Round 1 - Bulldogs vrs Broncos; Pre-Match Discussion

[broncos4life]

Ben Barba 2012 - A Season to Remember - YouTube

We can only dream.

Also, who's the Josh Morris for the Broncos - Hoffy at 6 following the play? Ben Hunt? Our second rower backline (Vidot, Copley, Reed, Maranta) won't have the speed to stay with Barba.

Copley is quick

 

[azza]

On watching that most tries came from fielding kicks from the opposition, I hope he still has that speed and evasion to make this an exciting year.

 

[Rhys van Beurden]

[h=1]Broncos pinch playmakers plan from Bulldogs[/h]

• DAN KOCH
• THE AUSTRALIAN
• MARCH 05, 2014 12:00AM

HAVING seen their plans to lure an all-star halves combination to the club this season slip through their fingers, the under-siege Broncos are set to implement a new game plan stolen straight from the playbook of their opponents on Friday night.
In his first season at the helm of the Bulldogs, coach Des Hasler defied conventional wisdom by taking the playmaking responsibilities away from his halves and spreading them among his array of imposing forwards - men he felt had the ability to provide opportunities that Ben Barba could turn into points. Like Hasler, Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin is smart enough to realise his halves, Ben Hunt and Josh Hoffman, cannot be expected to carry the load of a traditional pairing.
Winner of the 2008 Toyota Cup under-20s player of the year, Hunt has the talent to become a dominant playmaker in the NRL. However, his development stalled significantly in his first four seasons in the top grade, where he has been used almost exclusively as back-up to starting hooker Andrew McCullough. In hindsight, Hunt would have been far better served working on his game by steering a side around in Queensland’s state league competition, rather than sitting on the interchange bench.
That decision has been brought sharply into focus over the pre-season following the departure of young gun Corey Norman and former State of Origin representatives Peter Wallace and Scott Prince.
It now appears the coach Anthony Griffin and football manager Andrew Gee had been working with the belief that the Raiders star Anthony Milford and former Broncos ace Karmichael Hunt would be a part of the playing group for 2014.
For different reasons the negotiations with both players were scuppered late in the process, leaving Griffin with two big holes in his side and an even bigger headache leading into this weekend’s season opener.
His solution, like Hasler’s, stems from the most basic of principles. “We will be playing to our strengths and that is in our backrow where we have guys like Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker, Matt Gillett and Alex Glenn, who are all Test players and can really create a lot of second phase,” prop Josh McGuire said yesterday.
“Obviously with Josh going into the halves, he isn’t a traditional five-eighth. But I don’t think we will be asking him to do what you might normally see from other five-eighths.
“In Josh and Benny Barba we have two legitimate strike weapons in attack and we want to use both of them to their full potential. Hook (Griffin) and the coaching staff have come up with a game plan and some different ideas which we think will do that.”
As it stands, Hunt, who has just 14 first-grade starts as a No 7, will take on the duties of steering the team around the park, with McCullough also likely to assume a more influential role, particularly when the Broncos are inside their attacking zone.
However, it is in Barba and Hoffman where the team see most of their points coming - just as Hasler did two seasons ago.
“Look, the Bulldogs showed there is a different style you can play which can still be very effective and hopefully we can do much the same,” Gillett said.

 

[Art Vandelay]

The 5/8 choice is questionable. Hoffman is obviously lacking in play making ability. What is just completely retarded is Griffin's selection for front rowers. Last time I checked, the Bulldogs have one of the biggest packs going, so what does he do, he has Hennant and Kennedy, the two heavies front rowers on the bench. Brilliant, just bloody brilliant. Also to have Maranta in the wing... again, well I am once again dumbfounded. Maybe they can start 0-4 and have the coaching staff fired. Worse things could happen. I can't remember seeing a coach play people out of position more than this abortion of a coach.

Vent over.

