Matt Lodge given permission to train with Broncos

[Jason Simmons]

Are you saying our forward pack isn't top shelf?

Me and everyone else who has been crying out for more forwards talent ever since I joined the forum, yes... Last year it was nothing but 'we must get Napa or we're doomed' this year it's been losing one middle forward after another with no replacements...

Do I think our pack is top shelf? Short answer? No. I think it is serviceable, but not great. The fact that we are and have been playing backrowers in our front row for want of props up to the job for years, should suggest that.

Our preferred hooker has never played adult rep football and many suggest our backrower sized lock should be in the front row, again for lack of sufficiently capable props and because he isn't an especially good lock...

Does that scream 'top shelf'?

 

[Kyall]

When we are in the top 3 in the nrl for running meters then yes that does seem top shelf to me.

 

[jarro65]

As good as our forward pack has been, being so undersized and all, i still think we need a genuinely big body up front to help get us on the front foot when we really need it.

 

[Allo]

When we are in the top 3 in the nrl for running meters then yes that does seem top shelf to me.

Moga, McGuire, Oates, Roberts, Glenn. That's out Top 5 in (all) Run Metres. We get away with 2 forward-sized backs doing all the work. Not top shelf.

 

[Allo]

As good as our forward pack has been, being so undersized and all, i still think we need a genuinely big body up front to help get us on the front foot when we really need it.

I agree. Discounting all the other factors in recent teams winning titles (ie fairytale pass) and you have Sharks with Fifita, Cowboys with JT13, Souths with 3 Burgii. All those players have at one point or another, dominated a team single-handedly because of their size.

I'm not saying we need a 6ft 4 giant to be successful, because we were for 79mins, but it'd be bloody helpful sometimes

 

[Thelmus]

We need more metres and he would be handy, but I'm not that despondent if he goes elsewhere. Offa is a real front rower and hard working defender to boot (could & should be starting), Tevita, is coming along but not yet ready. We have a heap of potential behind that, but some stop gaps are required for the next 2 years. 1 run on front rower (if Simms doesn't improve, a bench front rower, both metre eaters and capable defenders. I'm not sure how we do that if we don't sign a bargain buy like lodge, what with limited cap space. Otherwise we just hope one of the young fellows comes on quicker than expected.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Me and everyone else who has been crying out for more forwards talent ever since I joined the forum, yes... Last year it was nothing but 'we must get Napa or we're doomed' this year it's been losing one middle forward after another with no replacements...

Do I think our pack is top shelf? Short answer? No. I think it is serviceable, but not great. The fact that we are and have been playing backrowers in our front row for want of props up to the job for years, should suggest that.

Our preferred hooker has never played adult rep football and many suggest our backrower sized lock should be in the front row, again for lack of sufficiently capable props and because he isn't an especially good lock...

Does that scream 'top shelf'?

"Forwards win footy games" is something every good footy judge continuously says:

With this substandard forward pack we are coming 3rd, and came 5th last year and made the gf the year before with pretty much the same pack (in 2016 we had Parker but in 2015 we had no McGuire on our way to the gf-our best forward!).

I'm not sure this matches the theory of a terrible pack...

We also have 2 starting Australian forwards, the current nz captain, an origin and Australian mainstay up until a year ago who often plays off the bench for us because their is a New Zealand international in his way, a hooker who was 18th man for Queensland this year (a guy named c smith was in his way, he must be terrible if he can't get a rep jersey in front of c smith aye?), a prop who has been 18th man for Queensland multiple times, and one of the most exciting young forwards in the game (TPJ)..

Not bad for a crap pack.

But... we are small, although this will change DRAMATICALLY in 2-3 years with haas and fafita claiming spots. We aren't as small as everyone claims though. Our bench is big.

We need a journeyman prop + lodge and we will be more then capable. TPJ and offa are devoloping into outstanding first graders who would make any other team on a weekly basis.

Those forwards we are losing....... name the forward pack in 5 years..... ese and arrow MIGHT make the bench... haas and fafita will knock them out of their and offa has overtaken ese already + we potentially have lodge and bird in the pack... a journey man & lodge, together with the continued progress of the current young forwards, will MORE then cover their loss and blairs loss

 

[Allo]

We need more metres and he would be handy, but I'm not that despondent if he goes elsewhere. Offa is a real front rower and hard working defender to boot (could & should be starting), Tevita, is coming along but not yet ready. We have a heap of potential behind that, but some stop gaps are required for the next 2 years. 1 run on front rower (if Simms doesn't improve, a bench front rower, both metre eaters and capable defenders. I'm not sure how we do that if we don't sign a bargain buy like lodge, what with limited cap space. Otherwise we just hope one of the young fellows comes on quicker than expected.

I know it was a matter of money, but I wished we'd invested more in Herman. I hope he comes back after his time in Newy.

"Forwards win footy games" is something every good footy judge continuously says:

With this substandard forward pack we are coming 3rd, and came 5th last year and made the gf the year before with pretty much the same pack (in 2016 we had Parker but in 2015 we had no McGuire on our way to the gf-our best forward!).

I'm not sure this matches the theory of a terrible pack...

