PRE-GAME [Round 1, 2022] - Broncos v Rabbitohs

[Wolfie]

Because we have no way of judging whether a player is "available to play" or "fit to play." There's a general assumption that players will return from Covid as fit as they left. That won't be true, and some might have lingering problems with regaining fitness that no one is telling us. Fatigue is the main calling card of this illness.

Walters says he's not playing Reynolds because their doctors thought it was too much of a risk to his health. Realistically, I think that means he's not fit enough and the risk is more that he won't be able to play 80 minutes. Available, but not fit.

How many weeks does it take to get covid out of your system? Google "long covid." We don't have an answer.

We do have a way. If they don't have covid and they haven't had covid then there isn't an issue. It's only a concern for players who have come down with it. Reynolds situation isn't the same as a player who hasn't come down with it.

You can't make excuses him if he gets the selection of a fit player wrong when he has choices. If he doesn't pick Reynolds for 6 weeks if he isn't ready that's fair enough. Picking somebody like Roberts to me is just a poor decision. He has other options.

I don't mind if we have a weak team because of covid, it can't be helped. Still think you can pick the best of what's available to you and I don't think Kevvie is doing that.

 

[007]

There should be zero excuses for anybody. Once you're picked in the first grade team, there are no excuses. It's the coaches job to make sure every one knows the standard required.

Based on last season, the performance was not there. That's all we have to go off and the trials!

 

[Dash]

We do have a way. If they don't have covid and they haven't had covid then there isn't an issue. It's only a concern for players who have come down with it. Reynolds situation isn't the same as a player who hasn't come down with it.

You can't make excuses him if he gets the selection of a fit player wrong when he has choices. If he doesn't pick Reynolds for 6 weeks if he isn't ready that's fair enough. Picking somebody like Roberts to me is just a poor decision. He has other options.

I don't mind if we have a weak team because of covid, it can't be helped. Still think you can pick the best of what's available to you and I don't think Kevvie is doing that.

Who would you pick instead of Roberts? Every other half/hooker/utility option has COVID. It's him or Mam, and I can respect the decision to not throw Mam in before he's ready.

 

[McHunt]

We do have a way. If they don't have covid and they haven't had covid then there isn't an issue. It's only a concern for players who have come down with it. Reynolds situation isn't the same as a player who hasn't come down with it.

You can't make excuses him if he gets the selection of a fit player wrong when he has choices. If he doesn't pick Reynolds for 6 weeks if he isn't ready that's fair enough. Picking somebody like Roberts to me is just a poor decision. He has other options.

I don't mind if we have a weak team because of covid, it can't be helped. Still think you can pick the best of what's available to you and I don't think Kevvie is doing that.

I don't know who's had covid. Do you? Has Selwyn had it, for example?

UPDATE:

Kevvie talks about Covid recovery here. He says only 4 of the squad haven't had it, and that Patty and Payne struggled when they came back:

Broncos head coach opens up on season opener and plans for the future

Kevin Walters, head coach of the Brisbane Broncos, has told Peter Psaltis on 4BC Wide World of Sport that he is looking positive for the season ahead. The Brisbane Broncos recently confirmed coach Kevin Walters had signed a one-year contract extension to remain with the club until at least 2023...

www.4bc.com.au

 

[Huge]

Roberts will be fine. He has enough talent and is highly motivated to extend his career. I really don’t think KW is expecting big minutes from him and it's likely he will only get 17-20 minutes at most and possibly none at all! I think he's purely a 'only when no other option exists' type selection.

My hope is KW rotates Haas out after 25 mins along with Palasia. I think a close winnable game is on the cards. Souths are no better than us in large parts and an even split of luck and bullshit ref calls I believe makes us even money.

 

[Wolfie]

I don't know who's had covid. Do you? Has Selwyn had it, for example?

UPDATE:

Kevvie talks about Covid recovery here. He says only 4 of the squad haven't had it, and that Patty and Payne struggled when they came back:

Broncos head coach opens up on season opener and plans for the future

Kevin Walters, head coach of the Brisbane Broncos, has told Peter Psaltis on 4BC Wide World of Sport that he is looking positive for the season ahead. The Brisbane Broncos recently confirmed coach Kevin Walters had signed a one-year contract extension to remain with the club until at least 2023...

www.4bc.com.au

That's a job for the club to make that decision. Like I said, if a player has had it, then you have to manage them accordingly. It's a totally different decision than picking players not affected by it. The coach should be held responsible if he gets that kind of thing wrong regularly.

 

[Wolfie]

Who would you pick instead of Roberts? Every other half/hooker/utility option has COVID. It's him or Mam, and I can respect the decision to not throw Mam in before he's ready.

Could use Martin, or you could run with 4 forwards which would be my choice personally. You even have the option of playing Lee, putting Staggs at 6 and Billy on the bench as utility. Lots of better options tha Roberts imo who wasn't even good in ISC.

 

[Jedhead]

Could use Martin, or you could run with 4 forwards which would be my choice personally. You even have the option of playing Lee, putting Staggs at 6 and Billy on the bench as utility. Lots of better options tha Roberts imo who wasn't even good in ISC.

