NEWS Phil Gould goes one-on-one with the Broncos CEO, Paul White

[Big Pete]

The main takeaway I got from the Phil Gould interview is that Paul White views the Broncos as a Top 4 side. That maybe putting a brave face on for the camera, but if he's being honest then it goes to show their level of expectation next season.

The one point White stressed in the interview was how disrupted the pre-season was for 2018/19 which is true. Seibold can actually make some significant roster changes this pre-season since other clubs will have room to maneuver and he'll have a better understanding of the roster.

I actually thought Gus did a decent job of summising the Broncos issues. The Broncos have gone out and signed a modern day coach to try and bring some fresh new ideas to the club. Some players are buying into it, while others aren't and the club is going through a teething problem. On top of that, Seibold is still a rookie coach and there were areas of his performance that weren't up to par and he'll have to improve along with his personnel.

It was all common sense stuff, but the way Gould was able to articulate it was the type of direct answer that I feel gets lost in all the scapegoating.

 

[Kimlo]

As a part time board member he is required to attend about 10 meetings a year. Not bad pay for 10 days work a year...

Boyd turned up 5 times this year for 600-800k, so he has the better job.

 

[Jason Simmons]

The main takeaway I got from the Phil Gould interview is that Paul White views the Broncos as a Top 4 side. That maybe putting a brave face on for the camera, but if he's being honest then it goes to show their level of expectation next season.

The one point White stressed in the interview was how disrupted the pre-season was for 2018/19 which is true. Seibold can actually make some significant roster changes this pre-season since other clubs will have room to maneuver and he'll have a better understanding of the roster.

I actually thought Gus did a decent job of summising the Broncos issues. The Broncos have gone out and signed a modern day coach to try and bring some fresh new ideas to the club. Some players are buying into it, while others aren't and the club is going through a teething problem. On top of that, Seibold is still a rookie coach and there were areas of his performance that weren't up to par and he'll have to improve along with his personnel.

It was all common sense stuff, but the way Gould was able to articulate it was the type of direct answer that I feel gets lost in all the scapegoating.

See Gould had the opportunity to ask some really great questions there, questions that they typically refuse to answer.

1. WHY Paul, do you see us as a top 4 team, when under your leadership we have been through 4 different coaches, yet only managed to be a top 4 team 3 times in the last 10 years and indeed only a top 4 team 3 times since we won our last premiership? (I accept 2007-2009 wasn’t under his watch, but the point remains, we weren’t a consistent top 4 team in the years before he started and we haven’t been in the years under his watch).

2. Why is that we have not developed a genuine competition superstar since Darren Lockyer, yet have missed plenty since that time, that were in our system or we must have seen? Why do we seem to so consistently miss things that other clubs see and what has the club done to address this?

3. If we accept the proposition in the last question, that there has been a problem in this regard with developing genuine match winning superstars, why have we been so reluctant to go to market and actually buy one? When we try (hello Greg Inglis) why are we apparently so incompetent at recruitment, that we cannot land the deal?

 

[Kimlo]

For those who want to watch it themselves - https://www.9now.com.au/100-footy/2019/episode-29 skip to 34 minutes. You need an account but it's free.

 

[Big Pete]

See Gould had the opportunity to ask some really great questions there, questions that they typically refuse to answer.

1. WHY Paul, do you see us as a top 4 team, when under your leadership we have been through 4 different coaches, yet only managed to be a top 4 team 3 times in the last 10 years and indeed only a top 4 team 3 times since we won our last premiership? (I accept 2007-2009 wasn’t under his watch, but the point remains, we weren’t a consistent top 4 team in the years before he started and we haven’t been in the years under his watch).

2. Why is that we have not developed a genuine competition superstar since Darren Lockyer, yet have missed plenty since that time, that were in our system or we must have seen? Why do we seem to consistently miss things that other clubs see?

3. If we accept the proposition in the last question, that there has been a problem in this regard with developing genuine match winning superstars, why have we been so reluctant to go to market and actually buy one? When we try (hello Greg Inglis) why are we apparently so incompetent at recruitment, that we cannot land the deal?

Careful Jason, those are the type of questions that get you banned from Red Hill.

 

[Jason Simmons]

Careful Jason, those are the type of questions that get you banned from Red Hill.

They did. Banned me from the FB page for 3 years for asking just those sorts of questions...

 

[Kimlo]

Most interesting part for me is Lockyer saying Milford to fullback won't continue and thank **** for that.

Lockyer said far more than White
- Our spine is a long way from the top 4 teams
- Dearden/Paix coming through, Paix is seen as a hooker
Quote "Milford went to fullback this year but we don't know if he's capable of playing at that elite level at fullback so he's going to come back into the equation in the halves.

 

[Foordy]

Quote "Milford went to fullback this year but we don't know if he's capable of playing at that elite level at fullback so he's going to come back into the equation in the halves.

That sounds like Locky hedging his bets to me ... not a confirmation that Milford is done at fullback

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Yeah it's more of an keeping all options on the table sort of comment. I wouldn't read too much into it, but it would stagger me if Milford wasn't in the 6 come March.

