Round 1 - Broncos vs Cowboys - Post Match Discussion

[Bucking Beads]

My concerns about Hunt at halfback isn't just based on his performances at hooker. Last year Wallace got injured early in the season giving Hunt a chance at halfback and he didn't go well at all, and ended up being shifted BACK to hooker (with Norman playing halfback before Wallace came back).

but when he played in the halves at the end of the season he looked much more assured and comfortable. I'd be giving Wallace 5 games to get it right but if he doesn't it is time to bite the bullet and play Hunt in the 7.

 

[john1420]

So Wal got injured and Hunt got a few games to prove himself and didn't go too well.

I understand that, I really do, but Wal has had 3 years to prove himself and apart from a few good games I really haven't seen enough over the 3 years to justify sticking with him.

Give a kid a decent crack at it - not just 3 or 4 weeks - but if Wal isn't firing by round 5, bring in a kid for a proper go. If it's Hunt or Norman or whoever the coaching staff think is the best option, give him an extended chance

 

[Crazy Sam]

The reality is that Wallace isn't a matchwinner. Hunt's not a matchwinner. McCullough's not a matchwinner.


The ball should've been in Lockyer's hands to make the crunch play in that final minute, not some ridiculous Wallace grubber from 25 metres out when their winger was back already waiting for it.

It's nice to say 'give the young guys a chance', but we are paying big bucks for Lockyer and part of that is because he wins matches for us with big plays and that was when a big play was needed.

 

[Je$ter]

It all starts in the middle. From the first tackle the forwards got absolutley dominated. Scott, Tamou, Sims and Cooper ran amock over the Bronco pack. Yeah Wallace wasn't great but no go forward = no time. JT got plenty of time and hence carved up.

People giving Jack Reed wraps musn't have seen the 2 tries scored down his side. He's a back rower playing centre imo. Definitely potential there but he's not a centre.

McCullough was ordinary. Without fail will show and go whenever the ptb is within 3m of the tryline at least once a game. Get something new ie pass the ball close to the line.

Got to see the game live and I think I know why Parker has such massive tackle stats. Because he is always 2metres offside.

It's only round 1 still got Hannant and Hodges back, no biggie just yet.

 

[Jeba]

People giving Jack Reed wraps musn't have seen the 2 tries scored down his side. He's a back rower playing centre imo. Definitely potential there but he's not a centre.

Bani's try was the only one down Reed's side. Tamou's and Topou's tries were on the other side of the posts to where Reed was defending.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I

People giving Jack Reed wraps musn't have seen the 2 tries scored down his side. He's a back rower playing centre imo. Definitely potential there but he's not a centre.

You mean 1 try down his side which was the Bani try. Reed wasn't the first and won't be the last person to be fooled by Thurston brilliance.

 

[Coxy]

That was just a brilliant pass.

 

[Jeba]

That was just a brilliant pass.

Yup. Just JT brilliance, not the first to be fooled by it and won't be the last.

 

[Coxy]

That was just a brilliant pass.

Yup. Just JT brilliance, not the first to be fooled by it and won't be the last.

Yep. In that situation you know Thurston's going to do one of two things...pass it to the guy on the outside, or show and go. I think Reed got caught in two minds a bit and that's understandable on debut - hell, even 200 game veterans don't know how to deal with that situation with JT.

Rest of his performance was very strong.

 

[Porthoz]

Just watched the game's recording and it's incredible how much your perspective changes when the emotion and adrenaline doesn't cloud your vision.

