POST GAME [Round 13, 2026] - Broncos vs Dragons

One of the biggest issues is paix. By the time he’s gone down to pick up the ball and releasing the pass from dummy half, the defence is millimetres from smashing our receiver. This happens for 4 tackles a set and we’ve literally only made 30 metres. This is phase one of our implosions.
Not only is he slow, the defence know he isn’t going to run so they just pick off the receiver.
 
Actually don’t really know to start with that loss. By far our best fielded team in 6 or so weeks, and probably our poorest performance in a very long time. The old Broncos are certainly back!
  • Our play the ball speeds. This needs to be addressed as probably our biggest issue imo. Big factor in why we can’t make meters this year. Add to that the slowness of our current 9 in Paix and 14 in Hunt. If you haven’t, do yourself a favour and watch the likes of B.Brailey or Robson. The defensive line is always set, ready to defend and man up on us. We are not making meters.
  • Too many cooks in the kitchen. We’ve seen this year and last that too many attacking weapons in Reyno, Ezra and Hunt has worked against us when all on the field at the same time. We play our best footy when atleast one of those 3 is out. I think when Reyno is out? Ezra and Walsh then take the reins and run the team. But Reyno’s kicking game has legit won us countless games so I think it’s the 6 and 9 that need to be changed asap.
  • Outside backs continually just get driven back (that’s if they haven’t dropped a bomb). No better example than Shiba, absolute shadow of last year.
  • Our spine (similar to what i have outlined above). Ezra, Reyno, Reece and Paix are not working, it’s as simple as that. Ezra needs a spell. Paix is too slow and not creative enough. Reece just isn’t getting the opportunity and then when we are in trouble everyone just wants Reece ball to save us. It is not sustainable, nor is it NRL standard.
  • Our forwards, sheesh what on earth has happened here. Jensen, Smoothy and Hetherington proving to be unsung heroes, no doubt. Patty has looked not in it at all this year. Looks slow and disinterested. Starting to think Payne’s departure may have rattled him, maybe the PNG chat is real? Is there more to why Payne is really leaving? We looked our best a few weeks back when X was our enforcer.
  • Sorry but there is no possible way we should be keeping Hunt or Shiba beyond this year unless it’s at min wage, and we know that’s not going to happen.
  • Bring back Smoothy and look to offload Paix (unlikely).
  • To market for some of the Warriors forwards, go into their depth, they can’t keep them all
Next week:
  1. Walsh. 6. Duffy. 7. Reyno. 9. Mozer/Buk (if available). 14. Hunt. If neither 9 is available then Rodgers to 9. Ezra to 14 (if he still has to be in the squad..)
The only positive today was the ref. For once this season we weren’t hammered, we can solely put the blame of this loss directly on the squad & coaching staff.
No positions in this squad should be safe on the last month of football and it’s time to inject Duffy. If not now, then I can’t see a future for him here as it will show Ezra is untouchable and Pezet more than likely has the 7 next year. Unsigned for next year, I doubt he sticks around. He is ready now and will get a shot elsewhere. P.S letting Black go will haunt us bigggggg time.

Hopefully we cop it in the media this week, well deserved.
Can’t see us making the 8.
 
I’ve seen better hookers in the valley …
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I seriously wonder what Scanalan has been doing all along? The glaring issue the club has continued to face is dearth of back rowers and he simply turned a blind eye in filling the gaps. He could’ve at least got a grip on things after we won it all last year. But, here we’re. No back row depth, shit middles and absolutely no zeal to put in any effort in defence.
Pathetic from all fronts.
 
Watched Madge in the press conference, I do wonder if him being stubborn will be the real down fall, in that i mean

1. Not dropping Mam when they guy hasn't play a good half of footy this year, I would rather Josh Rodgers who i think will just turn up and do a job.

2) the picking of both Hunt and Paix in the same side, they are the worst hooker rotation in the comp, they actually offer nothing.

3) just refusing to play Willison in the middle, if he doesn't have over 2nd rowers he can trust to do a job there then WTF have we recruited?

4) Shiba playing, this guy is now a live example of even a broken clock is right twice a day, he has had that time, deserves to be nowhere near the starting side now.

Best case this year we limp into the 8.
 
We desperately need some speed out of dummy half and in the middle of the field. You still need size but leg speed is required as well.
Our method in yardage is getting destroyed.

The outside backs are lambs to the slaughter just having to run into brick walls... there's no creativity... one of Madge's tactics last year was attacking short sides... he did it with NSW in 2024 and we started doing it last year... it was a go to run for Staggs

We've gone away from that and just dump it off to a winger one out to get smashed.

Ezra is often back there playing dummy half... he should be looking for runs himself instead of dumping it off.. he's meant to be a runner and he doesn't offer any threat to the defence in yardage. If it's a slow ptb and he can see the defence just lining up the winger.. dummy to the open and go down the blind... need to be better at creating quick ptbs and ruck speed... instead we've gone back to Bennettball/Griffinball under the high octane Vlando ball era
 
Our method in yardage is getting destroyed.

The outside backs are lambs to the slaughter just having to run into brick walls... there's no creativity... one of Madge's tactics last year was attacking short sides... he did it with NSW in 2024 and we started doing it last year... it was a go to run for Staggs

We've gone away from that and just dump it off to a winger one out to get smashed.

Ezra is often back there playing dummy half... he should be looking for runs himself instead of dumping it off.. he's meant to be a runner and he doesn't offer any threat to the defence in yardage. If it's a slow ptb and he can see the defence just lining up the winger.. dummy to the open and go down the blind... need to be better at creating quick ptbs and ruck speed... instead we've gone back to Bennettball/Griffinball under the high octane Vlando ball era
Just checked the corresponding ladder for RND 13 last year. Exactly the same position, that is when we got flogged by Manly, and the previous two weeks was Dragons (lost) and the bye.

Then we went on the run.

So, whatever we have to learn this week to get to that form again, we need to do it again.

Which is 100% dropping certain starting players.

And no more of this "static defensive line" tactic, at least take away the PCM gains... We changed it in the second half to take the metres away from the Dargons, which helped balance things out. But when they are getting a "free" 10 metres because we aren't moving up, it is turning a 40metre gain per set to a 50 metre gain per set.

And our errors are killing completion again.

Long story short, we need a heavy response in both the lineup and effort next game.
 
It’s starting to look that way. Reynolds isn’t consistent enough, Hunt is just done. Hunt and Paix are basically the same players. One has to make way for Mozer, preferably Paix drops out.

Mam has gotta be close to losing his spot for Duffy.
I’m going to lose my mind if we lose Mozer especially since Paix re-signed and Hunt wants to stay….. I’m just unsure where the direction of where the club is going considering they want to keep these two guys.

Duffy should slot in now, but does Madge have the guts to drop Mam? Time will tell.
 
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