consistency with the team selections!!

In saying all that we do have 3/4 of our spine currently available (whether we like the make up or not) and I think if we can get a 50/50 split of possession we should have enough to pick up wins against titans and warriors with the cavalry potentially returning after that... of course we also have to pray to the NSWRL footy gods that the refs decide they won't ream us over the next two weeks

 

[ostin86]

I don't think they are going to punt Seibs this year anyway guys. We may as well just strap in, cross our fingers and hope that when some of the talent we have sitting on the sidelines returns, we build towards a potential finals birth. And put up a better showing than last year

 

[061ang]

our team seems to be easily caught and outnumbered on the edges regularly, which is something that did not happen with Boyd as custodian (no, I am not advocating to return Boyd to FB!).

I would also say that losing Gillo plays a major role in this. He was the man here and always kept our defense in line

 

[Sproj]

I would also say that losing Gillo plays a major role in this. He was the man here and always kept our defense in line

He also didn't hang around just to get a nice final retirement package.

 

[061ang]

He also didn't hang around just to get a nice final retirement package.

Yeps, nothing but respect for the bloke. Met him once too and super nice guy. Takes a warrior to keep playing with a broken neck but he wasn't the same afterwards. I hope he gets a good job with the Broncos etc now that he is retired. Not sure what he is up to nowadays

 

[theshed]

I don't think they are going to punt Seibs this year anyway guys. We may as well just strap in, cross our fingers and hope that when some of the talent we have sitting on the sidelines returns, we build towards a potential finals birth. And put up a better showing than last year

and nor should they. He should be given until the end of this season to turn it around. He’s pissing me off but knee jerk reactions aren’t the answer. If the season doesn’t improve pretty significantly, he can pack his bags on mad Monday