I never saw any of Roberts in ISC, but I think @Wolfie 's assessment is fairly reliable. I think Kevvie might be going too far the other way to show that he is not trying to favour Skip Walters. He does have little option to play him at 6 and after that there is little option for a utility on the bench. I think Martin would be even further down the 'ready' track after being out for so long. So Roberts sort of gets a 'Bradbury' selection on the bench.

 

[Galah]

Could use Martin, or you could run with 4 forwards which would be my choice personally. You even have the option of playing Lee, putting Staggs at 6 and Billy on the bench as utility. Lots of better options tha Roberts imo who wasn't even good in ISC.

Would have used Lee and put staggs at 6, I’m still seriously concerned about staggs defence at Center. He does not look improved at all when it comes to that, 6 is easier to defend.
There will be at least three tries down his edge on Friday night.

 

[Big Del]

It's the low ground, mate. Let's be bigger than that.

The club has a real culture problem, and having fans who routinely concoct conspiracy theories about the rest of the competition cheating and the administrative body plotting against us creates a shitcunt atmosphere. If we're to only find one good thing to say about our coach, he never stoops to that level. He praises the opposition when they play well. He never blames the rules or refs when we lose, and he always finds something good to say about the players who fucked up.

If you don't get what I mean, imagine how you'd feel if every other club accused us of cheating every time we won. I don't want to be part of that shit. Those are the worst type of fans.

The kind that blames the ref for losses ?
The kind that says the judiciary are biased , the draw is rigged , other teams have bigger salary caps and are overall pessimistic and superstitious ?

I think you are gonna need to pull a Kevvie and change the culture here . LOL .

 

[Thelmus]

So does Turpin play 80? Eughk

Id say tyrone comes on and billy shifts to hooker to give him a break.
I hope billy is supremely fit.
The other option is they just swap with turpin pushing to 5/8 for a respite.

 

[Culhwch]

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if there are late changes and Roberts drops off the bench for someone else. It could be a smokescreen to bring Mam in without exposing him to the press in the lead up, or it could just be as simple as Brenko or Jensen, and shuffling to cover any potential injuries where we don't have bench cover.

I'm old and my memory is shot, but I have the feeling late changes were pretty standard for Kev last year?

 

[Big Del]

You're missing the bit where it makes you sick and others don't want you around in case they catch it from you.

The CHO / club doctor is gonna risk getting sued at a later date ?
I highly doubt it .

 

[Thelmus]

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if there are late changes and Roberts drops off the bench for someone else. It could be a smokescreen to bring Mam in without exposing him to the press in the lead up, or it could just be as simple as Brenko or Jensen, and shuffling to cover any potential injuries where we don't have bench cover.

I'm old and my memory is shot, but I have the feeling late changes were pretty standard for Kev last year?

Actually that would be a Wayne Bennet special move if ever there was one.
Id approve it but i wont sweat if it doesnt happen. Its a long season and whilst you want to put your best foot forward round 1 to set the standard, maintain the confidence and give something you can build on, there are plenty of opportunities to blood players in future games.
Its a shame covid has messed with us the way it has but it will happen with a lot more teams going forward.
Better now, than round 24, 2 points outside the eight.
And on the bright side, we will definitely know who of our veterens to keep and who to push to another club/super league to free cap space.

 

[nopatience101]

I doubt Kevvie even knows, and even if he does, he will probably change his mind a dozen times before kick off.

 

[BroncosFever]

The more I think about it, the more I think the Bunnies are anything but a sure thing.

Broncos 22 def. Souths 16.

They're not but they still have a much better spine than we do, it will be won in the forwards as always and whether or not we can hold on to the ball

 

[Dazza 92]

Im aiming for 10 wins this year. That for me would be par.

What im hoping will happen during the first month of the season is the same 80 minute effort we saw during the last 6 games of last season.

The execution and coherence of our game will need to develop.

I would take that; show us incremental steps in our game management and the development of a spine.

 

[McHunt]

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if there are late changes and Roberts drops off the bench for someone else. It could be a smokescreen to bring Mam in without exposing him to the press in the lead up, or it could just be as simple as Brenko or Jensen, and shuffling to cover any potential injuries where we don't have bench cover.

I'm old and my memory is shot, but I have the feeling late changes were pretty standard for Kev last year?

I have another perfectly sane conspiracy theory counter to yours:

1. This round is about another 5/8th's debut, one the coach would love to be the future of the club.
2. This is Billy's big chance to land the glamour position. It's what Kevvie wants, but he still has to earn it.
3. Billy isn't being shielded from the press. But the press isn't very interested.
4. Nothing wrong with Kevvie wanting his son to succeed. As long as it's good for the club.
5. But here's the conspiracy theory: he doesn't want the utility to overshadow him.
6. But he also doesn't want the utility to let the team down.
7. Problem.
8. So he's chosen Roberts, who can do the job, but probably isn't going to steal Billy's thunder.
9. There will be no Ezra because he'll steal the spotlight.
10. Billy will need to fail before we see Ezra at 6.