PRE-GAME Round 1 - Broncos vs Eels

[BroncsFan]

This yet again stems back to last year and probably even 2019, where I have no doubt the plan was Milf and Brodie as the starting halves (Kodi and Milf in 2019) for as long as possible whilst Dearden plies his trade in ISC.

When Dearden starts to dominate that level he would've then come into the starting side at the expense of Croft, Milf or Kodi (back in 2019).

What ended up happening...
- Dearden gets a handful of games in ISC as the non-dominant half before Seibold punts Kodi to bring him in just after turning 18.
- Dearden gets injured and misses the rest of the season including ISC
- 2019 Seibold gets Croft to be his 7 (with the intent that Dearden plays ISC)
- ISC gets cancelled
- Seibold is unable to get Milford to do anything
- Media comes after Brodie
- Seibold buckles and brings in a 19yr old halfback as saviour
- Media proclaim that Dearden is our number 1 halfback moving forward

So basically Dearden has missed 2yr of development and has probably played more first grade games than ISC at like 19.

Dearden actually does need some time down in ISC and the only reason he has played so much first grade to this point is ineptitude of Seibold to not protect or back his players (Kodi or Croft) and crumble to media pressure.

I really hope that Kevvie is able to spell this out Dearden so he's not seeing it as a demotion.

It's also not only Dearden that has missed years of development. Covid last year killed chances for Niu, Coates and Paix... and then even guys like Arthars who could've played a larger role last year with ISC around.

I think in recent times only Herbie, Carrigan and Haas have been able to spend some decent time down in ISC and they look the most ready for first grade out of the young guys coming through.

 

[Huge]

Sometimes the situation calls for a slow PTB and sometimes a fast PTB. Having somebody on the field that instinctively knows and above all is capable of calling those shots is the difference. A difference we have been lacking.

I do agree with this. My angle is a little different. We have been whipping bitches for the refs who have grown more powerful over the preceding years. They feel as though they can hide in plain sight the favouritism and plain fuckery and we are powerless to stop them.

A couple years ago, 5 years I think it is now and we were promised the virtual line, a common as muck technology but the refs stopped that dead. They knew that they couldn't keep favouring sides. It's so easy, Bill Harrigan did it to us AFTER he was crucified in the NSW media for our good record under his adjudication. Harrigan would go back 7 / 8 metres for our opposition, 11-13 metres for us. It happens every game and the virtual 10 metre line exposed the refs and there was no way they were going to allow such oversight, certainly not give the public something by which to measure individual refs.

I'd start my games this way. Every ptb for the first 10-15 mins would be slow as. Every hitup the defence line would be stock still until that ball cleared the the tackled player. I'd force the ref to hold a proper 10 metres. If he didn't I'd have my captain stop play, I'd force the issue. I'd make an issue of it. There'd be no play until a proper 10 was set on EVERY tackle.

We'd see change then. Fast ptbs work well, in fact football is very fast when a genuine 10 is given. Even we at the Broncos can make ground if we have a ref who gives each team an equal ten. We've done a million ptbs at hyperspeed yet gained little, it's time to think this through and see if there is a gain to a more NFL style 'set up of play'. I don't want that mind you but I'm sick of these short tens we are consistently plagued by.

 

[1910]

This yet again stems back to last year and probably even 2019, where I have no doubt the plan was Milf and Brodie as the starting halves (Kodi and Milf in 2019) for as long as possible whilst Dearden plies his trade in ISC.

When Dearden starts to dominate that level he would've then come into the starting side at the expense of Croft, Milf or Kodi (back in 2019).

What ended up happening...
- Dearden gets a handful of games in ISC as the non-dominant half before Seibold punts Kodi to bring him in just after turning 18.
- Dearden gets injured and misses the rest of the season including ISC
- 2019 Seibold gets Croft to be his 7 (with the intent that Dearden plays ISC)
- ISC gets cancelled
- Seibold is unable to get Milford to do anything
- Media comes after Brodie
- Seibold buckles and brings in a 19yr old halfback as saviour
- Media proclaim that Dearden is our number 1 halfback moving forward

So basically Dearden has missed 2yr of development and has probably played more first grade games than ISC at like 19.

