THE BOSS Maguire Stomped The Naysayers! But...8 Months Later, Here We Are.

Foordy said:
Slothfield this morning claiming that after the Manly game senior players (including Hunt and Reynolds) confronted Madge about his style. asking him to pull back.

then goes on about us hiring a crisis manager.

no quotes from anyone at all
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I have no time for pretty much all rugby league tabloid journalists and even less time for him. Even if it did happen I am sure this happens all the time. I presume part of the reason why you have a senior leadership group is to raise potential issues with the coach. Rothfield just spins it as a crisis. It certainly is not unusual for a senior leadership team in any workplace to raise such concerns. If they did raise concerns and Madge listened, discussed, and pivoted then it just backs up his credentials as a good leader. Rothfield just continues to back up his credentials as a sensationalist journalist with little substance to his views and agendas aplenty. Those fox footy shows are amongst the worst on television it's like Fboy Rugby League Island.
 
Foordy said:
Slothfield this morning claiming that after the Manly game senior players (including Hunt and Reynolds) confronted Madge about his style. asking him to pull back.

then goes on about us hiring a crisis manager.

no quotes from anyone at all
Click to expand...
I Haven't read the article but Buzz spoke about the article he was posting after the game on triple m last night.

Firstly, he did acknowledge that Madge was great. He then went on to say that yes, the senior players did approach him after the Manly loss but it wasn't confrontational, was just a "hey, chill bro". It was about his intensity in the game reviews/video sessions and nothing to do with training loads. The crisis manager coached Madge on lowering that intensity and apparently with great results.

You can see that in how they all acknowledged Madge after the game. Shiba said that Madge has changed his life.

Again, haven't read the article but I don't think it was meant to be a negative one.
 
Finally got home and watched a replay.
One weird thing was with about 1min 50 sec to go Shiba is hitting it up and Utoikamanu is making the tackle, Paix comes in and tackles Utoikamanu.
Like he forgot we had the ball.
 
Dexter said:
Finally got home and watched a replay.
One weird thing was with about 1min 50 sec to go Shiba is hitting it up and Utoikamanu is making the tackle, Paix comes in and tackles Utoikamanu.
Like he forgot we had the ball.
Click to expand...
Seen that watching the game, Melbourne would of been thinking 1v1 strip at that stage. If he holds Shiba up he has a longer chance to take the ball off him, Paix getting involved to get Shiba to ground means Utoikamanu can't try the strip anymore. Smart play by Paix
 
BroncsFan said:
Can Buzz just **** off already... his vendetta against Madge is insane... he clearly doesn't realise that people just see him as a rambling senile fool at this point
Click to expand...
We are back to being hated down south for the right reasons instead of them laughing that we can't win anything... I want it to stay that way! So let the old sack of potatoes dribble.
 
I've been meaning to post in this thread for months now, but the narrative kept developing I was happy to let things unfold.

Firstly, a big congratulations to the Broncos management. It was a bold decision to bring Michael Maguire into the club and they could have easily rested on their laurels and filed the coaching position as 'too hard'. There's a lot of pressure that comes with the head coaching role at the Broncos and only a club legend like Kev is ever afforded any sort of reprieve from the public and the press.

Secondly, the club owes a debt of gratitude towards Walters. While he fell short, he achieved beyond expectation and he put the club back on track. The success on Sunday was eerily reminiscent of Penrith in 2003 where Lang was able to enjoy the fruits of Roycie Simmonds labour.

Finally, well done to Madge. The moment he arrived the media took him on and were relentless with their criticism. They did their best to destabalise the team but Madge held firm and built a resilience unlike anything we've seen from this club.

Walking through the season...

What stood out about the Broncos was their squad management. Under Walters the Broncos had an all or nothing approach so when they suffered injuries it would really disrupt them. With Maguire at the helm, he created a competition for spots which saw guys like Shibasaki, Gosiewski, Paix etc. thrive.