 

[Foordy]

but it would stagger me if Milford wasn't in the 6 come March.

it would all depend how hard he is prepared to work in the off season.

if he works his ass off, he has the ability to be one of the best fullbacks in the game, and a real game changer for us ... if he doesn't then he'll be a flop at fullback.

 

[Kimlo]

That sounds like Locky hedging his bets to me ... not a confirmation that Milford is done at fullback

Yeah it's more of an keeping all options on the table sort of comment. I wouldn't read too much into it, but it would stagger me if Milford wasn't in the 6 come March.

The fact that he mentioned he may go back to the halves is pretty telling for mine.

If they were convinced he was a fullback, there'd be no mention other than he'll work hard to improve in that position.

I don't like Milford at fullback but you're right, if he can work harder than he ever has, actually get super fit, I think he could become an elite fullback but I'm utterly unconvinced he has the mental fortitude to achieve that transition. I'd love to be wrong though! If he can drop about 10kgs and get super fit, he has the skill set to be an elite fullback. There's nothing stopping him from doing what Paps has at the storm except with a higher ceiling.

Maybe the Lockyer article the other day about Milford's fitness is a sign they're going to be hammering him this off season. He gets paid a million a year, get in peak shape ****, no excuses.

 

[broncsgoat]

Even if he does become the fittest he’s ever been he’ll be 6. The only thing preventing that would be arrogance on seibolds behalf. I’m hoping he takes his medicine and moves him back.

‘Paul white goes one on one’... has his hand held by Darren Lockyer. Seriously.

 

[tommy]

Was Milford the only player mentioned? Seriously? I didn't bother watching because I knew it would be a load of crap. Was Lodge for captain discussed? Darius?

 

[Dazza 92]

See Gould had the opportunity to ask some really great questions there, questions that they typically refuse to answer.

1. WHY Paul, do you see us as a top 4 team, when under your leadership we have been through 4 different coaches, yet only managed to be a top 4 team 3 times in the last 10 years and indeed only a top 4 team 3 times since we won our last premiership? (I accept 2007-2009 wasn’t under his watch, but the point remains, we weren’t a consistent top 4 team in the years before he started and we haven’t been in the years under his watch).

2. Why is that we have not developed a genuine competition superstar since Darren Lockyer, yet have missed plenty since that time, that were in our system or we must have seen? Why do we seem to so consistently miss things that other clubs see and what has the club done to address this?

3. If we accept the proposition in the last question, that there has been a problem in this regard with developing genuine match winning superstars, why have we been so reluctant to go to market and actually buy one? When we try (hello Greg Inglis) why are we apparently so incompetent at recruitment, that we cannot land the deal?

To be fair, the emergence of Haas and Fifita are going someway towards our ability in this department of home grown elite talent...

P.S - #SIGNFIFITANOW....

 

[The Strapper]

Was Milford the only player mentioned? Seriously? I didn't bother watching because I knew it would be a load of crap. Was Lodge for captain discussed? Darius?

The interview wasn’t long enough to canvass those sort of issues.
I honestly don’t know why nine bothered to send Gould up here for such a short interview.
They could have easily done it via Skype or whatever system they use.

 

[Dexter]

Even if he does become the fittest he’s ever been he’ll be 6. The only thing preventing that would be arrogance on seibolds behalf. I’m hoping he takes his medicine and moves him back.

‘Paul white goes one on one’... has his hand held by Darren Lockyer. Seriously.

HahaHaha what crap. You just can't help it.

 

[Jason Simmons]

To be fair, the emergence of Haas and Fifita are going someway towards our ability in this department of home grown elite talent...

P.S - #SIGNFIFITANOW....

They are both good players, we haven’t had any shortage of them. Hodgo, Parker, Thaiday etc.

Genuine match-winning halves, elite fullbacks / hookers have been virtually non-existant in our ‘system’.

 

[Galah]

The fact that he mentioned he may go back to the halves is pretty telling for mine.

If they were convinced he was a fullback, there'd be no mention other than he'll work hard to improve in that position.

I don't like Milford at fullback but you're right, if he can work harder than he ever has, actually get super fit, I think he could become an elite fullback but I'm utterly unconvinced he has the mental fortitude to achieve that transition. I'd love to be wrong though! If he can drop about 10kgs and get super fit, he has the skill set to be an elite fullback. There's nothing stopping him from doing what Paps has at the storm except with a higher ceiling.

Maybe the Lockyer article the other day about Milford's fitness is a sign they're going to be hammering him this off season. He gets paid a million a year, get in peak shape ****, no excuses.

You bring up a good point about mental fortitude. to me it doesn’t matter how fit you are or how much much training you do, there always comes a point in a game where you’re absolutely fingered and you just gotta be willing to get to that ball in the corner or run that guy down from the other side of the field or make that last ditch defensive play. He just doesn’t seem hungry enough for that and we spend all this time grooming him for 6 he developed a top 5 kicking game all he needed was a steady no 7 and then shove him to fb because the captain was stinking it up.

Put him back.