MaroubraBroncos
QCup Player
- Oct 15, 2013
- 411
- 136
Artical posted on the Broncos Website. I find the bold part to be the most interesting. The Level of DELUSION is beyond me!
THE NRMA Insurance Broncos are poised in a healthy position to make a run for the finals as the traditionally difficult Origin period comes to a close.
Despite consecutive injury-depleted losses with three to four key players unavailable, the Broncos will finish the current round in the top eight and await the Round 17 bye to give them 20 competition points with nine rounds remaining.
That puts them three wins ahead of where they were at the same time last year, with the Broncos sitting on just 14 points in 13th spot on the ladder at Round 17 back in 2013.
Key injuries to Australian players Corey Parker and Matt Gillett, and also to gun hooker Andrew McCullough in the past fortnight have not helped the Broncos’ cause.
The good news is that all three are certainties for the Broncos' next clash on Monday night July 14 v Panthers away, assuming the Origin players get through next week’s final match of the series unscathed.
This leaves the Broncos with nine matches - including five at home - to stake their claim for the finals.
Considering the top eight will have a likely cut-off at 28 points, the Broncos will need to win five of their last nine (and possibly only four) to make certain they book their place for September.
In a competition like the NRL there are no easy draws, with the Broncos having just as hard a run as any.
They have difficult assignments over the next few weeks, meeting the Panthers away before hosting the New Zealand Warriors (Saturday night 19 July) and Melbourne Storm (Friday night 25 July) at home.
Dates and times will be set this week by the NRL for the Broncos’ final six matches against the Sea Eagles (away), Bulldogs (home), Rabbitohs (away), Knights and Dragons (both at home) and finally the Storm (away) in Round 26.
Most pleasing for the Broncos this year has been their consistency – despite losing seven games, only one of them has been by more than 10 points, when a late try on the siren to the Cowboys secured a 13-point victory to them up in Townsville.
In other words, the Broncos have been in every game they have contested – a claim few teams in the NRL can make.
There have been some disappointing finishes to games from the Broncos – late losses to the Roosters, Rabbitohs, Titans and Cronulla. But once again, these were matches the Broncos were in until the death.
There have also been some very good performances – a 36-10 drubbing of ladder leaders Manly; away wins over the Bulldogs, Knights and Dragons; and a tough victory over the Tigers at Campbelltown with no Origin players on deck.
The form of our representative players – Parker, Gillett, Justin Hodges, Sam Thaiday and Alex Glenn - has been wonderful, but it is the 'young guns' who have stepped up that fans should be thanking the coaching staff for.
Halfback Ben Hunt has been a revelation for the Broncos in 2014, his white-hot form taking him to the top echelons of the Dally M count.
The foresight of coach Anthony Griffin to play him as a hooker off the bench the past two seasons – which has done wonders for his defensive game – was a winning move.
Other youngsters like Dale Copley, Daniel Vidot and McCullough have raised the level of their play in 2014.
Copley currently sits third on the try-scoring list with 11 four-pointers. Vidot has more running metres than any other player in the game - backs or forwards!
McCullough had made more tackles than anyone else in the competition until he was injured against the Raiders back in Round 13.
And 'Macca' is right up there with the amount of touches he has and the dummy half runs he makes, showing his huge involvement in the Broncos’ play.
Off-season recruit Ben Barba may be known as a try scorer, but this year he has saved more tries than any other player in the NRL.
The team’s statistics are comparing favourably against their opposition as well. The Broncos sit third for both completed sets and their completion rate in the entire competition - just behind the Storm and Bulldogs.
While the bye is on this week, there is still some gnashing of teeth about another close loss to the Sharks last Friday evening.
But unlike in 2013, the Broncos have given their members and fans something to get excited about over the closing stages of the competition.
The team has worked hard to put themselves in a position to do something substantial as the finals approach.
THE NRMA Insurance Broncos are poised in a healthy position to make a run for the finals as the traditionally difficult Origin period comes to a close.
Despite consecutive injury-depleted losses with three to four key players unavailable, the Broncos will finish the current round in the top eight and await the Round 17 bye to give them 20 competition points with nine rounds remaining.
That puts them three wins ahead of where they were at the same time last year, with the Broncos sitting on just 14 points in 13th spot on the ladder at Round 17 back in 2013.
Key injuries to Australian players Corey Parker and Matt Gillett, and also to gun hooker Andrew McCullough in the past fortnight have not helped the Broncos’ cause.
The good news is that all three are certainties for the Broncos' next clash on Monday night July 14 v Panthers away, assuming the Origin players get through next week’s final match of the series unscathed.
This leaves the Broncos with nine matches - including five at home - to stake their claim for the finals.
Considering the top eight will have a likely cut-off at 28 points, the Broncos will need to win five of their last nine (and possibly only four) to make certain they book their place for September.
In a competition like the NRL there are no easy draws, with the Broncos having just as hard a run as any.
They have difficult assignments over the next few weeks, meeting the Panthers away before hosting the New Zealand Warriors (Saturday night 19 July) and Melbourne Storm (Friday night 25 July) at home.
Dates and times will be set this week by the NRL for the Broncos’ final six matches against the Sea Eagles (away), Bulldogs (home), Rabbitohs (away), Knights and Dragons (both at home) and finally the Storm (away) in Round 26.
Most pleasing for the Broncos this year has been their consistency – despite losing seven games, only one of them has been by more than 10 points, when a late try on the siren to the Cowboys secured a 13-point victory to them up in Townsville.
In other words, the Broncos have been in every game they have contested – a claim few teams in the NRL can make.
There have been some disappointing finishes to games from the Broncos – late losses to the Roosters, Rabbitohs, Titans and Cronulla. But once again, these were matches the Broncos were in until the death.
There have also been some very good performances – a 36-10 drubbing of ladder leaders Manly; away wins over the Bulldogs, Knights and Dragons; and a tough victory over the Tigers at Campbelltown with no Origin players on deck.
The form of our representative players – Parker, Gillett, Justin Hodges, Sam Thaiday and Alex Glenn - has been wonderful, but it is the 'young guns' who have stepped up that fans should be thanking the coaching staff for.
Halfback Ben Hunt has been a revelation for the Broncos in 2014, his white-hot form taking him to the top echelons of the Dally M count.
The foresight of coach Anthony Griffin to play him as a hooker off the bench the past two seasons – which has done wonders for his defensive game – was a winning move.
Other youngsters like Dale Copley, Daniel Vidot and McCullough have raised the level of their play in 2014.
Copley currently sits third on the try-scoring list with 11 four-pointers. Vidot has more running metres than any other player in the game - backs or forwards!
McCullough had made more tackles than anyone else in the competition until he was injured against the Raiders back in Round 13.
And 'Macca' is right up there with the amount of touches he has and the dummy half runs he makes, showing his huge involvement in the Broncos’ play.
Off-season recruit Ben Barba may be known as a try scorer, but this year he has saved more tries than any other player in the NRL.
The team’s statistics are comparing favourably against their opposition as well. The Broncos sit third for both completed sets and their completion rate in the entire competition - just behind the Storm and Bulldogs.
While the bye is on this week, there is still some gnashing of teeth about another close loss to the Sharks last Friday evening.
But unlike in 2013, the Broncos have given their members and fans something to get excited about over the closing stages of the competition.
The team has worked hard to put themselves in a position to do something substantial as the finals approach.