Shibasaki in particular was a revelation for the Broncos who struggled to replace Farnworth the previous year. Gehamat was a stronger defender than Cobbo and his carries coming out of trouble were handy.

The Broncos tried to play a more direct brand of football with a heavier emphasis on ruck plays and flat Chris Anderson esque footy. It was a style that the players struggled with but the stronger completion rates allowed them to fatigue the opposition and pick them apart later in halves.

They weren't perfect and they eventually got found out by the Roosters who exposed the Broncos inability to work the ball out of trouble. Arthars in particular only managed 55m and eventually the Roosters took full advantage of the field position.

The season took a turn in New Zealand when Walsh injured his knee in the first involvement of the game. It was a brave performance from Walsh and he played a key role in orchestrating an unlikely comeback before he kicked out on the full, enabling the Warriors to hold on.

It was a sliding doors moment for both clubs. The Warriors would go on a run that set up their season, meanwhile outside of an incredible first half performance against the Bulldogs where everything went Brisbane's way they kept finding ways to beat themselves.

Not only did the Broncos miss Walsh, but the Ben Hunt at 6 experiment clearly wasn't working out. The decision to move Hetherington into the starting team hampered the forward rotations. On top of that while Willison produced some fantastic moments in the second row, he struggled to make the complete transition and was clearly better off the bench.

The backs were also struggling. While he was a quality finisher, Arthars struggled to work the ball out of trouble. Mariner had a similar issues and had the tendancy to take poor options with the football. Selwyn Cobbo had fitness issues, floating in and out of games and wasn't combining well with his outside backs.

The Broncos always had an ace up their sleeve in Ezra Mam so it wasn't panic stations. Once Brisbane were able to get Walsh and Mam on the field at the same time that was going to be key but there needed to be other tweaks.

That's when Madge changed the formation of the forward pack and that immeditately left a positive impact on the team. The other change was the decision to drop Cobbo in favour of Karapani who had been going strength from strength in QCup. Karapani came in against the Gold Coast, took his opportunity and was one of the Broncos better players.

Last year the Broncos struggled during the Origin period and that was where the season slipped away from them. Meanwhile the competition for spots had the Broncos travelling well and where the club had deficiencies, instead of filing it in the too hard basket, Madge went out and recruited one of the form players in reserve grade in Ben Talty and gave him a chance. Talty repaid him in kind and proved a valuable player in that rotation.

If there was one criticism about the Broncos heading into the finals, it was their defence. There were times where they would just switch off and history has taught the fans that defence wins premierships. It was a concern but what the Broncos had was resilience and an ability to affect the scoreboard.

They became better at working the ball out of trouble, the combinations on the edges grew stronger and even without Reynolds and Mam they were always dangerous when they found their rhythm.

Still, at the heart of Maguire's success was his ability to motivate his troops. The Broncos found themselves in so many losing situations and yet overcame time and time again. They never knew when they were beaten and played as bravely as any Queensland team in history. It got to the stage where you had to put all the conventional thinking aside and just accept that Brisbane were inevitable and they were going to find a way.

There are coaches who have a brilliant mind for the game and can break down a defensive line like a scientist. They would be able to point out all the flaws in the Broncos and what it would take to beat them. However it's nigh impossible when you're up against a squad this talented and this motivated.

Granted, Madge and the team had plenty of support. If there was one turning point in this season, just one moment where a premiership seemed possible. It was the 34th minute of the Round 27 clash between Brisbane and Melbourne where Deine Mariner was sent to the sin bin. The way the Suncorp crowd reacted that night was unlike anything else. It was like the fans revolted, they weren't going to take it anymore and they believed in this team.

Those same fans came out against the prelim against Penrith and had Suncorp rocking. So much so, even the greatest team of the modern era were shook and it clearly inspired the boys. Those same fans then travelled to Sydney and they weren't leaving without a premiership. It would had to have been the most amount of Broncos fans in Sydney in any one time and the atmosphere was electric.

