Kimlo
International Captain
Senior Staff
- Apr 26, 2008
- 34,580
- 35,552
6:57 Comment From Gary Wells
The Broncos have the greatest number of representative players of any club. Eight internationals, five State of Origan yet we are running equal second last on points and this for any club with those sort of players is abysmal at best. There is a problem that needs to be addressed. The players appear to be putting in so are they good enough at this level or do we have the right captain, is it a problem with the coaching staff, in the past we seemed to compliment our existing team with outsourced players in positions we couldn't cover, why are we not doing that now. Are we trying to appease the shareholders more than the supporters is profit now more important than a premiership. Why should I buy my season tickets again next year when it appears the current frustration will continue. - Thank you.
6:59
Anthony Griffin:
Gary, Sam Thaiday is developing as a leader and I think he is the right captain for the club, the results at the moment are a frustration to us all coaching staff and players included. I can understand that you are disappointed at the current standing of our team and can only assure you that no one is hurting more than the players and staff at present
7:00
Anthony Griffin:
Gary, going forward we are looking to make some signings to bolster our list and I'm sure over the next 6 months you will see the club active in the player market
7:01
Anthony Griffin:
Clubs from time to time in all sports in all levels will have good years and bad years and I'm very disappointed that this is at this point not a successful year for the club but it is round 20 and the season is not finished. As far as your membership, I'd encourage you to stick with the club
7:01
Comment From Andrew
Where will our attacking creativity come from next season? In my opinion, Prince is getting old and none of the top 25 offer any stand-out creativity or control in attack. Basically the massive hole that Lockyer left is still wide open...
7:03
Anthony Griffin:
Andrew, we have struggled this year in attack at times and without making excuses we have some strike outside backs on the injured list in Dale Copley, Jharal Yow Yeh and Jack Reed for long periods. I think we've got some good young players in our system in Ben Hunt, Josh Hoffman Corey Oates as well as some younger players that are yet to play for the club. But as I've said previously we will also where needed look to recruit for the future
7:03
Comment From Malcolm
I am happy for the coach to do his job and make the decisions. Afterall, the coach is only judged by the performance on the ladder and he doesn't need any extra advice about his job. So let's let the coach do his job and not be distracted by "so-called" experts who think they know everything!
7:04
Anthony Griffin:
Thanks Malcolm
7:04
Comment From Tooly
Anthony I am concerned by the lack of pace in our backline. We can not score long range tries like other teams do. Hoffman would be our quickest and he ambles at best. How will this be fixed?
7:06
Anthony Griffin:
Tooly, I will put you in a race with Josh Hoffman! But seriously, sometimes we can be too pessimistic because of current results. the team this year have scored some fantastic tries but I do acknowledge at the moment our attack needs to improve
7:06
Comment From Mr C
Just asking if there will be more range of kicks during the game?
7:08
Anthony Griffin:
Mr C, I think our kicking game hasn't been too bad, against the Warriors, Lachlan Maranta scored his first try from a well placed attacking kick from Scott Prince. Peter Wallace scored the second try from a well placed bomb. Over the last couple of weeks our kicking game hasn't produced any points although we've been close of a number of occasions
7:08
Comment From Jamie Scott
Hi I was wondering when will we see Yow Yeh back on the field for the Broncos?
7:09
Anthony Griffin:
Jamie, Would love to see him back now obviously. He has played about 8 state league games for Norths and is still progressing in his rehabilitation from his horrific injury. Hopefully with more time and another off season we can see Jharal play for the club again
7:09
Comment From Peter
I really like Josh Hoffman as a player, but do you think he posses the ball-playing skills required in the long-term (if we don't sign Ben Barba)?
7:10
Anthony Griffin:
Peter, Josh is an extremely talented footballer and a very incisive runner of the ball and we are working with him to increase and improve his ball playing ability
7:10
Comment From Peter B
Do you agree the club has 'dropped the ball' on player recruitment?
7:12
Anthony Griffin:
Peter, Our internal recruitment systems in developing NRL players is excellent eg again this year we see Corey Oates, Jake Granville, Jordan Kahu, Jarrod Wallace. We have made a decision that we need to supplement this system with recruiting experienced players from outside our club which you will see over the next few months
7:13
Comment From Bev
I think Karmichael Hunt would be perfect for the Broncos in the halves. Fitness would not be a problem and with his experience in AFL he would possess one of the most accurate and biggest kicking games in the NRL? Perfect for our outside backs like Hoffman, Maranta and Yow Yeh to score off. Is he someone the Broncos would seriously consider bringing back to the club if the salary cap allowed it? Or is he not even on the radar?
