PRE-GAME [Round 1, 2025] Broncos vs Roosters

Be interesting to see how much preparation for rd 2 is affected by this cyclone? The team may have to stay in Sydney longer than expected?

But that is next weeks problem.

With Walters at #14, expect that he gets a fair run out here. Paix is a lot of things on the ball - he is a defensive liabilty. Esp. if you expect to be playing him 70+ minutes.

I think Madge will see this, either during training or the game itself, and we will see Walters out there to shore up the middle.

Overall, prety good team to start the season with.
It's interesting that Paix is starting and Billy off the bench... will Madge be planning 2 interchanges at hooker so Paix finishes the game or is he happy to finish with Billy?

We've got 4 lined up with Haas and Patty coming off and then back on and another to give Kobe a break at some point... so that would be 7/8 already planned and you would assume at least one of those is for Piakura on for either Kobe or Gos (I'm guessing).

So is the last interchange planned to get Kobe back on to finish the game, but requiring Piakura or Gos to move into the middle for a time.

Either way it can show why coaches like to start their main hooker off the bench if they cant play 80mins, because it uses up 1 interchange... at present Madge's rotation could be blown up if an injury occurs
 
Any concerns that our players might be lacking in focus considering all of their families will be back in Brisbane with their hatches battened down? Why won't someone please consider the hatches?
 
It's interesting that Paix is starting and Billy off the bench... will Madge be planning 2 interchanges at hooker so Paix finishes the game or is he happy to finish with Billy?

We've got 4 lined up with Haas and Patty coming off and then back on and another to give Kobe a break at some point... so that would be 7/8 already planned and you would assume at least one of those is for Piakura on for either Kobe or Gos (I'm guessing).

So is the last interchange planned to get Kobe back on to finish the game, but requiring Piakura or Gos to move into the middle for a time.

Either way it can show why coaches like to start their main hooker off the bench if they cant play 80mins, because it uses up 1 interchange... at present Madge's rotation could be blown up if an injury occurs

Rotating one of Carrigan / Haas / Hetherington playing 80 every week might be a good way to manage workload over the season, limit interchanges and give us our best players on the park for the maximum amount of time... Wouldn't be surprised to see a system like this.
 
The other option you do have is to not bring a Haas or Carrigan back on sometimes. Basically, play one of them for 60 straight and then one swap to someone on the bench to finish out the match.
 
It's interesting that Paix is starting and Billy off the bench... will Madge be planning 2 interchanges at hooker so Paix finishes the game or is he happy to finish with Billy?

We've got 4 lined up with Haas and Patty coming off and then back on and another to give Kobe a break at some point... so that would be 7/8 already planned and you would assume at least one of those is for Piakura on for either Kobe or Gos (I'm guessing).

So is the last interchange planned to get Kobe back on to finish the game, but requiring Piakura or Gos to move into the middle for a time.

Either way it can show why coaches like to start their main hooker off the bench if they cant play 80mins, because it uses up 1 interchange... at present Madge's rotation could be blown up if an injury occurs

I won`t be surprised if Billy starts .
That seems to me to be the best way to use him . I can`t see him lifting the team when he comes on . Paix I can see adding energy and enthusiasm .
 
Ryley Smith: Smith stamped his mark in the pre-season challenge, with many predicting it’s a matter of when, not if the gun hooker would make his debut in 2025. The 22-year-old joined the Eels from the Panthers ahead of the 2024 season, but only managed three NSW Cup games that year. However, hit pre-season form and staggering fitness, winning the club’s Bronco test, has clearly impressed Jason Ryles enough to hand him a debut off the pine. He joins Brendan Hands in a one-two punch dummy-half duo.
 
Be interesting to see how much preparation for rd 2 is affected by this cyclone? The team may have to stay in Sydney longer than expected?

But that is next weeks problem.

With Walters at #14, expect that he gets a fair run out here. Paix is a lot of things on the ball - he is a defensive liabilty. Esp. if you expect to be playing him 70+ minutes.

I think Madge will see this, either during training or the game itself, and we will see Walters out there to shore up the middle.

Overall, prety good team to start the season with.
Any concerns that our players might be lacking in focus considering all of their families will be back in Brisbane with their hatches battened down? Why won't someone please consider the hatches?
That was what I was thinking. You'd imagine there would be some stress around leaving family members at home to deal with the storm on their own. On the plus side, they will be playing on Thur evening, which looks like it will be before the storm makes landfall (early Friday am), but if there are no planes in or out, they could be stuck in Sydney for a while.

As much as I want the season to start, I wonder if the AFL had a better approach with a reschedule, although when do you fit the game in during the season? Maybe split points? It's a tough one.

Finger crossed the boys with young families go ok and aren't impacted by the storm.
 
Looking at getting out to the game tomorrow night but the ticket options are fairly limited. Tickets only seem open on the ground level with sideline seating gone. $60 to sit off in the corner or behind the goals in the rain? Can't see why they're not taking reservations for the upper levels
 
I won`t be surprised if Billy starts .
That seems to me to be the best way to use him . I can`t see him lifting the team when he comes on . Paix I can see adding energy and enthusiasm .
That would be my thought as well... they might do the late switch coaches seem to do a lot... like it's some thing about a player wanting a certain number on their back.

Arthur used to name Paulo to start every week and then swap him back to the bench an hour before kick off, basically every week.

Starting Billy also safeguards us if we lose a half early. If we lost a half within 20mins with Paix starting then all of a sudden he's playing 80mins straight with no break. Whereas if he's on the bench then he's playing 60mins straight, which isn't the end of the world.
 
The other option you do have is to not bring a Haas or Carrigan back on sometimes. Basically, play one of them for 60 straight and then one swap to someone on the bench to finish out the match.
I don't think the coach would be keen to finish the game without both Patty and Payne on the field... would be a huge gamble.

I could see him doing something like that with Kobe though... play him 50mins straight, Patty comes back for his second stint at lock and keep Willison or Jensen through to the end of the game... that requires a longer stint from Willison or Jensen, as they would come on and play out the game.
 
That was what I was thinking. You'd imagine there would be some stress around leaving family members at home to deal with the storm on their own. On the plus side, they will be playing on Thur evening, which looks like it will be before the storm makes landfall (early Friday am), but if there are no planes in or out, they could be stuck in Sydney for a while.

As much as I want the season to start, I wonder if the AFL had a better approach with a reschedule, although when do you fit the game in during the season? Maybe split points? It's a tough one.

Finger crossed the boys with young families go ok and aren't impacted by the storm.
I'd be hoping the club is providing assistance to the families.

Especially someone like Haas who has 2 young kids and then looking after his 2 brothers as well... I think he also lives pretty close to Red Hill, so basically in the firing line for it
 
Looking at getting out to the game tomorrow night but the ticket options are fairly limited. Tickets only seem open on the ground level with sideline seating gone. $60 to sit off in the corner or behind the goals in the rain? Can't see why they're not taking reservations for the upper levels
Sit in 229 - you’ll be directly above the broncos bay and won’t get wet there
 
Short and sweet that one... Madge loving being back in Sydney where no one seems to care about us!!

I wonder if we might get a wildly spun headline out of that reporter having no idea what he was talking about.

Something like:
'From The Horse's Mouth: Broncos coach with egg on face after star players prove him wrong'
 
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