Is Lachlan Maranta Really That Bad?

[Anonymous person]

He took Vidot's spot. That's about the worst of it from the people who want him gone.

If this were true how do you explain why literally everyone on this forum wanted him gone last year when he didn't take vidots spot?

 

[CaptainHook]

I like Maranta and he is not that bad. The fact is if Vidot proves to be better - he'll be in the team.

I think he is a better player than both Reed and Vidot so he should get a spot over them in my book any day of the week. I get the feeling though he has been given short shrift by Bennett. I think Reed can continue to struggle but one poor effort from Maranta will probably put Vidot back in the team. Fair? Absolutely not but that's the way I see it.

I think it's good to have a defense-orientated player in the team. I swear some of you have the memories of goldfish sometimes. Only last year we routinely conceded 20-30 points a game at the back end of the year. Having a player who can diffuse a bomb, bat it dead etc is not the worst thing in the world.

I don't rate him as a speedster though. While I don't think he's a slouch, he's not overly quick.

 

[Foordy]

I like Maranta and he is not that bad. The fact is if Vidot proves to be better - he'll be in the team.

I think he is a better player than both Reed and Vidot so he should get a spot over them in my book any day of the week. I get the feeling though he has been given short shrift by Bennett. I think Reed can continue to struggle but one poor effort from Maranta will probably put Vidot back in the team. Fair? Absolutely not but that's the way I see it.

I think it's good to have a defense-orientated player in the team. I swear some of you have the memories of goldfish sometimes. Only last year we routinely conceded 20-30 points a game at the back end of the year. Having a player who can diffuse a bomb, bat it dead etc is not the worst thing in the world.

I don't rate him as a speedster though. While I don't think he's a slouch, he's not overly quick.

2 out of our 3 games this year we gave conceeded over 20 points, Maranta hasn't stopped that. ... The only one we didn't was against a toothless Sharks side.

 

[Nashy]

If this were true how do you explain why literally everyone on this forum wanted him gone last year when he didn't take vidots spot?

I give you the respect and read your posts. The least you can do is read mine.

I have quite openly stated that he was hopeless last year, but is showing a lot more promise this year, and is a better player than he was last year.

 

[Anonymous person]

But people didn't want him in the team in round 1 before a ball had been kicked or a team had been named. Vidot or no vidot, hes not a good player and that's why most people didn't/dont want him in the team.

 

[Astro]

At the moment he's the best we have. You know what you are going to get from him, no frills and solid defence. I really do feel like defence is severely underrated on here. But because he doesn't create tries from nothing means that he's terrible? No I don't think so.

his positioning has been good. on that 80m run nobody was catching him. He just made the wrong call trying to beat Morgan twice.

He's getting better. Looking forward to watching him grow over the next few months Honestly.

 

[Nashy]

But people didn't want him in the team in round 1 before a ball had been kicked or a team had been named. Vidot or no vidot, hes not a good player and that's why most people didn't/dont want him in the team.

And then they saw he had improved.

Why is this so difficult for you to get this. I feel like we need a remedial forum.

 

[Anonymous person]

And then they saw he had improved.

Why is this so difficult for you to get this. I feel like we need a remedial forum.

He has improved, it would have been hard not to, but he still is not a good first grade winger. That is why many of us still want him gone. Vidot being better and missing out is just a second reason why he should be gone. The first is that despite improving, which he has, hes still one of if not the worst wingers in the comp.

That's not hard to understand. To say that the only reason people want him gone is because of vidot is dumb. We want him gone for the same reason as last year - hes rubbish.

 

[mieko]

He's a solid first grade winger for now and deserves his spot in the team for sure. Has really lifted his game from last year and as Astro said, you know what you are going to get from him, no frills solid D.

 

[Allo]

At the moment he's the best we have. You know what you are going to get from him, no frills and solid defence. I really do feel like defence is severely underrated on here. But because he doesn't create tries from nothing means that he's terrible? No I don't think so.

his positioning has been good. on that 80m run nobody was catching him. He just made the wrong call trying to beat Morgan twice.

He's getting better. Looking forward to watching him grow over the next few months Honestly.

It's not the fact that he doesn't, it's that he seems incapable of ever doing it from what he's shown in his ability. That's why people don't consider him to be good.

 

[Ari Gold]

Maranta isn't really capable of doing anything in attack that isn't given to him on a platter, and even then, he's managed to butcher that in the past.

I see the word improvement a lot, but honestly, if someone has improved as much as he has, I'd have expected a better player given how much they've improved.

Look at Copley. He used to cop a lot of shit (and I was only too happy to lead the charge). But he improved a lot, just like Maranta. Yet look at the two improved players as they are -- Copley's improvement has given us a damaging outside back. Maranta's improvement has given us a guy who can catch bombs and no longer butchers easy tries.