7:14
Anthony Griffin:
Bev, If Karmichael Hunt made a decision that he wanted to come back to Rugby League we would obviously show some interest in his future
7:15
Comment From Jess
Hi just wanted to say congrats on making the changes you have to the squad it's never easy but needed. Also, have you considered using players like bond or Georgetown?
7:16
Anthony Griffin:
Thanks Jess, the changes weren't easy decisions but ones I feel will benefit the team we are always looking at the form of our players at feeder clubs as this has been a great breeding ground for us in the past.
7:16
Comment From Sharon
When are we going to bit the bullet & go hard after Ben Barba? He is surely the xfactor player we need to go forward
7:17
Anthony Griffin:
Sharon, Ben Barba is under contract to the Bulldogs for another 2 seasons I think. If Ben Barba was to come on to the market for whatever reason we would show some interest
7:17
Comment From Simon
Hi Hook - Could you please clarify our recruitment and retention policy at present ? I find it very disappointing to lose a player of Corey Norman's ability, especially when he was being groomed for Darren Lockyer's place ? Scotty Prince is not the long term answer obviously and it rankles with me when we lose our young potential and replace with players with not many years left. I'm all for experience and youth, in the right blend of course. Norman has proved after a first difficult year he is an excellent ball player and runner ?
7:18
Anthony Griffin:
Simon, It was disappointing to lose Corey as Scott Prince was not brought here as a long term solution. However Corey will not be the last player we produce or endeavour to attract to the club. So although disappointing we will push forward
7:19
Comment From Jonard
Thank you for your time Anthony as long time supporter I have experienced the highest of highs and experiencing some tough times. Has the club failed to prepare with post Lockyer? It seems that we have lost a lot of good players to union AFL and the club has not prepared too well?
7:20
Anthony Griffin:
Jonard, fair question. They are tough times at the moment but out of these times everyone at the club is working harder than ever to get us back to where we want to be. I can assure you we will do whatever it takes to strengthen the clubs roster in the future
7:21
Comment From Jamie Scott
Coach who in particular are you looking to acquire for the future?
7:22
Anthony Griffin:
Jamie, I can assure you we have a plan which we are currently working on and have been for some time. As you could appreciate we are not in a position to go public with that information
7:23
Comment From domenic torrisi 14
hi Coach. I looked at the lineup today and i wanted to ask you if this plan doesn't work have you considered moving hodges to fullback as he adds spark and momentum, hoffman back to wing. Also i would like to know who will we see at the broncos in the next couple of years (Cameron smith, Karmichael hunt, Ben Barba? Lastly when will yow yeh return?
7:24
Anthony Griffin:
Domenic, Hodgo struggles obviously to cover the miles needed to play fullback constantly however i think you will see Justin as he has in the past pop up on different parts on the field in attack.
7:24
Comment From Jess
Have you considered co-captains for the club I think Sam is doing a decent job but I really do think we need someone like Parker or Glenn leading as well
7:25
Anthony Griffin:
Jess, Sam is doing a great job and we do have a structured leadership group which includes Alex Glenn and Corey Parker and they are great support for Sam
7:25
Comment From Fornstar
I think on paper we have a solid team. I think the question mark is on our 6 and 7. When you say we will be active in the player market, is it safe to say that these are positions we are looking at?
7:28
Anthony Griffin:
Fornstar, as I've said before we have a plan that we are working on and are not in a position to make that public. But again I can assure you that we will be doing whatever it takes to continue to develop our current players and adding to our roster signings and players that will help us build our future
7:28
Comment From Sharon
It's all good & well to tell us our young players have "potential" but so far only Jharal, Alex & Josh Hoffman have shown it. When is the potential just not enough? Actions speak louder & I see no action on the part of a lot of youngsters.
7:30
Anthony Griffin:
Sharon, those players you have mentioned have developed very well. I think some other such as Matt Gillett, Josh McGuire, Dale Copley, Andrew McCullough, Ben Hunt, Jack Reed and recently Jordan Kahu and Corey Oates are developing nicely.