It took every bit of that to achieve what we saw on Sunday. The most unlikely premiership in club history, spear-headed by one of the most passionate coaches in NRL history.
 
Big Pete said:
I've been meaning to post in this thread for months now, but the narrative kept developing I was happy to let things unfold.

Firstly, a big congratulations to the Broncos management. It was a bold decision to bring Michael Maguire into the club and they could have easily rested on their laurels and filed the coaching position as 'too hard'. There's a lot of pressure that comes with the head coaching role at the Broncos and only a club legend like Kev is ever afforded any sort of reprieve from the public and the press.

Secondly, the club owes a debt of gratitude towards Walters. While he fell short, he achieved beyond expectation and he put the club back on track. The success on Sunday was eerily reminiscent of Penrith in 2003 where Lang was able to enjoy the fruits of Roycie Simmonds labour.

Finally, well done to Madge. The moment he arrived the media took him on and were relentless with their criticism. They did their best to destabalise the team but Madge held firm and built a resilience unlike anything we've seen from this club.

Walking through the season...

What stood out about the Broncos was their squad management. Under Walters the Broncos had an all or nothing approach so when they suffered injuries it would really disrupt them. With Maguire at the helm, he created a competition for spots which saw guys like Shibasaki, Gosiewski, Paix etc. thrive.

Shibasaki in particular was a revelation for the Broncos who struggled to replace Farnworth the previous year. Gehamat was a stronger defender than Cobbo and his carries coming out of trouble were handy.

The Broncos tried to play a more direct brand of football with a heavier emphasis on ruck plays and flat Chris Anderson esque footy. It was a style that the players struggled with but the stronger completion rates allowed them to fatigue the opposition and pick them apart later in halves.

They weren't perfect and they eventually got found out by the Roosters who exposed the Broncos inability to work the ball out of trouble. Arthars in particular only managed 55m and eventually the Roosters took full advantage of the field position.

The season took a turn in New Zealand when Walsh injured his knee in the first involvement of the game. It was a brave performance from Walsh and he played a key role in orchestrating an unlikely comeback before he kicked out on the full, enabling the Warriors to hold on.

It was a sliding doors moment for both clubs. The Warriors would go on a run that set up their season, meanwhile outside of an incredible first half performance against the Bulldogs where everything went Brisbane's way they kept finding ways to beat themselves.

Not only did the Broncos miss Walsh, but the Ben Hunt at 6 experiment clearly wasn't working out. The decision to move Hetherington into the starting team hampered the forward rotations. On top of that while Willison produced some fantastic moments in the second row, he struggled to make the complete transition and was clearly better off the bench.

The backs were also struggling. While he was a quality finisher, Arthars struggled to work the ball out of trouble. Mariner had a similar issues and had the tendancy to take poor options with the football. Selwyn Cobbo had fitness issues, floating in and out of games and wasn't combining well with his outside backs.

The Broncos always had an ace up their sleeve in Ezra Mam so it wasn't panic stations. Once Brisbane were able to get Walsh and Mam on the field at the same time that was going to be key but there needed to be other tweaks.

That's when Madge changed the formation of the forward pack and that immeditately left a positive impact on the team. The other change was the decision to drop Cobbo in favour of Karapani who had been going strength from strength in QCup. Karapani came in against the Gold Coast, took his opportunity and was one of the Broncos better players.

Last year the Broncos struggled during the Origin period and that was where the season slipped away from them. Meanwhile the competition for spots had the Broncos travelling well and where the club had deficiencies, instead of filing it in the too hard basket, Madge went out and recruited one of the form players in reserve grade in Ben Talty and gave him a chance. Talty repaid him in kind and proved a valuable player in that rotation.

If there was one criticism about the Broncos heading into the finals, it was their defence. There were times where they would just switch off and history has taught the fans that defence wins premierships. It was a concern but what the Broncos had was resilience and an ability to affect the scoreboard.

