Rebuilding the Broncos

[Lockyfan05]

Let's face it. Life for the Broncos has never really been the same after Darren Lockyer's retirement. Don't get me wrong, they've won some good games in 2012, but have always failed to produce when it matters, especially this year. What do u guys think? How do the Broncos get back to their premiership winning ways? Sack the coach? Sack the captain? In my opinion we need someone to lead in the halves, like locky used to.

 

[Nashy]

Sack the CEO if he won't sack his mate who is the coach.
Sack the coach
Sack Andrew Gee
Sack Kearny
Drop Thaiday to Q-Cup, and strip the captaincy
Get better scouts
Buy better players
Stop paying overs for players just because they're either loyal, or mates with the club
Let the old boys back in to bring the culture that the Broncos are known for back

 

[Big Pete]

The reality is, life after Lockyer was always going to be tough. In this day and age, it's virtually impossible to replace legendary talent like that in the short term - just ask Sydney & Newcastle. However, the current administration have seemingly forgotten about what set the Broncos apart in the first place. It wasn't just because they were run by extremely business savvy owners, it's because they had men in charge who could make the tough decisions at the right time. Unfortunately, this aspect has gone astray and one could argue it's been that way since the rival codes decided to treat us as a feeder club for their talent.

It appears the club's major problem is that everybody seems too comfortable. The club suffered it's worst ever season and while a few heads have rolled, it doesn't appear like enough pressure has been applied. It seems like the club's take on the season is that we 'just' missed out and it all can be put down to bad luck. The claim is simply bogus. Most fans would have told you at the start of the season we were never a chance of winning the premiership and our roster looked like the worst it had in years but it didn't stop Hook and co. declaring that we had the squad to go all the way. To assume you won't have any misfortune with injuries when you have a player like Justin Hodges and Scott Prince on your roster is truly mind boggling.

So what do the Broncos do? They need to make some tough decisions and put the majority of their roster on notice this season. I'm already a big fan of our recruitment - Barba is exactly the player we need and if we can finalise this Milford signing we may have just found our replacement to Lockyer. However, our roster could always be better and I hope we continue to recruit in area that we're weak in. For instance, I'd love to see us sign a player like an Edrick Lee or his cousin Brenko, basically players who are able to keep the opposition on their toes at all times. In order to sign these players, invariably certain players are going to have to be let go. The club is going to have to make some tough, controversial decisions in order for this to happen and that may include releasing their captain, their star back in Hodges and even fan favourite Yow Yeh. All these choices will be ridiculed but these are the type of choices that defined us and enabled us to be such a championship unit in the 90s.

Then there is the coaching. Right now, Hook's gameplan is terribly pedestrian and lacks the attention to detail for it to work. I'm not a fan of grindy football at the best of times, but accept it's just the way the game is. Unfortunately, the Broncos pretty much sucked in all the key departments of a grinding football side and were always playing on the back foot, rarely if ever dominating or as Wally would say dictating terms to the opposition. I'd give him one more season because I feel like there aren't any quality replacements available and if it doesn't work out, believe they need to target a Michael Maguire to get the job done. Now there is a guy who knows a thing or two about an attention for detail.

TL;DR
Everybody is on notice in 2014
Liking this current direction with our recruitment - keep it going
Hook stays for a season, if it doesn't work out, time to bring in Michael Maguire.

 

[Harry Sack]

It seems like the club's take on the season is that we 'just' missed out and it all can be put down to bad luck. The claim is simply bogus.

Good post Pete. Regarding what I quoted, I'm hoping this is simply the "public face" and behind the scenes there's some real ass kicking going on.

 

[Financeguy]

Hook stays for a season, if it doesn't work out, time to bring in Michael Maguire.

Trouble is they will have to make that call sooner rather than later. Maquire will not stay unsigned for 2015 very deep into the 2014 season, if at all.

 

[redbur95]

Griffin's reaction to a loss, even an awful one, is "we didn't play too bad". Compare this to Wayne Bennett, who criticises bad discipline, defence or kicking, whatever led to the Knights losing.

Corey Norman played 18 rounds of mediocre games before he was dropped, ditto with Wallace. There was never really a feeling until Round 20 that any player was under pressure to retain their spot. "She'll be right" sums up Griffin's attitude for this year.

 

[Nashy]

Griffin's reaction to a loss, even an awful one, is "we didn't play too bad". Compare this to Wayne Bennett, who criticises bad discipline, defence or kicking, whatever led to the Knights losing.

Corey Norman played 18 rounds of mediocre games before he was dropped, ditto with Wallace. There was never really a feeling until Round 20 that any player was under pressure to retain their spot. "She'll be right" sums up Griffin's attitude for this year.

He's the same as Kearny. If you try your best, you're a star. That works in special school, not a fucking professional football team!

 

[hayseed]

Sack the CEO if he won't sack his mate who is the coach.
Sack the coach
Sack Andrew Gee
Sack Kearny
Drop Thaiday to Q-Cup, and strip the captaincy
Get better scouts
Buy better players
Stop paying overs for players just because they're either loyal, or mates with the club
Let the old boys back in to bring the culture that the Broncos are known for back

Finally a post with common sense on here, straight to the point and not covered in bullshit, u r one of few who actually see it like it really is.

 

[Coxy]

Griffin's reaction to a loss, even an awful one, is "we didn't play too bad". Compare this to Wayne Bennett, who criticises bad discipline, defence or kicking, whatever led to the Knights losing.