7:31
Comment From Jamie Scott
Hook, got few questions for you how long do you think Justin has left in his career as he has been the best on the field for us this year closely followed by Hoffman? Is there and stand outs out in the market that you would like to see at the Broncos in the coming years? And is there a estimated time when we can see a return to the big stage for Jharal?
7:32
Anthony Griffin:
Jamie, Hodgo is having his best season to date since his Achilles injury. Our performance staff have been trialing different treatments for his lower back and hamstring which he is responding very well to and at present is in great shape touch wood. If he can stay injury free I think he still has a few more years left in him
7:33
Comment From Nathan
HI Anthony. I am just wondering what the club is doing to improve support play. We haven't had support play for nearly 5 years now. If you look back at the 2006 Semi Final against the Bulldogs that is what won us that game to make the Grand Final. If someone makes a bust there is hardly anyone backing him up. The Canberra Game is a good example. We made a bust 8 Canberra players chasing us. Then they make a bust 8 Canberra players supporting them. NO Broncos in sight. You look at Souths, Melbourne, Manly they all have it. Our support play is very lacking, when will this improve ?? Thanks
7:34
Anthony Griffin:
Nathan, we are always working on our attack and trying to improve it. I take your point and I can assure you the players are putting in the effort to try and build our attacking game
7:35
Comment From Sharon
Why do we constantly kick bomb every time we are in the attacking 20 mt zone? In reality we really don't have any outside backs great under the high ball so why persist? Wouldn't a little sneaky grubber into the in goal be more productive?
7:36
Anthony Griffin:
Sharon, similar to an earlier response we have in recent games scored a number of tries off kicks against Wests Tigers and the Warriors and went close against Melbourne and Cronulla. I think if you go back and have a look at our last month we have generated a number of restarts from grubbers
7:37
Comment From Les
why are you relucant to make changes when it appears not enough effort was shown
7:37
Anthony Griffin:
Les, I have made a couple of changes today
7:38
Comment From Andrew
Hook, what's your vision/mission and goals for the team for the rest of season 2013?
7:39
Anthony Griffin:
Andrew, a lot of people have already written us off. Our immediate goal is to win Friday night. As far as the team in concerned we are still alive and are determined to stay this way
7:39
Comment From Paul
How is Aaron Whitchurch progressing? Will we see him this year?
7:40
Anthony Griffin:
Paul, Aaron is progressing well, he has come back from major back surgery in the middle of the year and is doing a good job for Redcliffe
7:40
Comment From John Bayliss
Anthony, how you propose to fix the inability to get across the line. it would seem as though there is not real play or leadership when we get close to the try line
7:42
Anthony Griffin:
John our attack has been frustrating lately however we are working hard to rectify this.
7:42
Comment From Guest
Love the job you're doing Hook! Just wondering why we don't seem to go for 40/20's a lot?
7:43
Anthony Griffin:
I think Andrew McCullough has kicked a couple earlier in the year from dummy-half. Good question maybe I need to encourage him to keep looking for this.
7:43
Comment From Bruce
I thought jake Granville played really well in the few games he has had. He added a bit of spark in attack. Is he injured at the moment. He looks likes a long term player.
7:44
Anthony Griffin:
Bruce, he did add some spark against the Titans and he is not far off getting another opportunity. Jake is a good kid who is playing well for Wynnum
7:45
Comment From John Bayliss
Pleased to see Josh back at fullback and have you considered him for 5/8 in the future?
7:46
Anthony Griffin:
Good question John, Josh is an extremely talented footballer as is exemplified by the way he has adapted to playing wing and centre this year (14 tries). It is not impossible that Josh may one day be able to play a role at five-eighth
7:46
Comment From Luke
Is the resting policy after origin's dead and buried or is that governed by the position on the ladder ?
7:49
Anthony Griffin:
Luke, this year we had a 5 day turn around after the first Origin which is the same as going from a Sunday to a Friday night game. With all our of Origin players being injury free and Justin Hodges general hamstring problems improved over the year we passed them all fit to back up. In previous years Sam and Justin were both carrying injuries and our games were 2 days later on Friday nights which made it unlikely for them to back up. However last year you will remember that Ben Hannant, Corey Parker and Matt Gillett all backed up after each Origin
7:49
Comment From bobby
will such a big change in the team this week make it hard for them to gel immediately in Townsville
7:50
Anthony Griffin:
Bobby, whenever there is change there is always a risk in the short term due to lack of combinations however I would like to think that the benefits will outweigh the risks
7:50
Comment From David
Are you of the opinion (like many others in the game) that the under 20s competition is not adequate for preparing young players for the NRL and if so what are your suggested improvements?
