Question - Do the Broncos have the slowest

[Stratten]

Backline in the comp? I was arguing with a mate of mine about this and we came to the conclusion that it's probably the case. The Cowboys probably being a distant second. Is there one bronco you would be confident of going the length of the field right now? Hoffman is quick off the mark but has no top end speed. Same with Hodges. Maranta looks slow all around. Copley equally was/is seemingly very slow for a winger. Reed is quick enough but nothing special. And I expect Norman to get beaten for speed whenever someone quick breaks the line. The one player I'm unsure about is Kahu, but im guessing with those knee injuries he'll never be the quickest either.

Second question - Does it matter? I feel it does make a big difference as teams can compress their defense when playing us more than they can with other sides. Also, it'd be nice to see a Brisbane player rundown an opposition outside back every once in a while rather than them scoring without getting a hand laid on them.

 

[noisetheory]

easily. and it does matter.

 

[Morkel]

Yep. There was a while there that the Sharks were odds-on (Pomeroy, Best, Covell etc), but we've certainly taken the trophy and ran with it. Well, shuffled uncomfortably with it.

 

[pennywisealfie]

It could actually be the slowest of all time.

 

[Renegade]

yep, and by some distance. who here is confident when one of our backline finds open space, that they'll actually plant the ball over the tryline? not me. the maranta meme as funny as it is, is sadly accurate.

 

[Financeguy]

Yes and it does matter.

Attack is when it most sticks out, with greater speed there is a higher margin of error allowed in a kick, created half gap or a player given some space.

 

[Broncoman]

Yes we do and it does matter.

None of our backs are playing with confidence and this hurts you physically and mentally. For the record we've scored 52 tries this year and 43 (83%) of them have been from 0-20 meters, 8 from 21-50 and 1 from over halfway.

 

[Alec]

Yeah, it matters. Like in 08 when Kemp scored so many tries thanks to his speed and us using it to our advantage. He's obviously ordinary in all other areas, but his speed made him the form winger of the comp that year.

 

[Huge]

Sharks back line is most definitely not slow. Part of the reason they have have had little scored against them is that they can run someone down. Although not outstanding defence it is the fifth best. Looking at the ladder just now I've realised how even Cronulla are at long odds to win the GF. There is an enormous gap in quality.

 

[simmo77]

Bring back the Bott ......

 

[Coxy]

Great first post, Stratten. And agree completely, the Broncos backline is certainly the slowest in the competition. And beyond that, it lacks power. Reed and Hodges can hold their own and get an offload away, and Hoffman can bust tackles, but you never expect any of our wingers or fullback to bust through a chase line. You never expect Reed or Hodges to run onto a pass and just be too strong close to the line.

The other side effect which people around here have been throwing their hands in the air about for years is the flat attack. It's very easy for defences to compress against us because if you rush up from out wide and get in the face of Corey Norman on the 2nd man play then you've shut it down completely. He seems incapable of getting a grubber through to Hoffman and under any pressure he will always take the tackle rather than flick a pass on.

Our backline is without doubt the least potent in the club's history and certainly the weakest backline in the game. I'm just not sure if that's all the individual players, the game plan or the ineffective halves...I think it's a combination of the whole lot.

 

[Broncoman]

Bring back the Bott ......

More like bring back the Hancock he had a really fiesty and competitive attitude that our backs are seeming to lack.

Leon Bott man that guy had some speed I remember him in 2005 he was basically our next up and coming star.

 

[Ari Gold]

Yet another problem that would be solved by signing Shaun Johnson!

 

[Porthoz]

There is no substitute for speed, we don't have enough, and this is one of my pet peeves with Hook, who doesn't seem too bothered or interested in it... :glare:

 

[Renegade]

There is no substitute for speed, we don't have enough, and this is one of my pet peeves with Hook, who doesn't seem too bothered or interested in it... :glare:

Speed is no substitute for good ol' fashion bumpin' and grindin'.

 

[Bull Shark]

Bring back the Bott ......

You mean this dude ?

 

[Bull Shark]

There is no substitute for speed, we don't have enough, and this is one of my pet peeves with Hook, who doesn't seem too bothered or interested in it... :glare:

Anthony Griffin seems like the sort of bloke who'd get pretty flustered by anything moving faster than 3km/hr

 

[Alec]

Yeah, it's one of the many problems I have with Hook. He seems to value bulk and a power game over skills and pace. You can bash a team into submission early on in the season, but as it goes on you are all bashed out. It's when all those hours of practice of other teams real skills start coming into play and sticking together. All of our players are playing identical to each other because of it, except for Parker and his offloads, even though they all have their own skill sets.