We also have 2 starting Australian forwards, the current nz captain, an origin and Australian mainstay up until a year ago who often plays off the bench for us because their is a New Zealand international in his way, a hooker who was 18th man for Queensland this year (a guy named c smith was in his way, he must be terrible if he can't get a rep jersey in front of c smith aye?), a prop who has been 18th man for Queensland multiple times, and one of the most exciting young forwards in the game (TPJ)..

Not bad for a crap pack.

But... we are small, although this will change DRAMATICALLY in 2-3 years with haas and fafita claiming spots. We aren't as small as everyone claims though. Our bench is big.

We need a journeyman prop + lodge and we will be more then capable. TPJ and offa are devoloping into outstanding first graders who would make any other team on a weekly basis.

Those forwards we are losing....... name the forward pack in 5 years..... ese and arrow MIGHT make the bench... haas and fafita will knock them out of their and offa has overtaken ese already + we potentially have lodge and bird in the pack... a journey man & lodge, together with the continued progress of the current young forwards, will MORE then cover their loss and blairs loss

On the forwards we're losing next season, why not try and keep those guys to win a title asap? Fifita and Haas are at least another season away from even debuting, Thaiday + Blair will go, TPJ needs another season before he reaches his potential (he's played **** all minutes this year). I understand the need to plan for the long term, but it's a gamble that the players and team we plan will actually succeed.

 

[Jason Simmons]

When we are in the top 3 in the nrl for running meters then yes that does seem top shelf to me.

As a team... Take Moga and Oates out and see how we stack up.

 

[Jason Simmons]

"Forwards win footy games" is something every good footy judge continuously says:

With this substandard forward pack we are coming 3rd, and came 5th last year and made the gf the year before with pretty much the same pack (in 2016 we had Parker but in 2015 we had no McGuire on our way to the gf-our best forward!).

I'm not sure this matches the theory of a terrible pack...

We also have 2 starting Australian forwards, the current nz captain, an origin and Australian mainstay up until a year ago who often plays off the bench for us because their is a New Zealand international in his way, a hooker who was 18th man for Queensland this year (a guy named c smith was in his way, he must be terrible if he can't get a rep jersey in front of c smith aye?), a prop who has been 18th man for Queensland multiple times, and one of the most exciting young forwards in the game (TPJ)..

Not bad for a crap pack.

But... we are small, although this will change DRAMATICALLY in 2-3 years with haas and fafita claiming spots. We aren't as small as everyone claims though. Our bench is big.

We need a journeyman prop + lodge and we will be more then capable. TPJ and offa are devoloping into outstanding first graders who would make any other team on a weekly basis.

Those forwards we are losing....... name the forward pack in 5 years..... ese and arrow MIGHT make the bench... haas and fafita will knock them out of their and offa has overtaken ese already + we potentially have lodge and bird in the pack... a journey man & lodge, together with the continued progress of the current young forwards, will MORE then cover their loss and blairs loss

I never said they were terrible.

I said they were serviceable in response to the proposition that our pack is 'top shelf'.

It isn't 'top shelf' and hasn't been for years.

 

[Wolfie]

As a team... Take Moga and Oates out and see how we stack up.

Be nice to see how our forwards stack up. Never read too much into backs making big meters.

 

[Super Freak]

As a team... Take Moga and Oates out and see how we stack up.

20,024 from the forwards.

That's taking every forward into account, including the likes of Fai, Su'A and Arrow who haven't played much.

Out of the 39777 metres total so far this season, Oates and Moga have been responsible for 6529 metres.

 

[Thelmus]

Whether we like it or not esesse, arrow and moga are gone. We'll miss moga's early metres, but its not irreplacable. Blair on the other hand will be huge. At his best (admittedly not recent games) he's both a strong runner with offloads and passes, and also a consummate defender that does all those little things no one else is keen to (pressure on kickers, running legal blocking for catchers, chasing kicks etc). Some of those things can be found in others, but not the whole package. Sometimes I think those aspects are lost in the discussion when talking about potential replacements/additions to our forwards.

 

[Jason Simmons]

20,024 from the forwards.

That's taking every forward into account, including the likes of Fai, Su'A and Arrow who haven't played much.

Out of the 39777 metres total so far this season, Oates and Moga have been responsible for 6529 metres.

Oates averages 168m per game.
Moga 145m per game.
McGuire 142m per game.
Roberts 129m per game.
Boyd 112m per game.

Tails off fairly rapidly after that with most of our 'top shelf' forwards not averaging 100m per game.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Just shows how critical Oates is though in the scheme of things, always goes looking for hit-ups and makes these much needed metres from the back when the forwards are struggling or working their way back on side.

 

[Super Freak]

Just shows how critical Oates is though in the scheme of things, always goes looking for hit-ups and makes these much needed metres from the back when the forwards are struggling or working their way back on side.

Oates and Moga responsible for a large chunk of our metres and people wonder why Boyd passes it to them on kick returns...

 

[tommy]

Oates and Moga responsible for a large chunk of our metres and people wonder why Boyd passes it to them on kick returns...

When we lose 5-10m by him passing it then yeah I really do wonder why he does it. That said I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt if it's true his hammy has been giving him grief for a week or 2 now. Will be watching keenly next year though. Hopefully he grows a set and does some strong returns.

 

[Super Freak]

When we lose 5-10m by him passing it then yeah I really do wonder why he does it.

Can you tell me how many times that has happened? Because it seems to me it very rarely happens, so not really sure how it's a problem.