Corey Norman played 18 rounds of mediocre games before he was dropped, ditto with Wallace. There was never really a feeling until Round 20 that any player was under pressure to retain their spot. "She'll be right" sums up Griffin's attitude for this year.

Fairly short memory then? I'm one of Bennett's biggest fans, but it INFURIATED me during our late season slumps between about 2001 and 2005 that after every game he'd rattle off a combination of:
- the effort was there
- we didn't play bad
- we just didn't capitalise on opportunities
- this is not a slump

You always got the feeling behind closed doors that Bennett wasn't quite so accepting, but still nothing changed. There were rarely any selection changes, rarely any reports of agro at training. No different to Griffin really.

 

[Hitman]

Sacking Andrew Gee would be a brilliant start.

 

[Waynesaurus]

Fear not fellow Broncosians...............there is a savior!...............I've seen him with my own eyes........................he played last weekend in maroon.......................... his name?

The almighty DCE!!!! He will lead us back to the lush green pastures of the ANZ Stadium and the podium on Grand Final day.

 

[Rabbir]

Do you really trust this club to lure one of the top players in the game?

 

[Sproj]

We sorta did with Barba. I think we're still struggling from the Cullen/Henjak regime where we lost out on Inglis. His recruitment would have changed everything as it has at Souths. Recruiting Smith won't do it due to his age but recruiting DCE will have that kind if effect.

 

[Alec]

We don't have to rebuild the entire thing, most of it is really good.

It's just the foundation that's weak.

The spine was one of the worst in the comp, but luckily we got Barba and rumours are we'll get DCE eventually too. It's a great start, just McCullough left. As far as I'm concerned, if he doesn't substantially improve both his game and consistency next year, we'll need someone else. He's been a regular for 5 years now, like how long does he need to become as great as some think he is? Oh yeah, Hunt has potential, hasn't had enough time to prove himself, so he's safe for now. But like McCullough, should only get next year.

As for the management, Griffin is a below average coach, that much is obvious. Maybe he'll do better with a decent side, who knows.
Gee screwed up the almost sealed Inglis deal, and every other signing apparently just fell into his lap. Oh well, at least we did sign some players.

Finally the captaincy. Thaiday hasn't been up to it so far, and considering you really want your captain to play the entire 80 minutes, he really shouldn't be one. Maybe the new fitness coach will help him improve though.


Everything else is fine though.

 

[Rabbir]

We sorta did with Barba. I think we're still struggling from the Cullen/Henjak regime where we lost out on Inglis. His recruitment would have changed everything as it has at Souths. Recruiting Smith won't do it due to his age but recruiting DCE will have that kind if effect.

By the sounds of it the Bulldogs players couldn't wait to get rid of him.

 

[rnabokov]

Most fans would have told you at the start of the season we were never a chance of winning the premiership and our roster looked like the worst it had in years but it didn't stop Hook and co. declaring that we had the squad to go all the way.

...


Hook stays for a season, if it doesn't work out, time to bring in Michael Maguire.

I'll stick my neck out and say, as I have always said, that our 2013 roster, in the hands of a real coach, had and has the talent to make the finals ... easily.

The tries we scored against the top sides were great, some of our defence was .... ok. We showed we could score and defend ... for 20 minutes a game

The right coach would have made the tough decisions, would have had an intelligent, creative game plan focussing on maximizing our many strengths and minimizing our weaknesses, at the same time, eliminating them over the season.

Hook and his staff did NOTHING like that which is why we finished where we did.

Adding Barba and Milford/DCE or whoever isn't going to achieve a solitary thing in terms of turning a rabble into a machine.

Unless Hook has some sort of epiphany, we won't make the finals in 2014

 

[qlderxxxx]

Sack the CEO if he won't sack his mate who is the coach.
Sack the coach
Sack Andrew Gee
Sack Kearny
Drop Thaiday to Q-Cup, and strip the captaincy
Get better scouts
Buy better players
Stop paying overs for players just because they're either loyal, or mates with the club
Let the old boys back in to bring the culture that the Broncos are known for back

I agree with all of this bar the last line.

Tell me what clubs in the world have kicked on to be better when they've looked to the past for answers?

Parramatta are a mess because of old boys. My Football club tried the 'old boy' stuff with Kenny Dalglish and went down the shitter.

Bringing in people to make the culture what it was 5 or more years ago isn't the answer.

Bringing in people who will develop a new, successful culture is.

 

[rnabokov]

I agree with all of this bar the last line.

Tell me what clubs in the world have kicked on to be better when they've looked to the past for answers?

Parramatta are a mess because of old boys. My Football club tried the 'old boy' stuff with Kenny Dalglish and went down the ****ter.

Bringing in people to make the culture what it was 5 or more years ago isn't the answer.

Bringing in people who will develop a new, successful culture is.

My take on this was Nashy wanted the positive culture which existed (arguably, no doubt) in the glory days so to speak.

I guess that culture, or cultures, is now history, but of course, those who don't learn from history learn nothing.

For mine, there is a lot we can learn from past successes, failures and the spaces in between.

Then, yes, one needs to bring in "people who will develop a new, successful culture...."

Of course, fact of life, each culture is by its nature, resistant to change other than incrementally. That's when real leadership at the top counts most to make the hard decisions to move forward, wherever that leader, or those leaders, come from.