Our chances of making the eight

[Anonymous person]

Does anyone know or remember the 1999 season where we lost 10 of our first 11 games than won 11 of our last 12 and made the finals.

Nah don't think anyone remembers 1999. Did they even have rugby league that year?

Lol

Seriously, What type of question is that?! Lol

 

[Mr Fourex]

I believe we have shown our attack is as good as any - just a matter of consistency and Norman passing the ball, and it really boils down to fast, strong defensive line speed and few missed tackles.

What I have like most about our attack this year is that rely less on game-breakers and more on team combinations, albeit inconsistently which must change.

Most of our early success in attack was the backline with Norman chiming in.......opposing sides are onto that now and are moving up and in on the back runner (Norman) to shut it down. We need to come up with alternatives to negate that, like a smart grubber or a cut out pass from either Prince or Wallace to the outside. At the moment it's getting too predictable. I know it's the quintessential Bronco backline move ala Khunt & Lockyer. Locky was there to mix it up which why it stayed successful.

Been a bit disappointed in Princes kicking .....particularly the short kicks. He used to have a nice little grubber kick back in the Tigers days.

Wallace just doesn't have it.......and never will. His short high kicks to the flanks are tentative stabs at the ball without any real conviction behind them. He doesn't have the touch.....

I liked what I saw from the Broncs in the earlier rounds.......I still think if we play more of that kind of footy and less of the last few weeks, we will make the 8. From there we do have enough to go further, but we'll need the rub of the green to get there

anything's still possible at this stage.

 

[CaptainHook]

Does anyone know or remember the 1999 season where we lost 10 of our first 11 games than won 11 of our last 12 and made the finals.

That's a good point, Broncoman. I think the key difference though is that year we had an experienced group of players (defending premiers, no less) as well as an experienced coach. I had no doubt that year we would dig ourselves out.

At times this year I have wondered exactly where our next win is coming from. A strange feeling for a broncos fan. It's only this year as well where I have watched games thinking beforehand we are no chance at all. Even through our end of season fade outs during the last decade I was confident they would turn it around or maybe spring an upset. Not this year though.

As others have pointed we simply don't seem to trouble the top sides anymore. The titans are the only side we have beaten in the top eight (Souths was the only one last year as well if I recall). The rest of them have beaten us easily.

The key concern for me is that we lack the belief to 'compete'. Looking closely at this year's games and with a few exceptions we played our best football when the result was decided. A classic example was the Storm game. We played busted and gave them a big lead at the break. We came out and blitzed them with three quick tries and got our noses in front. . . then reverted back to the same rubbish.

Similar stories, though not as exciting, against the Raiders, Warriors, Bulldogs etc. We put on our best attacking plays when the game is pretty much over.

Mentally we are not in the contest against most teams. I don't know what the answer is to solve it. . .

I don't know how much good it will be if we scrape into the eight only to be obliterated by the top sides. We are a side with confidence problems, that might not help the situation. despite this, I hope we genuinely find some form and if we do scrape into the eight, we can make a serious dent.

 

[hayseed]

Does anyone know or remember the 1999 season where we lost 10 of our first 11 games than won 11 of our last 12 and made the finals.

Remember it well Bman, it was the season following a dominant Broncos premiership which followed the SL war of 1997, the Broncos of '98 proved to everyone that they were still the greatest team in the land after winning the split comp of 97 in which many RL fans questioned whether the Broncos could match it with the ARL squads. In 1998, they showed that they were indeed still #1.

1999, on the other hand was a different story, they started 1-8-1 taking out a major casualty along with it as Alfie retired in Round 7 after getting dragged vs the Cowboys. Then came an incredible 13 game unbeaten streak (12-0-1) which saw them soar up the standings but still needed an Andrew Gee try in the dying minutes in the final game of the season (vs the Dogs) to secure 8th spot. They were then smashed by the Sharks in the first round of the playoffs ending a truly rollercoaster season.

But before u get too excited, this squad contained the likes of Kevie Walters, Steve Renouf, Wendell, Thorny, the Walker boys, Gordie Tallis and the legendary Danny Bampton. Not to mention the greatest coach who ever lived. Somehow I don't think Hook, Macca, Wally and The Big Show have a 13 game unbeaten streak within them. What do u reckon Bman?