- Wallace didn't set the world on fire and needs to up his game, but besides that last minute grubber, he didn't do much wrong, definitely not enough to get hammered like this. In fact, our forwards made most meters out of Wallace passes! [eusa_eh He does need to get more involved in both sides of the field, and not get stuck to the left side of our attack.
- Hunt, Thaiday and Macca were serial offenders, responsible for 90% of our lost balls in attack. Hunt had a shocker with 3 lost attack opportunities in the Cows 20, and both his and Macca’s speed are our biggest worry IMO.
- Anderson and McGuire were ganged up on and smashed a few times, and that stays in your retina, but they did otherwise gain very good meters.
- Yow Yeh, Gagai and Reed had fine games, except that one rah rah ball from Gagai, which led directly to a try against us. All three had decisive interventions in defense, Gagai and Reed pushing the opposite wingers over the side line and Yow Yeh’s fantastic belter on Tonga. Beale offered very little, and was caught in la la land on the Tupou try.
- The main reason we failed so often in attack wasn't so much being dominated in our go forward, as we actually made some good meters and kept the Cows in their 20 a few times with good d. Our ball control was bad and we often stood way too flat and ran really poor lines. This allowed the Cows defense to rush the ball carrier and disturb ball movement too easily. Most of our offloads, espcially Tronc’s were wasted due to this.
- Locky's speed looks indeed to have improved. He almost caught Bani in his runaway try and easily caught Graham when he escaped down the line. He also looks much more threatening when running at the line, but was betrayed by the poor lines ran by our fringe players.
- All second rowers made themselves guilty of the above sin, with Parker’s rush out of the line costing us the Tamou try, while Gillett’s white line fever prevented us from getting a draw on the board with 20 minutes to go…
- Hoffman’s defense was absolutely fantastic, but he made himself guilty of those poor line runs too.

All in all, ball control did us in, much more than anything else. We really weren’t dominated in d or attack, but basically defeated ourselves with some poor decisions and dropped ball in the Cows half.
Positive of all this, is that improving ball security will make a huge difference. icon_thumbs_u

 

[shaneomac]

jack reed over beale

lets hope our pet play locky out to hodges into hunt (hoffman now) has been practiced during the offseason and comes out when he gets back.

gagai had room to run that ball in further to the posts from memory and sitting here on my lounge i remember thinking that parker looked a little shady and he should of made it as easy as possible especially to tie the game.

hoffman i defence was brilliant but im not 100% sure bowen even tried to step him.??

we should have bought berrigan back to #9

sorry its kinda point form cause im seedy as from last night and my head hurts

 

[levikade]

all the game provided me with was a heap of dislike for thurston, and i really liked the guy previously. the number of times hed kick the ball away or back chat the ref and go without further penalty was beyond me.

other than that i tend to disagree with the majority of people on here, i thought beale went well, still thats not saying much both teams were pretty shite and were all puppets in what became a thurston v locky show.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Wallace didn't do a lot wrong but it is the same old story with him. Gets tackled an awful lot for a halfback and his kicking game is usually poor. We need from Macca or Hunt but they can't take all the blame Wallace needs to stand up and lead the team. Our Forwards were dominated to an extent but we had plenty of chances to lay the killler blow but just couldn't due to our misfiring 7 and 9 and the depth of our attack.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Wallace was really good for the first 3 seasons. remember the year when lockyer was out pretty much most of the year, that was 2008 and we almost won the premiership, the only year i can remember us doing well in the comp without lockyer since lockyer started with the broncos. remember 2009 when wallace got injured against the dragons, we were screwed against melbourne a week later. he has been good for us. but 2010 onwards he has been so poor and really should have been dropped for a few weeks or so well before now.

 

[Aeetee]

Not soon enough :(

 

[Bucking Beads]

Yep we really do need a quality hooker to guide our forwards. Perhaps McCullough might turn into that hooker sooner rather than later.

 

[Jeza23]

When is Isaac De Gois off contract?

End of this season I believe eusa_think

 

[Charmamba]

**** it.. As much as i love Hunt as a player I'm going to say he needs to be dropped.

Our 1,6,7,9 need to be the same players for the whole 80minutes. Drop Hunt and Wally/Macca will perform.

Sammy,Teo,Parker are 80minute players at the worst 60minute.. Drop Glenn and have Gillett on the bench for impact and the odd rest for those players.

Start with Hannant and McGuire to rattle them from the start.

Bring on Tronc when they start to tire and just make sure our players support him. Imagine Tronc popping out an offload in a tired ruck to Wallace/Locky who pass it on to a flying Thaiday or Teo

Anderson,Dodds and Kenny can fight it out for the final 2 bench spots.