I think the other problem with Maranta too is that IMO, he is the antithesis of what it means to be a Bronco. He has zero entertainment value, no attacking value, never backs himself and if he had kids he'd not only wrap them in cotton wool, he'd live in a cotton wool house in a cotton wool street. These aren't the qualities that made the Broncos what they were.

 

[Cult]

Maranta is just doing what Boyd does in Origin, except when Boyd does it you want him to play on the wing.

 

[Morkel]

Maranta isn't really capable of doing anything in attack that isn't given to him on a platter, and even then, he's managed to butcher that in the past.

I see the word improvement a lot, but honestly, if someone has improved as much as he has, I'd have expected a better player given how much they've improved.

Look at Copley. He used to cop a lot of shit (and I was only too happy to lead the charge). But he improved a lot, just like Maranta. Yet look at the two improved players as they are -- Copley's improvement has given us a damaging outside back. Maranta's improvement has given us a guy who can catch bombs and no longer butchers easy tries.

I think the other problem with Maranta too is that IMO, he is the antithesis of what it means to be a Bronco. He has zero entertainment value, no attacking value, never backs himself and if he had kids he'd not only wrap them in cotton wool, he'd live in a cotton wool house in a cotton wool street. These aren't the qualities that made the Broncos what they were.

To be fair, the comparisons with Copley is perfect. In that Copley can still have an absolute shitter, like that game pre-Origin where he pretty much blew his chance. And though he has looked like a machine on occasion, it still hasn't been the rule so much as the exception. Maranta on the other hand hasn't shone anywhere near as bright at his peak, but his lows aren't as horrendous as they used to be and in between he's pretty consistent. Sums it up totally. Ten steps forward, eight steps back. Or four steps forward, two back.

 

[Ari Gold]

Copley has a lot of improvement in him, but I don't think him playing well last year was either the rule or the exception. He was good in numerous games and whilst he did have some shitters, there was only one game that was Sharks level bad.

Whatever Copley's faults still are (defence a little, handling definitely) I feel they can be improved with coaching and training. I don't feel Maranta's deficiencies can be fixed. It's kind of like the difference in polishing a diamond and a turd. Not that Copley is as promising as a diamond, or Maranta as horrible as a turd. But the difference in their potential remains as stark.

 

[broncos4life]

This thread has gotten quite bizarre. 90% of the posters in here are in complete agreement that maranta is a solid, non-spectacular player who when the team is full strength is a depth option only. However that has been lost somewhat with exaggerations of worst winger in the game etc. Now anyone that disagrees with the notion he is the worst winger seems to paint them as marantas biggest fan. The lack of Middle ground sometimes is staggering

 

[john1420]

The only problem I have with that is that Kahu is a hell of a lot more than a winger. What a waste. I'd rather see him in the centres than Reed and keep Maranta on the wing.

Can't argue with that!

But with both Boyd and Copley to return, perhaps we can drop both Reed and Maranta?

A man can dream :)

 

[rnabokov]

Can't argue with that!

But with both Boyd and Copley to return, perhaps we can drop both Reed and Maranta?

A man can dream :)

Indeed a man can dream ... and my dream is that Copley goes to centre where he belongs, and Reed goes to wing where from memory, he did very well last year after he was dropped for being naughty.

At least he is faster than Vidot, strong, can defend really well when he pulls his finger out, can pass and is good under the high ball.

As for Maranta, I have read every post in this thread and there is not much to add, except that if someone like Hancock/Carne/Sailor/Yow Yeh took him under their wing (haha) he would probably improve 100%.

In any case, this thread on Maranta is actually very important. It goes beyond just him, and raises what is for me, the crucial issue of what is going to happen when Copley returns.

Maranta, Copley, Oates (and Vidot I suppose).

As I see it, Oates belongs for now on the wing. He is the Vidot you want when you want speed to go with strength. He is also getting incredibly valuable game time to bump his fitness and speed, and a good spot for someone to return after shoulder surgery rather than the back row - where there are no vacancies anyway atm.

For mine, Oates is too good a player to leave out of the 17 whereas Maranta isn't.

That leaves Copley. For mine, he is a centre through and through and has footwork, power and speed which except for Milford and Kahu, is IMO unmatched in this team. Yes, he has some issues with handling but I think they are easily worked on - he is a class act for mine and is = like Kahu, an utter waste on the wing.

Which leaves old Lachlan ... out of the team

 

[Broncoman]

That's cause he scored 2 tries. Doesn't matter that they were both handed to him on a platter, 2 tries = great game.

The amount of tries someone scores doesn't really show how great a player someone is or how well they played. Alex Johnston is an example of this, I think he has some great finishing skills but is a bit 'meh' elsewhere, I rate him as a solid player. In Marantas case on Friday night he did what was needed of him and played solidly, beside from that line break he didn't make that many meters iirc.