They became better at working the ball out of trouble, the combinations on the edges grew stronger and even without Reynolds and Mam they were always dangerous when they found their rhythm.

Still, at the heart of Maguire's success was his ability to motivate his troops. The Broncos found themselves in so many losing situations and yet overcame time and time again. They never knew when they were beaten and played as bravely as any Queensland team in history. It got to the stage where you had to put all the conventional thinking aside and just accept that Brisbane were inevitable and they were going to find a way.

There are coaches who have a brilliant mind for the game and can break down a defensive line like a scientist. They would be able to point out all the flaws in the Broncos and what it would take to beat them. However it's nigh impossible when you're up against a squad this talented and this motivated.

Granted, Madge and the team had plenty of support. If there was one turning point in this season, just one moment where a premiership seemed possible. It was the 34th minute of the Round 27 clash between Brisbane and Melbourne where Deine Mariner was sent to the sin bin. The way the Suncorp crowd reacted that night was unlike anything else. It was like the fans revolted, they weren't going to take it anymore and they believed in this team.

Those same fans came out against the prelim against Penrith and had Suncorp rocking. So much so, even the greatest team of the modern era were shook and it clearly inspired the boys. Those same fans then travelled to Sydney and they weren't leaving without a premiership. It would had to have been the most amount of Broncos fans in Sydney in any one time and the atmosphere was electric.

It took every bit of that to achieve what we saw on Sunday. The most unlikely premiership in club history, spear-headed by one of the most passionate coaches in NRL history.
Click to expand...
nooooooooooooo, you changed your iconic profile picture
 
Big Pete said:
I've been meaning to post in this thread for months now, but the narrative kept developing I was happy to let things unfold.

Firstly, a big congratulations to the Broncos management. It was a bold decision to bring Michael Maguire into the club and they could have easily rested on their laurels and filed the coaching position as 'too hard'. There's a lot of pressure that comes with the head coaching role at the Broncos and only a club legend like Kev is ever afforded any sort of reprieve from the public and the press.

Secondly, the club owes a debt of gratitude towards Walters. While he fell short, he achieved beyond expectation and he put the club back on track. The success on Sunday was eerily reminiscent of Penrith in 2003 where Lang was able to enjoy the fruits of Roycie Simmonds labour.

Finally, well done to Madge. The moment he arrived the media took him on and were relentless with their criticism. They did their best to destabalise the team but Madge held firm and built a resilience unlike anything we've seen from this club.

Walking through the season...

What stood out about the Broncos was their squad management. Under Walters the Broncos had an all or nothing approach so when they suffered injuries it would really disrupt them. With Maguire at the helm, he created a competition for spots which saw guys like Shibasaki, Gosiewski, Paix etc. thrive.

Shibasaki in particular was a revelation for the Broncos who struggled to replace Farnworth the previous year. Gehamat was a stronger defender than Cobbo and his carries coming out of trouble were handy.

The Broncos tried to play a more direct brand of football with a heavier emphasis on ruck plays and flat Chris Anderson esque footy. It was a style that the players struggled with but the stronger completion rates allowed them to fatigue the opposition and pick them apart later in halves.

They weren't perfect and they eventually got found out by the Roosters who exposed the Broncos inability to work the ball out of trouble. Arthars in particular only managed 55m and eventually the Roosters took full advantage of the field position.

The season took a turn in New Zealand when Walsh injured his knee in the first involvement of the game. It was a brave performance from Walsh and he played a key role in orchestrating an unlikely comeback before he kicked out on the full, enabling the Warriors to hold on.

It was a sliding doors moment for both clubs. The Warriors would go on a run that set up their season, meanwhile outside of an incredible first half performance against the Bulldogs where everything went Brisbane's way they kept finding ways to beat themselves.

Not only did the Broncos miss Walsh, but the Ben Hunt at 6 experiment clearly wasn't working out. The decision to move Hetherington into the starting team hampered the forward rotations. On top of that while Willison produced some fantastic moments in the second row, he struggled to make the complete transition and was clearly better off the bench.