 

[Broncoman]

Remember it well Bman, it was the season following a dominant Broncos premiership which followed the SL war of 1997, the Broncos of '98 proved to everyone that they were still the greatest team in the land after winning the split comp of 97 in which many RL fans questioned whether the Broncos could match it with the ARL squads. In 1998, they showed that they were indeed still #1.

1999, on the other hand was a different story, they started 1-8-1 taking out a major casualty along with it as Alfie retired in Round 7 after getting dragged vs the Cowboys. Then came an incredible 13 game unbeaten streak (12-0-1) which saw them soar up the standings but still needed an Andrew Gee try in the dying minutes in the final game of the season (vs the Dogs) to secure 8th spot. They were then smashed by the Sharks in the first round of the playoffs ending a truly rollercoaster season.

But before u get too excited, this squad contained the likes of Kevie Walters, Steve Renouf, Wendell, Thorny, the Walker boys, Gordie Tallis and the legendary Danny Bampton. Not to mention the greatest coach who ever lived. Somehow I don't think Hook, Macca, Wally and The Big Show have a 13 game unbeaten streak within them. What do u reckon Bman?

No chance of the current team having a run like that the current day Broncos are extremely different to the team that took the field in the late 90's early 2000's. What a roller coaster of a season thanks for the recap. Bennett said in his book that they were just happy to make it in the end, it was a terrific effort to get that far.

 

[rnabokov]

Most of our early success in attack was the backline with Norman chiming in.......opposing sides are onto that now and are moving up and in on the back runner (Norman) to shut it down. We need to come up with alternatives to negate that, like a smart grubber or a cut out pass from either Prince or Wallace to the outside. At the moment it's getting too predictable. I know it's the quintessential Bronco backline move ala Khunt & Lockyer. Locky was there to mix it up which why it stayed successful.

Been a bit disappointed in Princes kicking .....particularly the short kicks. He used to have a nice little grubber kick back in the Tigers days.

Wallace just doesn't have it.......and never will. His short high kicks to the flanks are tentative stabs at the ball without any real conviction behind them. He doesn't have the touch.....

I liked what I saw from the Broncs in the earlier rounds.......I still think if we play more of that kind of footy and less of the last few weeks, we will make the 8. From there we do have enough to go further, but we'll need the rub of the green to get there

anything's still possible at this stage.

For mine, 2nd man plays are one of the staple attacking plays of every team, but yes, the short kicking game is missing. Really needs to become a feature of our game with such good finishers.

I think it's more a question of shutting down 2nd man plays as much as looking for spot on timing, decoys and support runners to get around the up and in defence ... and the short kick behind the line

 

[Dexter]

Most of our early success in attack was the backline with Norman chiming in.......opposing sides are onto that now and are moving up and in on the back runner (Norman) to shut it down. We need to come up with alternatives to negate that, like a smart grubber or a cut out pass from either Prince or Wallace to the outside. At the moment it's getting too predictable. I know it's the quintessential Bronco backline move ala Khunt & Lockyer. Locky was there to mix it up which why it stayed successful.

Exactly, the Tigers were rushing up the other night and presenting a perfect opportunity to set them up for an inside pass but we just kept trying the same thing. There is a big space in behind when a defender races up like that but we just don't think on our feet.

 

[Porthoz]

Exactly, the Tigers were rushing up the other night and presenting a perfect opportunity to set them up for an inside pass but we just kept trying the same thing. There is a big space in behind when a defender races up like that but we just don't think on our feet.

Prince and Wallace did do that a couple of times actually. On one of those, Prince I think it was, kicked perfectly for Hoffman when the Tigers rushed to kill the second man play, but the ball got a wretched bounce and went out...

Still, agree with the principle that we need to mix it up, from kicks behind the line, through inside passes to a rampaging second rower, to cut out passes like the one from Prince to Hoffman, which resulted in a nice try.

 

[subsbligh]

Prince and Wallace did do that a couple of times actually. On one of those, Prince I think it was, kicked perfectly for Hoffman when the Tigers rushed to kill the second man play, but the ball got a wretched bounce and went out...

Still, agree with the principle that we need to mix it up, from kicks behind the line, through inside passes to a rampaging second rower, to cut out passes like the one from Prince to Hoffman, which resulted in a nice try.

