PRE-GAME Round 10 - Cowboys vs Broncos

[Unbreakable]

North Queensland Cowboys vs Brisbane Broncos
1300SMILES Stadium, Friday 15 May 2015
Kick Off 7:35pm

 

[Super Freak]

I think there is a 99% chance we will lose McGuire for this game.

His only hope is if he doesn't get charged, but after the whole Bird situation, I can't see him getting off.

This will be a tough one. Cowboys are always hard to beat at home. But I'm hoping we see this side.

 

[Unbreakable]

Bennett said in the post-match press conference that we have no injuries to worry about going foward, so I assume Glenn is fine. Could we potentially see what might be perceived as a full strength side?

Please Wayne, this is the 17 that will take us into the Promised Land.

1. Boyd
2. Oates
3. Copley
4. Hodges (c)
5. Kahu
6. Milford
7. Hunt
8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Blair
11. Glenn
12. Thaiday
13. Parker

14. Nikorima
15. Gillett
16. Wallace
17. Ofahengaue

 

[Alec]

We really can't afford to let them have as big a roll on as we allowed the Panthers to. And Cowboys forward pack is much more threatening. Want to see some big hits to start off with.

 

[Broncoman]

We really can't afford to let them have as big a roll on as we allowed the Panthers to. And Cowboys forward pack is much more threatening. Want to see some big hits to start off with.

And there backline is more threatening than Penrith's as well

 

[Foordy]

Say it with me line speed.

We haven't really seen it since the Roosters game. If we want to stop that Cowboys pack, it is important that we replicated our performance from the Roosters game, where our forwards stopped theirs in their tracks.

And it was all built on quick line speed. Getting in the face of the big Roosters forward pack and preventing them from getting up a head of steam before the line. Do that and it will go a long way towards winning us the game against the Cowboys.

 

[ningnangnong]

Going to be a very tough match - unlike when we played them earlier in the season, the Cowboys have got their shit together now.

 

[Porthoz]

Yeah, this will be the toughest match of the season so far imo, although they will be without Taumalolo, which makes a massive difference.

I'd like to see more line speed, because we're leaking too many meters, but like someone said, at least it presents the opposition with a tight tough line of defense, instead of a staggered one like we often had before, where only some players rushed up. Gillett's defense for example has improved out of sight by staying in the line, and choosing his moment to rush.

What we absolutely need and don't have at the moment, is control and a good kicking game attached to it... once we do, we'll be a very serious contender!

 

[vertigo]

Just on line speed, I agree we gave up easy meters last night but as @Porthoz suggested we let Penrith waltz into a flat defensive line and made it count on the goal-line.

One of Penrith's go-to plays when Soward is playing is to get the edge defence sucked in then he pops a long ball out to the winger and they've scored a heap of tries this way, they would've gone over video of this plenty of times so I'm glad we didn't fall for it.

This game is a different beast, there'll be more middle third running going on you'd expect so hopefully we go back to a grinding pressure building game rather than trying to score every set and putting pressure on ourselves instead.

 

[rnabokov]

We under-utilize our back row. Our halves still have few consistent ideas of how to consistently create opportunities for them. Finally, Hunt and Oates get together last night and look at the result. Meanwhile, Glenn and Gillett are largely used as one-out hit up men. We should look at how the Roosters use Cordner and Guerra and try that for a change.

I remember last year when Gillett in particular did some great things when he got some decent ball out wide, and the same with Glenn this year on the few occasions he and Milford combined.

Our edge forward game is largely non-existent ... and again, when we do it like last night, you see the results.

Hunt and Gillett and Milford and Glenn, or both need to get their combinations working and this under-developed aspect of our already under done attack will yield seriously good results … as we saw last night with Hunt and Oates.

Not rocket science, and in case someone wants to blame one player … it takes (at least) 2 to tango. In their own ways, Gillett and Glenn can be magic with quality ball and someone calling the plays.

 

[Mitch06]

Even if McGuire is suspended, Adam Blair shouldn't start....go with Wallace or Offy.

 

[Astro]

Not having taomalolo or Bolton is a massive loss for the cows. They are a big part of their go forward. Bolton was huge last week when Lolo went off after the 2nd hit up.

 

[1910]

Vidot was ok today; made some strong runs and a few offloads in the second half.

 

[rnabokov]

Vidot was ok today; made some strong runs and a few offloads in the second half.

Offloads? Quick, bring him back. He could fill in for McGuire if he gets suspended, or replace Blair

 

[Unbreakable]

Vidot is irrelevant now that our back line is healthy, he won't be wearing Broncos colours again baring another major injury.

 

[rnabokov]

Just on line speed, I agree we gave up easy meters last night but as @Porthoz suggested we let Penrith waltz into a flat defensive line and made it count on the goal-line.

One of Penrith's go-to plays when Soward is playing is to get the edge defence sucked in then he pops a long ball out to the winger and they've scored a heap of tries this way, they would've gone over video of this plenty of times so I'm glad we didn't fall for it.

This game is a different beast, there'll be more middle third running going on you'd expect so hopefully we go back to a grinding pressure building game rather than trying to score every set and putting pressure on ourselves instead.

What worries me as well was how easily the Panthers got their second-phase play going against us early in the game, made lots of ground, and as someone else reported, they did 16 offloads compared to our 10.

Also, atm, the Cows are dong ok out wide ...

 

[Morkel]

I feel people are missing the point when they say our back-rowers are being under-utilised. The reason they're being used for hit-ups is because for the majority of the game hit-ups is all we could do. Our play-the-balls were very slow, meaning their defence was constantly in our faces. Blame our unwillingness to wrestle if you want. But there just aren't the gaps, or isolated defenders, to utilise our edge runners for the majority of the games. The Roosters do it well because they get quick play-the-balls. Again, blame their willingness to wrestle, and the refs unwillingness to blow penalties when their forwards just roll the ball between their legs when they're not even standing up yet, while also interfering with the markers on most plays.

Why did it work for Oates in the last few minutes? Because the driving runs from a few of our players were making good metres, and the play-the-balls were very fast, meaning the Panthers' defence was not only on the back-foot, but stretched. The running was predominantly in the middle of the field, meaning the Panthers' pack was quite compressed in the defensive line and, voila, their left side defence was spaced out enough so that Soward could be isolated, while simultaneously the fast PTB meant he couldn't get more than a few metres off his line.

You can't just conjure up those plays on-demand. They require a great deal of lead-up work, and a lot of small yet crucial factors running in your favour. The reality is that you're not going to be able to manipulate the opposition in to exposing those weaknesses every set, but the positive is that we're seemingly able to do it when it counts.

 

[Porthoz]

Well said Morks, except for one thing... I wouldn't be counting on your last line too much. We got out of jail twice against the chooks and yesterday, but we need to avoid getting into that position, and despite being more confident of our ability to win games, we still aren't taking the game away from the opposition.