Round 1 - Bulldogs vrs Broncos; Pre-Match Discussion

[vertigo]

Well if we cant beat them with two first choice forwards and backs out we are well and truly stuffed.

 

[Splinter]

Klemmer will give us more trouble than Kasiano

 

[Super Freak]

Apparently Hasler said this this morning

Oh, I didn't see that.

It helps calm me down a little bit.

 

[Rabbir]

Oh, I didn't see that.

It helps calm me down a little bit.

Except now I actually think we will win.

 

[Alec]

Klemmer will give us more trouble than Kasiano

I dunno if I agree. Kasiano is extremely valuable to the Dogs style of attack, he and Graham are pretty much their actual halves.

 

[Big Pete]

Thankfully yesterday's Twitter feed softened the blow somewhat but I can't help but feel disappointed with the team.

It's just a very safe team, and by that I mean, it's the type of team you assemble when you want to try and fit all your best available players in your starting 13. The problem I have is that it seems like nothing was learned from the Warriors game and that the issues we had were written off as just a bad performance on the day. In fact, the only player to pay the price for the trial game was Stewie Mills, who struggled but was hardly the only one out there who let the team down.

Still, we may have picked the Dogs up at the right time. They'll be without a lot of key personnel and it will take them awhile to adjust to life without Barba. Can never under-estimate them though and I suspect this game will go down to the wire.

I reckon Barba will be the difference and we'll make it two on the trot against the Doggies. Like the last game, it will give us something to smile about but won't exactly ease any nerves heading into the rest of the season.

 

[Alec]

Still, we may have picked the Dogs up at the right time. They'll be without a lot of key personnel and it will take them awhile to adjust to life without Barba. Can never under-estimate them though and I suspect this game will go down to the wire.

I reckon Barba will be the difference and we'll make it two on the trot against the Doggies. Like the last game, it will give us something to smile about but won't exactly ease any nerves heading into the rest of the season.

There is a bit of a negative to us winning the game. The win could be used to keep this same team together for a few rounds to come. If we lose, you'd definitely expect changes for Round 2.

 

[Ari Gold]

I question whether Nikorima is ready for the NRL. Because apart from the nines he hasn't really demanded selection. People only seem to be calling for his selection based on what he did in the nines and that is a completely different style of game compared to the 13 a side game.

All legitimate points, but aside from defence, Hoffman is even less ready. The big criticism of Hoffman is that he doesn't have the vision or ball playing ability to be a good modern day fullback. Given this, moving him into a position that requires even more vision and ball playing is ridiculously stupid. It's a dumb, dumb selection.

 

[Ari Gold]

Thankfully yesterday's Twitter feed softened the blow somewhat but I can't help but feel disappointed with the team.

It's just a very safe team, and by that I mean, it's the type of team you assemble when you want to try and fit all your best available players in your starting 13. The problem I have is that it seems like nothing was learned from the Warriors game and that the issues we had were written off as just a bad performance on the day. In fact, the only player to pay the price for the trial game was Stewie Mills, who struggled but was hardly the only one out there who let the team down.

Still, we may have picked the Dogs up at the right time. They'll be without a lot of key personnel and it will take them awhile to adjust to life without Barba. Can never under-estimate them though and I suspect this game will go down to the wire.

I reckon Barba will be the difference and we'll make it two on the trot against the Doggies. Like the last game, it will give us something to smile about but won't exactly ease any nerves heading into the rest of the season.

Dogs have Des as coach and a roster that in terms of personnel isn't too much worse than ours. They'll beat us easily because of the first reason.

 

[Foordy]

I expect Hoffman to be used as a running 5/8 similar a Sutton. I think a Barba will be used as the second play maker from the back.

And unlike many on here I'm prepared to actually give them a chance before completely writing them off.

P.s. Sorry for not whinging about hook in this thread, I know I'm meant to regardless of the thread im in

 

[noisetheory]

i've completely moved on from the hoffman 6 v nikorima debate. happy to accept he's not ready

forward pack worries me. i think the rotations are going to be wrong. im expect jarrod wallace to get 9 pointless minutes. he should get 15-20

worried macca wont play 80. if he doesnt then glenn may play hooker??? how well will that go?

 

[Big Pete]

Like they did last time, yeah?

 

[Alec]

I expect Hoffman to be used as a running 5/8 similar a Sutton. I think a Barba will be used as the second play maker from the back.

And unlike many on here I'm prepared to actually give them a chance before completely writing them off.

P.s. Sorry for not whinging about hook in this thread, I know I'm meant to regardless of the thread im in

Hoffman playing in the halves isn't just disgusting as a Broncos fan, it's disgusting as a league fan in general. I want the Broncos to succeed, but this would be like succeeding with poop in your pants.

 

[Ari Gold]

Like they did last time, yeah?

That game was in Brisbane and the Dogs were guaranteed a home final regardless of the result so neither team had too much on the line in terms of competition points. Plus we didn't have Hoffman at five eight in that game.

 

[Alec]

That game was in Brisbane and the Dogs were guaranteed a home final regardless of the result so neither team had too much on the line in terms of competition points. Plus we didn't have Hoffman at five eight in that game.

And Maranta at fullback instead of the wing. That was a deadly side compared to this, lol.

 

[Brent81]

Hoffman playing in the halves isn't just disgusting as a Broncos fan, it's disgusting as a league fan in general. I want the Broncos to succeed, but this would be like succeeding with poop in your pants.

Worse, it's a big central finger from the coach and the club to the fans.

If this is the team that gets picked for round 2, I suggest that noone shows up. Let them play in front of an empty stadium.

Griffin is not only useless, he's now actively damaging our club.

 

[azza]

How can we ignore the fact that Hoffman was moved to wing due to lack of ballplaying ability at fullback and now hes one of our playmakers?

 

[Big Pete]

That game was in Brisbane and the Dogs were guaranteed a home final regardless of the result so neither team had too much on the line in terms of competition points. Plus we didn't have Hoffman at five eight in that game.

All the excuses in the world for a guy who came up against one of the worst teams in the game, who were without key players and couldn't get the job done.

I'd imagine the Bulldogs are favourites, but they'd be long odds of putting on this supposed clinic you've predicted.