Life Without Bennett Was Pretty Bad...

[Jason Simmons]

And yet, if the qualifying benchmark for having a decent season involves being able to match the top sides, and not being seen as an easy two points, we kind of did that?

Matched the top teams? When?

2014 - fell arse backwards into the finals, finished in 8th. Got knocked out in week 1 by the Cowboys.

2013 - didn't make the top 8, finished 12th.

2012 - limped into finals, finished 8th. Got knocked out in week 1 by the Cowboys.

2011 - Good season, finished 3rd. Got knocked out in preliminary final by eventual GF winner. Only the 2nd year under Henjak / Griffin we managed to win a finals game and actually beat the GF winner in the final round of the season. We won 2 - against Warriors and Dragons. Arguably this was the only year in the last 6 we were a 'top' team.

2010 - didn't make the top 8, finished 10th.

2009 - finished 6th. Won 2 finals games and were defeated by Storm in GF qualifier.

So in 6 years, we managed to make the finals 4 times, twice we won games and progressed and twice we were knocked out in week 1 of the finals.

In the two years we progressed the winner knocked us out of the comp. So if that is us 'competing' against the top teams, when the results show we have been consistently beaten by them, then you have a different understanding of the term 'competing' than I do....

 

[broncos4life]

Matched the top teams? When?

2014 - fell arse backwards into the finals, finished in 8th. Got knocked out in week 1 by the Cowboys.

2013 - didn't make the top 8, finished 12th.

2012 - limped into finals, finished 8th. Got knocked out in week 1 by the Cowboys.

2011 - Good season, finished 3rd. Got knocked out in preliminary final by eventual GF winner. Only the 2nd year under Henjak / Griffin we managed to win a finals game and actually beat the GF winner in the final round of the season. We won 2 - against Warriors and Dragons. Arguably this was the only year in the last 6 we were a 'top' team.

2010 - didn't make the top 8, finished 10th.

2009 - finished 6th. Won 2 finals games and were defeated by Storm in GF qualifier.

So in 6 years, we managed to make the finals 4 times, twice we won games and progressed and twice we were knocked out in week 1 of the finals.

In the two years we progressed the winner knocked us out of the comp. So if that is us 'competing' against the top teams, when the results show we have been consistently beaten by them, then you have a different understanding of the term 'competing' than I do....

Well we showed up to the game and were on the field for the full 80, so I guess we 'competed'

 

[Morkel]

I was referring to the 2010 season, the one that is infamous as our first non-finals year in 2 decades. We were looking okay before Lockyer went down. Wins against the Storm (albeit playing for no points), the Titans twice (who finished 4th), Manly, and the eventual premiers, the Dragons. If that's not at least "pushing" the top teams, I don't know what is.

 

[broncos4life]

I was referring to the 2010 season, the one that is infamous as our first non-finals year in 2 decades. We were looking okay before Lockyer went down. Wins against the Storm (albeit playing for no points), the Titans twice (who finished 4th), Manly, and the eventual premiers, the Dragons. If that's not at least "pushing" the top teams, I don't know what is.

Yep, 2010 and 2011 were fine, the rest was pus

 

[Morkel]

Yep, 2010 and 2011 were fine, the rest was pus

I wouldn't put '09 in that category, but after a promising start to 2012 (which was down to phenomenal defence, particularly second halves) it all went downhill.

 

[Big Pete]

I'll write more on it in the Broncos history thread, but Henjak screwed the pooch in 09.

Brisbane rushed through an entire generation of players before they were truly ready and not only did it turn what should have been a proper premiership into a rebuilding year, it also hampered the development of a lot of players.

It convinced me that my previous idea of throwing fresh new talent in the deep end wasn't the answer to every problem.

 

[Unbiased Nostalgia]

2009. Prelim finalist, a very good year post Bennett.

2010. Finished 10th, put up with injuries, unlucky to miss finals. Disappointing but there were some good signs.

2011. 20 wins, 7 loses. One of the best seasons ever.

2012. promising start to the season, like 2011 but post origin it all fell apart. Decent season post Lockyer.

2013. Worst halves ever, 2nd time missing finals, lowest finishing place in history. Absolute crap season.

2014. 8th, a big improvement compared to 2013, competitive against most sides but struggled to put them away. Decent Season.

 

[austin71]

For the past 2 -3 years when the season has been starting I've just been thinking... Same team so we might just scrape into the 8 by playing boring footy. Nothing worth getting excited about. But this year with Hunt and Milford in the halves and some new blood coming off the bench there's alot to be excited about. Imo Bringing back Bennett is just what the Broncos needed. Too many players seemed to have the attitude of this being a job and not a privilege. We needed a shake up.Hopefully they are now out of their comfort zone and under pressure for their spots. Good times ahead. Bring on the Nines ☺