Dearden actually does need some time down in ISC and the only reason he has played so much first grade to this point is ineptitude of Seibold to not protect or back his players (Kodi or Croft) and crumble to media pressure.

I really hope that Kevvie is able to spell this out Dearden so he's not seeing it as a demotion.

It's also not only Dearden that has missed years of development. Covid last year killed chances for Niu, Coates and Paix... and then even guys like Arthars who could've played a larger role last year with ISC around.

I think in recent times only Herbie, Carrigan and Haas have been able to spend some decent time down in ISC and they look the most ready for first grade out of the young guys coming through.

Dearden is 6 ISC- Five for Wynnum and 1 for Souths-17 NRL.
Paix 18 ISC- 17 for Redcliffe and 1 for Souths- 13 NRL
Herbie- 25 ISC for Norths and 17 NYC- 21 NRL
Carrigan 25 ISC for Wynnum and 38 NYC- 38 NRL
Haas 6 ISC games plus 18 NYC

 

[Kooly87]

Dearden is 6 ISC- Five for Wynnum and 1 for Souths-17 NRL.
Paix 18 ISC- 17 for Redcliffe and 1 for Souths- 13 NRL
Herbie- 25 ISC for Norths and 17 NYC- 21 NRL
Carrigan 25 ISC for Wynnum and 38 NYC- 38 NRL
Haas 6 ISC games plus 18 NYC

Kotoni Staggs got 15-16 games for Redcliffe too from memory.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Dearden is 6 ISC- Five for Wynnum and 1 for Souths-17 NRL.
Paix 18 ISC- 17 for Redcliffe and 1 for Souths- 13 NRL
Herbie- 25 ISC for Norths and 17 NYC- 21 NRL
Carrigan 25 ISC for Wynnum and 38 NYC- 38 NRL
Haas 6 ISC games plus 18 NYC

Wayyy too much unproven youth all at once. We should have gone to market for some experienced heads in the prime of their career when we had the chance. Instead we backed over the hill scrubs like Boyd, Milford, Glenn and McC.

 

[Sproj]

Wayyy too much unproven youth all at once. We should have gone to market for some experienced heads in the prime of their career when we had the chance. Instead we backed over the hill scrubs like Boyd, Milford, Glenn and McC.

A few of these were signed up to ridiculous contracts before Seibold came along to be fair, they were given under Bennett.

 

[broncos4life]

Wayyy too much unproven youth all at once. We should have gone to market for some experienced heads in the prime of their career when we had the chance. Instead we backed over the hill scrubs like Boyd, Milford, Glenn and McC.

Yep.

One of the things I hate about all of this is that Paul Kent was right. Way before this was all an issue when the rest of media were talking up the best crop of forwards and young players ever he said that keeping all these players won't work and that the need to choose the priorities to keep and let the others to leave and surround these guys with veterans.

****.

 

[Kooly87]

A few of these were signed up to ridiculous contracts before Seibold came along to be fair, they were given under Bennett.

Bennett loves paying good money to guys in their 30's. It's worked for him before but without him here it started to look like a really bad plan, really quickly, which is interestingly enough the same sort of thing that happened to the Knights under Bennett.

 

[1910]

Kotoni Staggs got 15-16 games for Redcliffe too from memory.

14 in 2018.

 

[Kooly87]

14 in 2018.

That might be enough for the genuinely really special players, but the fact that that sort of numbers has become more like an average or even on the higher end of the average in terms of Queensland Cup games before you get to play for the Broncos is frankly pretty alarming.

 

[1910]

That might be enough for the genuinely really special players, but the fact that that sort of numbers has become more like an average or even on the higher end of the average in terms of Queensland Cup games before you get to play for the Broncos is frankly pretty alarming.

It's by product of struggling too, when you're losing you look for answers, everyone says promote the kid so you do. Never works.

Storm are excellent at letting players develop.

