James Roberts

[therhyno]

Roberts is wasted with the current game plan and it gets more frustrating by the week.

95% of our attack is to the left to Reed, who looks like he is running in quick sand.
Is this becasuse Hunt Milf and Boyd are all dominant right to left passers, or something else?

He's a Ferrari who needs good early ball, not a couple of token dummy half runs per game.
I can see him getting pi$$ed off and leaving when off contract.

Can he play left centre?

 

[Alec]

It is incredibly weird, because let's be honest, he doesn't really have anything going for him other than his speed. We might as well play someone there who can defend if we don't want to use them.

 

[Morkel]

It is incredibly weird, because let's be honest, he doesn't really have anything going for him other than his speed. We might as well play someone there who can defend if we don't want to use them.

It's not just straight line speed though. He has awesome footwork and can change direction sharply whilst still maintaining his speed. And is strong enough to turn turn half chances in to full line breaks.

 

[Alec]

Yeah, I meant his running game in general. If it's not utilised as much as possible though, we could do better.

 

[jarro65]

He needs a roving commision when we're in attack.
Let him roam around the middle of the ruck looking for offloads from the forwards...or have the halves turn him under against a lazy defence.
I still can't work out why our gameplan doesn't include him ???

 

[mitch222]

Combos take time to gel and that left edge has a lot more years of experience than the right one with Roberts there
Just give it time and Roberts just has to be patient

 

[Nashy]

Him and Bennett set the expectations for fans at the start of the season when they said it would take a season to find his feet and work on his defense. So I don't know why 13 weeks in, people are expecting him to be the bees knees in the team. It's clearly not part of the plan.

 

[therhyno]

Him and Bennett set the expectations for fans at the start of the season when they said it would take a season to find his feet and work on his defense. So I don't know why 13 weeks in, people are expecting him to be the bees knees in the team. It's clearly not part of the plan.

Agree it takes time, but he's not a rookie. He was centre of the year last year and champion teams need to accomodate elite players. Yep going to take time but we are hardly setting it on fire on the left side, give him good early ball and have him go against tired defenders more. It's just hard watching all our set plays go to Reed who is nothing more than solid on his good days.

 

[Nashy]

Agree it takes time, but he's not a rookie. He was centre of the year last year and champion teams need to accomodate elite players. Yep going to take time but we are hardly setting it on fire on the left side, give him good early ball and have him go against tired defenders more. It's just hard watching all our set plays go to Reed who is nothing more than solid on his good days.

Haven't the majority of our tries been scored down the left side?

 

[mitch222]

Agree it takes time, but he's not a rookie. He was centre of the year last year and champion teams need to accomodate elite players. Yep going to take time but we are hardly setting it on fire on the left side, give him good early ball and have him go against tired defenders more. It's just hard watching all our set plays go to Reed who is nothing more than solid on his good days.

Only problem with your argument here is that Oates & Milford are two of the comps leading try scorers. Its not like our left side attack isn't scoring tries. If it isn't broke, then why fix it

 

[Morkel]

Him and Bennett set the expectations for fans at the start of the season when they said it would take a season to find his feet and work on his defense. So I don't know why 13 weeks in, people are expecting him to be the bees knees in the team. It's clearly not part of the plan.

Bennett also said that Milford will take a year, and Offo would not play first grade in 2015. We're all just spoiled now and expect things to happen sooner than we're told.

 

[Dash]

Haven't the majority of our tries been scored down the left side?

Not over the last few weeks. In the cowboys game all 3 were on the right, tigers game was 2 right 1 left, last week was 1 left, but Alex Glenn scored it.

Obviously the lineup hasn't been consistent over the last few weeks which would have had an effect.

I'm firmly in the Roberts to left centre camp. I have no figures to back it up, but from memory nearly all of our left side tries don't involve Reed at all. Most are cut out passes from Boyd/Milford to Oates, or Milford scoring an individual effort. When Reed gets the ball the play just dies the majority of the time. Get Roberts in there and that edge will be unstoppable.

 

[Nashy]

Not over the last few weeks. In the cowboys game all 3 were on the right, tigers game was 2 right 1 left, last week was 1 left, but Alex Glenn scored it.

Obviously the lineup hasn't been consistent over the last few weeks which would have had an effect.

I'm firmly in the Roberts to left centre camp. I have no figures to back it up, but from memory nearly all of our left side tries don't involve Reed at all. Most are cut out passes from Boyd/Milford to Oates, or Milford scoring an individual effort. When Reed gets the ball the play just dies the majority of the time. Get Roberts in there and that edge will be unstoppable.

You can't compares like that, because it doesn't give the full picture. Oates wasn't there, then Origin. Unfair to even compare.

 

[Dash]

You can't compares like that, because it doesn't give the full picture. Oates wasn't there, then Origin. Unfair to even compare.

Fully agree. Oates not being there for those games has definitely made a difference. As has Milford's downturn in form.

But Reed has in my opinion had very little to do with those tries that were scored earlier in the year. And with Oates out he has gotten a lot more ball and done absolutely nothing with it. Hence why I'd like to see Roberts given a chance on the left. Defence is a worry, but the attacking strikepower would be awesome. It would also make life easier for Milf as he can't be double-teamed all game.

 

[Nashy]

Fully agree. Oates not being there for those games has definitely made a difference. As has Milford's downturn in form.

But Reed has in my opinion had very little to do with those tries that were scored earlier in the year. And with Oates out he has gotten a lot more ball and done absolutely nothing with it. Hence why I'd like to see Roberts given a chance on the left. Defence is a worry, but the attacking strikepower would be awesome. It would also make life easier for Milf as he can't be double-teamed all game.

I think we do better when Milf and Boyd cut him out and go directly to Oates, absolutely. The guy thinks he's better than he is, and ruins try scoring opportunities more often than not by him overplaying his hand with his gumby trying to run, trying to step... thing.

But moving Roberts to the left side of the field opens a massive hole on that right side in defense, which I just don't think is worth it just to force Reed out.

 

[Unbreakable]

My only hope is that we roll with -

1. Boyd
2. Oates
3. Kahu
4. Roberts
5. (Whoever is in form, preferably a young gun)

No more chopping and changing, let them try and develop some combinations before the finals.

 

[Broncs_Fan]

Yep. Roberts has not been used well so far.

 

[holdzy]

Yep. Roberts has not been used well so far.

We've got the next few weeks to work it out - or our season is done. Pretty simple. If we can't win 5-6 from the next 8 or so, we won't win the comp. Which is what every Broncos fan wants THIS year.