Actually with Kasiano and Eastwood out the Bulldogs' starting middle three forwards aren't actually that big. Klemmer and Browne on the other hand are massive, so it actually does make some sense to keep a couple of our bigger guys on the bench. Parker at 10 still doesn't thrill me but I can definitely see the value in leaving our biggest props on the bench, given that the Bulldogs are doing the same.

 

[rnabokov]

A couple of things. Someone posted earlier in this thread more or less, that the numbers on the back mean little these days... so as far as I am concerned, at this stage, who knows who will be doing what, although my guess is that Hunt will be roaming on both sides, the forwards will go back to what they should have been doing so well if sporadically, last year - passing the ball and acting as de facto play makers, and Barba and Hoffman will be the ones snooping around the ball carriers looking for every opportunity to find a hole.

For mine, the main thing of interest will be the game plan - whether Hook has learned anything from our strengths and weaknesses last 2 seasons, and who will be doing the play making.

The other 3 key issues - as always for a successful team - are:

1. support play
2. marker defence
3. a defensive line which moves up quickly and attacks in defence, then re-forms just as quickly.

Broncos by 20


(and PS - thanks to all the great people on this forum who wished me well. I appreciate you guys so much :takdir: )

 

[Rabbir]

A win against a depleted Bulldogs squad might actually be a bad thing for the season as a whole.

 

[john1420]

how do we know that hoff to the wing would push maranta out of the team? for all we know hook will keep him and drop vidot

 

[subsbligh]

A win against a depleted Bulldogs squad might actually be a bad thing for the season as a whole.

I fucking love this site.

 

[subsbligh]

A couple of things. Someone posted earlier in this thread more or less, that the numbers on the back mean little these days... so as far as I am concerned, at this stage, who knows who will be doing what, although my guess is that Hunt will be roaming on both sides, the forwards will go back to what they should have been doing so well if sporadically, last year - passing the ball and acting as de facto play makers, and Barba and Hoffman will be the ones snooping around the ball carriers looking for every opportunity to find a hole.

For mine, the main thing of interest will be the game plan - whether Hook has learned anything from our strengths and weaknesses last 2 seasons, and who will be doing the play making.

The other 3 key issues - as always for a successful team - are:

1. support play
2. marker defence
3. a defensive line which moves up quickly and attacks in defence, then re-forms just as quickly.

Broncos by 20


(and PS - thanks to all the great people on this forum who wished me well. I appreciate you guys so much :takdir: )

Rightly or wrongly, Hook's gameplan will be "keep it simple". I guess that really is your only option when you've got a rookie halfback and a winger at five eigth.

That means forward ball control, completing sets and field position and effort on effort defence. As Gordie said in the Courier Mail, I'd be pleased if we did nothing but had a solid kick chase for every set of the game.

That also means the best our attack is going to get is "playing for a mistake" and mid field bombs and bombing to Jack Reed as our only attacking strategy.

And watching Lachlan Maranta not score tries where any other compentent winger would.

 

[subsbligh]

Also, picking some positives out of the team list: Jarrod Wallace named on the bench - I've had massive wraps on him in his cameo appearances over the last few years. Hopefully he can cemet a spot and really add value.

He's got the ability to bend the line - he reminds me of Josh McGuire in his build and running style?

If he can really breakout this year, a genuine fourth prop option would be a nice suprise.

 

[noisetheory]

how do we know that hoff to the wing would push maranta out of the team? for all we know hook will keep him and drop vidot

i guess its up to vidot now to prove he is a must pick. balls in his court really.

 

[noisetheory]

Also, picking some positives out of the team list: Jarrod Wallace named on the bench - I've had massive wraps on him in his cameo appearances over the last few years. Hopefully he can cemet a spot and really add value.

He's got the ability to bend the line - he reminds me of Josh McGuire in his build and running style?

If he can really breakout this year, a genuine fourth prop option would be a nice suprise.

i also like the look of wallace.

i am most fearful that griffin will screw him around with 5 - 10 mins game time.