The backs were also struggling. While he was a quality finisher, Arthars struggled to work the ball out of trouble. Mariner had a similar issues and had the tendancy to take poor options with the football. Selwyn Cobbo had fitness issues, floating in and out of games and wasn't combining well with his outside backs.

The Broncos always had an ace up their sleeve in Ezra Mam so it wasn't panic stations. Once Brisbane were able to get Walsh and Mam on the field at the same time that was going to be key but there needed to be other tweaks.

That's when Madge changed the formation of the forward pack and that immeditately left a positive impact on the team. The other change was the decision to drop Cobbo in favour of Karapani who had been going strength from strength in QCup. Karapani came in against the Gold Coast, took his opportunity and was one of the Broncos better players.

Last year the Broncos struggled during the Origin period and that was where the season slipped away from them. Meanwhile the competition for spots had the Broncos travelling well and where the club had deficiencies, instead of filing it in the too hard basket, Madge went out and recruited one of the form players in reserve grade in Ben Talty and gave him a chance. Talty repaid him in kind and proved a valuable player in that rotation.

If there was one criticism about the Broncos heading into the finals, it was their defence. There were times where they would just switch off and history has taught the fans that defence wins premierships. It was a concern but what the Broncos had was resilience and an ability to affect the scoreboard.

They became better at working the ball out of trouble, the combinations on the edges grew stronger and even without Reynolds and Mam they were always dangerous when they found their rhythm.

Still, at the heart of Maguire's success was his ability to motivate his troops. The Broncos found themselves in so many losing situations and yet overcame time and time again. They never knew when they were beaten and played as bravely as any Queensland team in history. It got to the stage where you had to put all the conventional thinking aside and just accept that Brisbane were inevitable and they were going to find a way.

There are coaches who have a brilliant mind for the game and can break down a defensive line like a scientist. They would be able to point out all the flaws in the Broncos and what it would take to beat them. However it's nigh impossible when you're up against a squad this talented and this motivated.

Granted, Madge and the team had plenty of support. If there was one turning point in this season, just one moment where a premiership seemed possible. It was the 34th minute of the Round 27 clash between Brisbane and Melbourne where Deine Mariner was sent to the sin bin. The way the Suncorp crowd reacted that night was unlike anything else. It was like the fans revolted, they weren't going to take it anymore and they believed in this team.

Those same fans came out against the prelim against Penrith and had Suncorp rocking. So much so, even the greatest team of the modern era were shook and it clearly inspired the boys. Those same fans then travelled to Sydney and they weren't leaving without a premiership. It would had to have been the most amount of Broncos fans in Sydney in any one time and the atmosphere was electric.

It took every bit of that to achieve what we saw on Sunday. The most unlikely premiership in club history, spear-headed by one of the most passionate coaches in NRL history.
Click to expand...
Good write up, Pete.

Looking back on the season, I don’t know if “game of inches” has ever been truer.

So much luck, and ass, and determination was required. Every single win mattered. A few less points in just one of most wins and we don’t win the GF.

The football gods for some reason conspired against all odds to get it done.

It still doesn’t make sense

2015 and 2023 we dominated the comp, and should have been every chance of winning. This year, we didn’t have anything going for us, yet as you said - once we won that storm game I felt confident we could do it.

As someone who is safely pessimistic in most games, at no point after that storm game did I ever feel like us losing was the more likely probability.

Such a weird season
 
broncsgoat said:
Madge and Barrett …

If someone told us this would be reality 5 years ago we wouldn’t believe it
Click to expand...

I keep thinking of so many things like this.

Madge and Barrett for sure.

If someone told me even last year that Shibasaki would score two tries in the grand final then get picked for Australia.

If someone told me Ben Hunt would come back and get his redemption

If someone told me in 2021 that Reece Walsh will come back to Brisbane and win the Churchill.

If someone told me during 2020 that it will all eventually be alright.
 
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