PRE-GAME Round 12 - Broncos vs Sharks

[rnabokov]

The "Baby" Broncs Mk 2.1

1. Staggs
2. Kennar
3. Farnworth
4. Arthars
5. Coates
6. Croft
7. Dearden
8. Lodge
9. Paix
10. Haas
11. TPJ
12. Fifita
13. Carrigan

14. Turpin
13. T'eo
14. Offa
15. Flegler

 

[winslow_wong]

Sharks are definitely beatable... IF we turn up like we did in the first half and it's a dry track then we can win this game.

If we get some troops back and provided we haven't lost any to injury or suspension from this game then we should be fine... although Milf was clearly injured before and throughout the game

Given Milf's hamstring issues I think he should be rested... the kicking game from storm was far too easy tonight with Milf hobbling around on one leg in the rain.... SJ and Chad are not the greatest of kickers so we can't handicap ourselves by playing an injured fullback.

I think there will be a temptation to move Herbie to fullback (if Milf is rested)... which I'm not entirely against, as long as it doesn't impact on his runs out of our own end. When he moved to center his runs were heavily impacted and we need his meters and quick ptb's

I don't think it will affect him as much as the move to center, as he was making close to 30 tackles a game there... Herbie just wants the ball in his hands and I think he would be hovering around the ruck a lot looking for the ball.

I do really think Herbie could be a long term fullback for us, but if he isn't he looks a very very good winger for us

I thought the titans and warriors were very beatable too. The sharks are a few steps up from those two teams and will give the broncos a tough night.

 

[BroncsFan]

I thought the titans and warriors were very beatable too. The sharks are a few steps up from those two teams and will give the broncos a tough night.

I prefaced it by saying IF we turn up.... this team still has good players, they just haven't been turning up to games and then putting in zero effort.

It's a big if though....

Last week this team was being hammered for getting flogged by wests. This week because they played one good half of footy there's every chance the media lay off them a bit and the players give themselves a little pat on the back for putting in 50% of what's needed.

There's every chance of them turning up with a piss poor attitude and getting flogged by 40

 

[rnabokov]

I prefaced it by saying IF we turn up.... this team still has good players, they just haven't been turning up to games and then putting in zero effort.

It's a big if though....

Last week this team was being hammered for getting flogged by wests. This week because they played one good half of footy there's every chance the media lay off them a bit and the players give themselves a little pat on the back for putting in 50% of what's needed.

There's every chance of them turning up with a piss poor attitude and getting flogged by 40

I am cautious about saying most of our team are putting in zero effort, or showing up with a piss poor attitude. I thought last night, we tried really hard, with a new spine - new half back and hooker in particular and a crippled FB (mentally and it seems with that hamstring).

For mine the major issue is that we have nothing to fall back on, nothing to lift the side when the going gets tough, and so the resilience fades and ... and ... we all know, we all saw what happens. The lack of leadership is major. The lack of structures to fall back on is major. And they are all catch-22 scenarios and they are crippling.

Last night, I thought the principal difference between the 2 sides was Smith. I honestly believe that without Smith, the Storm were beatable. Commentators said the Storm were poor in the 1st half. Well I reckon we took them by surprise and we made them look less than they thought. Our energy and good tackling made them drop the ball. The difference was Bellamy at half time .. and Smith. He really lifted in the 2nd half.

There were good signs for us in that 1st half. The tackling was by and large, very good, Dearden answered the key question about the halfback we need. I thought he was excellent. Paix as well whether he plays hooker (my choice) or 5/8, Flegler lifted measurably and I thought Kennedy went well too.

However all that means little if that major major issue of 80 minutes resilience isn't there, and for mine that's not a roster issue, well, except for Milford and Boyd. The resilience, the mental state of the team must be Seibold's key focus, an absolute focus if we are going to move forward. The signs are there. The question now is whether there is the will to build resilience, a focus on the bleeding obvious, whether or not it takes first priority.

From what i saw last night, the problem is less players not putting in and more that they don't know how to, how to stay tough when the going gets tough, understandable fr a young side that has no real leadership on the field and few structures it seems to fall back on.

With Fifita and Turpin back (hopefully), some inspiration returns. I can see a much better 80 minute effort against the Sharks, even if Boyd and Milford play which I reckon they will.

 

[Jedhead]

I know it probably won't happen, but I'd love to see Corey Paix slot into 5/8 for the rest of the season when Turps comes back. Let Turps and Luke share the hooker role and let the other two young halves play together for a few games. I think between Paix, Tupin and Dearden that Paix is the brains trust. He loves to study the game and is reportedly studying old tapes of games whenever he has spare time. This is the sort of dedication that makes for an elite type playmaker.

If we at least get these three settled as our spine going forward we can then begin to work on getting someone who is a natural leader at FB. Croft can be used as back up when necessary, but he really has shown so far that he's not what we're looking for in the halves.

 

[Fernando]

Farnworth or Arthars at the back and Paix in the halves.

 

[vertigo]

Johnson back to form last couple of weeks.

Bodes well for us!

 

[Sproj]

Oh it’ll be another smashing. Who cares, the club doesn’t.

 

[Fernando]

Oh it’ll be another smashing. Who cares, the club doesn’t.

Yep. Sharks aren’t world beaters but they are a competitive NRL team which means they’ve got wayy too much for us to handle.

If it’s another thumping loss I think heads will really drop after this when they realise they’ve got another 2 months of punishment to go.

 

[McHunt]

2020 is so bizarre. If you had said that 8 weeks ago you would've been crucified, now it looks like a genuine option to improve the team.

Never mind 8 weeks. I wouldn't have said it last week.

 

[Sproj]

Yep. Sharks aren’t world beaters but they are a competitive NRL team which means they’ve got wayy too much for us to handle.

If it’s another thumping loss I think heads will really drop after this when they realise they’ve got another 2 months of punishment to go.

Meh we thought things would change already, yet here we are.

 

[theshed]

Sharks are far too gritty a team for us to have any chance. Not the best team but they are very mentally and physically tough.

I’d kill to have Wade Graham in our team.

 

[nathano11]

Do you think if we played daytime, which is when we train we would play better or would we get flogged then too?
I think it would be refreshing for the team to get a decent run of day time games. With prime time at night time, I don’t think that will happen.
Should the team train at night to practice in the same conditions as they play in?
Is the current method for players to adjust to the conditions on the captains run?

 

[jarro65]

Call me an optimist but i reckon we are a chance against the sharks.

If we can replicate our first half form from the Storm game (no reason we cant) then we can more than rattle the sharks.

They were far from clinical against the dragons yesterday, plus they have some injuries to key players (Ramien,Townsend)

 

[McHunt]

He loves to study the game and is reportedly studying old tapes of games whenever he has spare time.

Hobbies: drinking beer, watching TV. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[JungleBoogie]

Boyd is never getting dropped - it is retirement season and it won't win us games.

Drop him and let him turnaround and say he wants to play one more year.

 

[Gaz]

Looking forward to hopefully seeing Turpin and Dearden back together.
They played excellently in a couple big wins for us last year and if they bring back that enthusiasm you never know it might rub off on those lacking it.

 

[winslow_wong]

Oh damn there’s a game to be played this week after all this distraction