Player Movements and Rumours 2011

[Fozz]

Now I have to change my pants.

 

[Jeba]

This stinks of 2000 to me.

I think Coxy may have mentioned it, but it was touted as a rebuilding year, after we lost Alf to retirement. We had Ikin and Walters in the halves, hardly the best halves pairing in the competition with Kevvy at the twilight of his career, but our Premiership was won through our forward pack.

This time, we've lost Lockyer, but we have the best forward pack in the competition. We can win it!!!!

 

[Ghibli]

Disagree Jeb, we still had a lot of superstars in that team. The game was more suited back then to our game plan in that year. I think that we'll go well in the forwards next season, but I think out halves will be the determining factor - they will need to make the right decisions, link with their backs at the right times, and be consistent.

If anything I would've compared this season to our 2000 feats.

 

[Jeba]

Disagree Jeb, we still had a lot of superstars in that team. The game was more suited back then to our game plan in that year. I think that we'll go well in the forwards next season, but I think out halves will be the determining factor - they will need to make the right decisions, link with their backs at the right times, and be consistent.

If anything I would've compared this season to our 2000 feats.

We've got rep standard players in our squad for 2012 as well. Hoffman, Yow Yeh, Hodges, McGuire, Civoniceva, Hannant, Thaiday - all superstars on their day, plus other players in the squad have the potential to be that as well.

I am not saying the halves need to sit back and let the forwards do all the work. But what I am saying is that our forwards should be able to give them every chance to create opportunities, make the right decision, link with their backs, be consistent, etc etc.

 

[Ghibli]

Ohh I totally agree with your first sentence, however I see 2011 Lockyer and 2000 Walters as having played the same crucial role by essentially steering the guys around, making the right decisions and effectively linking with the backs. I don't think Wallace and Hunt/Norman will be able to do that next season IMO.

 

[Jeba]

Many were saying the same about Walters.

 

[Ghibli]

Many were saying the same about Walters.

Really, Walters was five times the player that Wallace is in the respective arguments. They may have said that in comparison against Alf... But if we are comparing 2000 against 2012, and Walters (circa 2000) against Wallace (circa 2011/2012), there is no argument.

 

[Coxy]

Have to remember when the Broncos started season 2000 we had no idea who our halves would be. Ikin was recruited as a centre, and we had Ben Walker and Kevin Walters in the halves. Walters missed much of the first half of the season with injury. Walker was cast aside because he was ####.

It wasn't really until about midseason that the halves were relatively settled. We were just lucky we had a top class 9 (Priddis) and 1 (Lockyer) in great form.

 

[broncos4life]

Mate there has been plenty of opportunities for Hunt and Norman to prove themselves worthy of a spot in the halves without us having to consider buying what looks certain to be a rep player of the future.

Honestly if you were asked to choose one out of the 3 would you not pick DCE???

I think this line of thinking is very harsh on Hunt and Norman. If DCE had only been afforded the same opportunities as Hunt & Norman (and lets be honest their opportunities have been the odd game here and there when all our stars are missing) I don't think we all would be raving about him. There is a big chance that either Norman or Hunt are going to be the same sort of quality and you are already thinking about 2013...

I mean if DCE WANTED to come to the broncos because he loves the club and it isn't just a case of he hates manly now or wants big coin, then yeah I would be all for it as long as it doesn't affect our retention of our young, talented squad. Hook and the rest of them have worked very hard to get the pride back into the jumper and I wouldn't want to risk all that on a talented HB looking for big coin

 

[broncos4life]

Everyone knows how highly I rate Ben Hunt. I'd love him to be our half/five-eighth and dominate.

But let's be realistic. If a player of DCE's quality knocked on the door and wanted to join the team, would you say no? I certainly wouldn't.

If DCE was knocking on the door because he loves the broncs and always has, then welcome aboard... if he is just coming for coin then no thanks

 

[lockyalf in]

I would take DCE any day of the week. Our side would be looking dam good with him on board. 7. DCE 6. Pete 14. Hunt

We would go great guns with that.

 

[Big Pete]

This stinks of 2000 to me.

I think Coxy may have mentioned it, but it was touted as a rebuilding year, after we lost Alf to retirement. We had Ikin and Walters in the halves, hardly the best halves pairing in the competition with Kevvy at the twilight of his career, but our Premiership was won through our forward pack.

This time, we've lost Lockyer, but we have the best forward pack in the competition. We can win it!!!!