Agree, I was cheering when he went for the kick - the play was definitely on - but perhaps a grubber was the way to go

 

[noisetheory]

having a look again, we actually have a pretty easy run home, with four of our last 5 being at suncorp, and one away game to the panthers. maybe the nrl could be nice enough to give us a couple of sunday arvo games at home too........

our final five:

Dragons at home
Eels at home
Panthers away
Knights at home
Bulldogs at home

if we can build any sort of momentum we could easily win those first 4, and then who knows what would be possible v dogs if we had our tails up.

to get to the magical 28 points we need to win 6 of our last 10. if we can jag two wins out of the next 4 or 5, i give us hope. so long as we keep playing positive footy. the problem is we have to face the warriors with our origin players backing up (sunday so a four day turn around), then storm at full strength, then sharks without our origin players.

we could quite easily go straight back to the rubbish that got us in this position, in the first place.

 

[Porthoz]

30 Pts is a realistic achievement, taking into account probable losses in NZ and Melbourne. Winning 2 out of the Cowboys (away), Knights (away), or Bulldogs (home) games should take us to 30 pts. Winning one to 28, which will probably again be the cut-off.

Doing the Predictor thing, I have all three Qld teams finishing 6th, 7th and 8th, but I was probably being generous to the Cowboys given their form this year...

 

[noisetheory]

but I was probably being generous to the Cowboys given their form this year...

offtopic but those bastards look set to cost me around 6k in a 8 leg multi i placed start of season. (that leg being cowboys to make the 8).

 

[Coxy]

Going back to Hayseed and Broncoman's discussions, the highlight for me in 1999 was a try Steve Renouf scored against Penrith in Penrith. He'd long since lost his dynamic speed, but none of his deception. As I recall it he got the ball about 10m out from the line, about 10m in from touch. He had his winger outside him, and 4 defenders in front in a line. He stepped right, he stepped left, he stepped again and went over the line with 2 defenders grasping at him. It was amazing.

I wish I could find highlights of it online but nothing :(

 

[Broncoman]

30 Pts is a realistic achievement, taking into account probable losses in NZ and Melbourne. Winning 2 out of the Cowboys (away), Knights (away), or Bulldogs (home) games should take us to 30 pts. Winning one to 28, which will probably again be the cut-off.

Doing the Predictor thing, I have all three Qld teams finishing 6th, 7th and 8th, but I was probably being generous to the Cowboys given their form this year...[/QUOTE]

They have easily been the most disappointing outfit of the year considering the roster they've got and the inroads they made during 2011-2012. I expected them to make the finals at least but I doubt that will happen now.

 

[Alec]

Cowboys lack a good hooker. I mean Payne was far from great, but the players they use now make McCullough look like Danny Buderus or something. Bowen generally either being terrible or injured certainly doesn't help either.

 

[Unbreakable]

In relation to the question at hand, I'd say our odds are somewhere in between slim and none.

 

[Mr Fourex]

30 Pts is a realistic achievement, taking into account probable losses in NZ and Melbourne. Winning 2 out of the Cowboys (away), Knights (away), or Bulldogs (home) games should take us to 30 pts. Winning one to 28, which will probably again be the cut-off.

Doing the Predictor thing, I have all three Qld teams finishing 6th, 7th and 8th, but I was probably being generous to the Cowboys given their form this year...[/QUOTE]

They have easily been the most disappointing outfit of the year considering the roster they've got and the inroads they made during 2011-2012. I expected them to make the finals at least but I doubt that will happen now.

I wouldn't write the Cowboys off just yet.

I think the remaining SOO series will play the likes of Scott, JT and Tamou back into form. On the back of this years QLD series victory, JT and Scott will play like champions

and Tamou will lift..... because he will be angry

Angry that he's been in a SOO series losing side

again.

I know it's not a very popular theory and there are strong arguments against it, however a SOO series can benefit a club side ....sometimes.

 

[Alec]

I know it's not a very popular theory and there are strong arguments against it, however a SOO series can benefit a club side ....sometimes.

Like the Broncs in 2006. Winning Origin for the first time since 2001 probably made Lockyer realise that he is god, and he certainly played like one for the rest of the season.