 

[1910]

Bulldogs
1. Sam Perrett
2. Mitch Brown
3. Josh Morris
4. Chase Stanley
5. Corey Thompson
6. Josh Reynolds
7. Trent Hodkinson
8. Aiden Tolman
9. Michael Ennis (c)
10. James Graham
11. Frank Pritchard (c)
12. Tony Williams
13. Dale Finucane

14. Josh Jackson
15. Pat O'Hanlon
16. Tim Browne
17. David Klemmer
19. Moses Mybe

Hasler Names Season Opening Side - Bulldogs

Expect to see Thompson at fullback. Former Easts Tiger fullback who's bit of a livewire.

Souths before Easts, he had injury problems last year as soon as he went down there mid-season but is very fast and a very good finisher.

Good signing last year by the Dogs.

 

[Big Pete]

Actually, when I was going to make my critique of the team yesterday, one of my big problems with it was J. Wallace.

He has big problems with his lateral defence, has poor discipline and really doesn't make up for it with his hit ups. I would have preferred a utility either in the form of Granville or if they wanted to go down that route Nikorima.

 

[CaptainHook]

Gee I'm looking forward to this game. It will be awesome to have the footy back on! Two more sleeps! I'm just looking for an improved performance. As others have said, I will be looking at our support play to see if it has been improved. I think we're a good chance against the Dogs. We beat them last year and I think we have a better team now. Halves are still a concern. I don't know if Hoffman has a kicking game or not. As long as our halves provide good ball and put guys like Copley, Vidot and Maranta into space then we can't go wrong. Disappointed Granville didn't get a run but hopefully he's not too far away...

 

[noisetheory]

agree CaptainHook - for all my whinging about the selections/coach/etc, im still pumped for the game.

 

[Splinter]

Gee I'm looking forward to this game. It will be awesome to have the footy back on! Two more sleeps! I'm just looking for an improved performance. As others have said, I will be looking at our support play to see if it has been improved. I think we're a good chance against the Dogs. We beat them last year and I think we have a better team now. Halves are still a concern. I don't know if Hoffman has a kicking game or not. As long as our halves provide good ball and put guys like Copley, Vidot and Maranta into space then we can't go wrong. Disappointed Granville didn't get a run but hopefully he's not too far away...

Is this a clue to your identity Andrew?

 

[Porthoz]

I'm going to give the team the benefit of the doubt, even if I don't agree with some of the selections. I want to see them in action in a game that counts for something, before I start throwing all the toys out of the cot, especially because what I saw from them in the nines was totally opposite to what I saw in Dunedin (at least in defense).

I like seeing Thaiday where he belongs and I'm hopefull Gillett will be at his best at lock, where he doesn't have to do too much lateral work. Unlike some people say, he actually hits and tackles hard, but can be too easily beaten on the fringes. He proved this in the toughest arena last year during Origin!

As someone said, given the Dogs will have their big props starting from the bench, I can live with Kennedy and Hannant coming from the bench as well, otherwise there can be no justification for starting with Parker and McGuire (both relatively small) in the front row. Parker at prop under the circumstances is the least of my worries, as he does most of his work in the middle third of the field anyway.

Maranta will hopefully be just a bandaid until Kahu comes back at the very least, and hopefully Vidot will take advantage of this chance, and his brain will actually get in synch with his talent and body!

Hoffman at five-eight will only work if we do indeed spread the ball playing amongst our forwards, let Hunt and Macca do most of the organisation, and allow Barba and Hoffman to take advantage of broken play. I still think he is best suited for the wing though...

Regardless, If we win and win well, I expect the usual suspects to disappear from the forum (until we lose again).
If we lose and dish out the same crap as we did against the Warriors, everyone will be happy to know Hook's (and Kearney's) days will be counted.

What I can't and won't ever do, is death-ride my team to achieve the purpose of getting rid of Hook (or anyone else), or even just to be able to brag about being right!