I can sort of see this but I always thought the Broncos owed a lot of their 2000 success to the effort they put in during 1999. They proved that they could win without Alf during that season and really bonded well. The boys don't really have that JUST yet and while there's been a couple of promising performances there is still a feeling that we can't win without Lockyer.

But there are definitely a lot of similarities.

For starters, I thought our style of play in 2011 was very similar to 1999. Very gritty Rugby League, not known for blowing teams away but capable of coming up with the right plays at the right time.

Sides are also very similar on paper except for the backline which is completely different. You've got to remember, the Broncos built a lot of their sets on the back of early hit ups from Lote & Dell who were both like Uate. Locky was Locky and there's nobody in the game who plays like him. Centres had different roles too, they were more defence oriented where as Hodges & Reed are more potent.

Either way, I'm really excited to see what happens and while I'm not banking on us winning in 2012, I could see us taking out the premiership within 3 years.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Norman has put on a fair bit of weight over the break so I am looking forward to seeing how he goes.

 

[pennywisealfie]

back to training today! go boys!

 

[Anonymous person]

2000 was unlimited interchange, and that changes things a hell of a lot. if you had 6-7 monster props/second rowers, you could just steamroll the opposition - and thats exactly what the Broncos did. We may not have had Alfie, but we had Lockyer in one of his best season of his career, we had one of the smartest and best hookers in the game at the time in Priddis, and we had probably the best forward pack seen in the modern game. I don't think you can really compare this team to that one.

i think next year we're going to have to rely on our forwards a LOT more than any other year in history, as its pretty much the first time we genuinely dont have a top quality playmaker.

 

[Coxy]

2000 was unlimited interchange, and that changes things a hell of a lot. if you had 6-7 monster props/second rowers, you could just steamroll the opposition - and thats exactly what the Broncos did. We may not have had Alfie, but we had Lockyer in one of his best season of his career, we had one of the smartest and best hookers in the game at the time in Priddis, and we had probably the best forward pack seen in the modern game. I don't think you can really compare this team to that one.

i think next year we're going to have to rely on our forwards a LOT more than any other year in history, as its pretty much the first time we genuinely dont have a top quality playmaker.

True. It's going to be a challenge. And time especially for Wallace to prove whether he's worth our dollars.

 

[Jeba]

2000 was unlimited interchange, and that changes things a hell of a lot. if you had 6-7 monster props/second rowers, you could just steamroll the opposition - and thats exactly what the Broncos did. We may not have had Alfie, but we had Lockyer in one of his best season of his career, we had one of the smartest and best hookers in the game at the time in Priddis, and we had probably the best forward pack seen in the modern game. I don't think you can really compare this team to that one.

i think next year we're going to have to rely on our forwards a LOT more than any other year in history, as its pretty much the first time we genuinely dont have a top quality playmaker.

But it's not as if we were the only team on unlimited interchange, if you know what I mean. On a level playing field, we had the best pack in the comp. Same thing in 2012 (well I think it's the best pack in the comp anyway).

But I do agree with you about the playmakers.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Caboolture boy Paul Ivan joins Broncos camp

http://www.couriermail.com.au/quest...ins-broncos-camp/story-fn8oe3sj-1226204418520

GIANT Redcliffe Dolphin Paul Ivan has been granted the same opportunity that made household names of Broncos' stars Matt Gillett and Jack Reed.

The 198cm, 110kg centre began a five-week pre-season training stint with the Brisbane Broncos this week under the same program that took Gillett and Reed from the Norths Devils to the dizzy heights of the NRL.

In a curious twist, Ivan and Reed played at the Caboolture Snakes together as juniors, with Reed an age division below, while Gillett was making waves for the Bribie Island Warrigals.

Each of the Broncos' affiliate clubs, which include Queensland Cup club Redcliffe, can nominate a player to complete pre-season at Red Hill each year.

The fact Ivan was chosen shows how much the Dolphins coaching hierarchy believe in the 24-year-old, whose two-year stint with the Parramatta Eels was cruelled by injury.

"It's really exciting, at the very least it will be a really good experience,'' said the laidback boilermaker.
I only found out about the Broncos opportunity a few weeks ago, but I've been training most of the off-season, more than I ever have. I wanted to do something big this year.''

The Broncos squad isn't completely foreign to Ivan, who has played alongside the likes of Josh Hoffman, Dave Hala and new recruit Nick Slyney at Redcliffe in recent seasons.

He spent day one of pre-season training on Monday with Hoffman and other big names, including Justin Hodges, as part of the outside backs group.