Cronk 61 ISC games
Smith 28 ISC games
Munster 46 ISC games
Slater 23 ISC games
Inglis 24 ISC games

 

[BroncsFan]

Dearden is 6 ISC- Five for Wynnum and 1 for Souths-17 NRL.
Paix 18 ISC- 17 for Redcliffe and 1 for Souths- 13 NRL
Herbie- 25 ISC for Norths and 17 NYC- 21 NRL
Carrigan 25 ISC for Wynnum and 38 NYC- 38 NRL
Haas 6 ISC games plus 18 NYC

Thought Haas played longer than that, but remembered he debuted and then got injured. I think he was pretty solid in his ISC stints though??

Looks like Carrigan and Herbie basically completed a whole season of ISC, and even though Paix played 18 games I think you've mentioned that he was shuffled between halves and bench utility... so could definitely use more time down there playing in hooker (is he affiliated to Souths logan now??)

I think last year you mentioned that Dearden, Paix and Niu were moved to Souths logan, but then of course ISC was cancelled. Is that staying in place again this year.

Also in your list you didn't mention Niu or Coates, but I'm assuming both played minimal if any ISC due to their age and then ISC being cancelled last year.

How about Flegler??

He came from nowhere but unsure how much of a stint he might've done in ISC before NRL

 

[abashii]

Bennett loves paying good money to guys in their 30's. It's worked for him before but without him here it started to look like a really bad plan, really quickly, which is interestingly enough the same sort of thing that happened to the Knights under Bennett.

There's an interesting parallel there, after Newcastle collapsed under Tinkler's ownership and was sold on, there was a fair amount of moaning about how Bennett had all these old heads taking up too much of the cap and how they'd move the old guys on and promote all these exciting juniors under the new coaching of Rick Stone then Nathan Brown. In hindsight it didn't seem to work out so well for them, but of course listening to the Johns boys and the Sydney media in general you'd swear it's all Wayne's fault.

 

[1910]

Thought Haas played longer than that, but remembered he debuted and then got injured. I think he was pretty solid in his ISC stints though??

Looks like Carrigan and Herbie basically completed a whole season of ISC, and even though Paix played 18 games I think you've mentioned that he was shuffled between halves and bench utility... so could definitely use more time down there playing in hooker (is he affiliated to Souths logan now??)

I think last year you mentioned that Dearden, Paix and Niu were moved to Souths logan, but then of course ISC was cancelled. Is that staying in place again this year.

Also in your list you didn't mention Niu or Coates, but I'm assuming both played minimal if any ISC due to their age and then ISC being cancelled last year.

How about Flegler??

He came from nowhere but unsure how much of a stint he might've done in ISC before NRL

Niu 15 games- 14 in 2019 and 1 last season
Coates 3 games
Flegler 10 games

 

[The Strapper]

It's by product of struggling too, when you're losing you look for answers, everyone says promote the kid so you do. Never works.

Storm are excellent at letting players develop.

Cronk 61 ISC games
Smith 28 ISC games
Munster 46 ISC games
Slater 23 ISC games
Inglis 24 ISC games

Those stats tell a lot.
The standout for me is Cronk. He must have played at least 3 seasons of ISC so our recruitment team would have had plenty of opportunities to look at him and make him an offer before Melbourne did. Another bad miss by them.

 

[Gaz]

 

[Painin the Haas]

It's by product of struggling too, when you're losing you look for answers, everyone says promote the kid so you do. Never works.

Storm are excellent at letting players develop.

Cronk 61 ISC games
Smith 28 ISC games
Munster 46 ISC games
Slater 23 ISC games
Inglis 24 ISC games

Harry Grant is also a fine example for players to spend more time in reserve grade

 

[1910]

Those stats tell a lot.
The standout for me is Cronk. He must have played at least 3 seasons of ISC so our recruitment team would have had plenty of opportunities to look at him and make him an offer before Melbourne did. Another bad miss by them.

He was still signed to the Storm, they were just letting him cook at Norths. Griffin and Michael Moore got him to Norths/Storm from school.