7:51
Anthony Griffin:
David i think the under 20s comp plays an important role in preparing young players for the NRL. However most of them still need time in the state league before they are ready. I would think going forward a second tier system forming a combination of both of these competitions might be more suitable
7:51
Comment From DaveF
Do you think our 25 year anniversary has been a distraction for the club?
7:53
Anthony Griffin:
DaveF, No, the club has a magnificent tradition and history which deserves to be celebrated. There are so many people both players and staff who have contributed to this club and its successes over the last 25 years. I can tell you it's obviously from my point of view disappointing that this current season to this point hasn't been as successful as we would have liked but as I've said before it is not over yet
7:54
Comment From Jonard
I've heard good things about our current NYC halves in Ashley Taylor and Kodi Nikorima, do you them as the clubs future halves?
7:55
Anthony Griffin:
Jonard, They are great young players along with Duncan Paia'Aua but it is too early to put too high of an expectation on them. However with time I would hope to see them progress to the NRL level.
7:56
Comment From David
Do you think the Broncos culture being questioned is warranted?
7:57
Anthony Griffin:
David in professional sport whenever results don't go your way people will question everything about the club. I can only tell you what I see day to day inside our club and the people involved are working extremely hard to try and improve our position
7:59
Comment From Cynthia
Anthony do you know if Dale Copely will be playing any football this year I thought he was an exceptional talent.
7:59
Anthony Griffin:
Cynthia Dale is back running in his rehab program we would hope that over the next few weeks we will have a better assessment as to whether he can get back on the field this year but he is progressing well from a serious knee injury (6 to 9 months recover)
8:02
Anthony Griffin:
Thanks for the chat everyone and all the questions. Sorry we couldn't get to everyone. I value your involvement in the club and the fact that you are members. I look forward to seeing you at the next home game against St George our first Sunday afternoon game of the season. Let's get a big crowd there. Goodnight
8:02
Comment From SharonN
Just want to say this is an awesome initiative, thanks so much for giving up time for the fans Hook & best of luck for the rest of this season & into your lengthy Broncos future! Cheers
8:02
Comment From Malcolm
Coach, I disagree with some of the other members' comments, and as per my previous comments, I still feel you are the one to make the decisions and we should let you do that. You, of all people, will know the coach lives and dies by results.
8:03
Comment From Andy
Regarding Nathan's comments, Corey Parker is a freak the way he is able to offload, it should be mandatory for someone to be trailing him as I can't remember a time he didn't have an opportunity to offload in a tackle
8:03
Comment From John Bayliss
Anthony, Thank you for your time and from the armchair I don't envy your job.
8:03
Comment From Jonard
Not a question but just a thank you for your time tonight Anthony and you are doing a good job under the current club situation.
8:04
Comment From bobby
despite the current situation i still love the Broncos and support your decsions whatever they are
8:04
Comment From David
Thanks for your time Anthony. Greatly appreciated.
8:04
Comment From DaveF
Thanks for your time Hook. Best of luck for Friday and pass on my best to the boys.
8:04
Comment From Malcolm
Good on you Anthony!
8:04
Comment From Andrew
Thanks Hook, appreciate your time and think you're doing a great job with what you've got to work with.
8:04
Comment From Guest
Coach Im proud and thankfull that you are the broncos coach and I hope the rest of the season plays well for you.
8:04
Comment From Cynthia
Thank you for your time and consideration Anthony and go the Broncos.
8:05
Comment From Jamie Scott
thank you coach
8:05
Comment From Jamie Scott
GO BRONCOS ILL BE THERE AND IN THE FUTURE
8:05
Comment From Gary Wells
Thanks Anthony from Gary Wells - We all look forward to better times ahead.
8:09
Comment From domenic torrisi
Go the broncos and Coach I think your doing a great job for the team and I believe that both past and present playes believe this too.
8:09
Comment From Nathan
Thanks Hook. To the 1st of 7 in a row. GO THE BRONCOS!!!!!
