Round 14 - Raiders vs Broncos

[theshed]

I feel like Turpin is similar (just with fewer ISC games).

Paix is starting to really look improved. Be interesting to see how he goes if he gets another shot at first grade.

On a side note, I can’t believe some of the captains we’ve trotted out in recent weeks. Captain Turpin fmd

 

[Kooly87]

Genuine question - as fans would we care if Kevie came out and said he doesn't care about results this season? As others have touched on, it seems he is using mass rotations as a way to test the waters for next season as well as speed up development. Personally, I'm fine with this approach. But would be interesting to see the reaction from the fan base if he came out and said it.

If that was his mentality then there really isn't any point in telling the media. It can really only be used against him and basically serves very little purpose in a positive sense.

 

[BroncosFever]

Genuine question - as fans would we care if Kevie came out and said he doesn't care about results this season? As others have touched on, it seems he is using mass rotations as a way to test the waters for next season as well as speed up development. Personally, I'm fine with this approach. But would be interesting to see the reaction from the fan base if he came out and said it.

That's probably his thinking but there is no way he would ever say it, why would fans turn up to the games?

 

[Foordy]

Paix is starting to really look improved. Be interesting to see how he goes if he gets another shot at first grade.

On a side note, I can’t believe some of the captains we’ve trotted out in recent weeks. Captain Turpin fmd

I really don't want to see him in the NRL this year. i want him to stay in the ISC to develop a bit further before bringing him up again in 2022.

same goes for Riki and even Bullemore IMO

 

[theshed]

I really don't want to see him in the NRL this year. i want him to stay in the ISC to develop a bit further before bringing him up again in 2022.

same goes for Riki and even Bullemore IMO

I agree, especially with Riki. Though I think Bullimore has been solid and looks fairly NRL ready. If Kev keeps giving him dud minutes though than yea, he’d be better off developing. I also think Cobbo should be down there playing fullback each week.

 

[Galah]

Paix is starting to really look improved. Be interesting to see how he goes if he gets another shot at first grade.

On a side note, I can’t believe some of the captains we’ve trotted out in recent weeks. Captain Turpin fmd

Probably wasn’t smart making him captain when we needed one, it’s now harder to drop him.

 

[BroncosFever]

Probably wasn’t smart making him captain when we needed one, it’s now harder to drop him.

I can see the headlines now "Broncos drop star captain"

 

[1910]

Paix is starting to really look improved. Be interesting to see how he goes if he gets another shot at first grade.

On a side note, I can’t believe some of the captains we’ve trotted out in recent weeks. Captain Turpin fmd

His improvement is massive, I can't wrap him enough over the last 9 weeks. He's happy too. He wants to play hooker and get better and it's showing. No way 12 months ago he makes that run on Saturday night when Jets markers got caught on the ground. He was great and I know ISC teams are doing plenty of work on him and how to shut him down- no way they're doing that 12 months ago either.

The biggest difference is the difference he's making to Souths, before this year wouldn't notice if he was on or off but now it's obvious Souths need him on the field.

 

[Aldo]

His improvement is massive, I can't wrap him enough over the last 9 weeks. He's happy too. He wants to play hooker and get better and it's showing. No way 12 months ago he makes that run on Saturday night when Jets markers got caught on the ground. He was great and I know ISC teams are doing plenty of work on him and how to shut him down- no way they're doing that 12 months ago either.

The biggest difference is the difference he's making to Souths, before this year wouldn't notice if he was on or off but now it's obvious Souths need him on the field.

Do you know if Kevvie is a fan?

 

[Foordy]

His improvement is massive, I can't wrap him enough over the last 9 weeks. He's happy too. He wants to play hooker and get better and it's showing. No way 12 months ago he makes that run on Saturday night when Jets markers got caught on the ground. He was great and I know ISC teams are doing plenty of work on him and how to shut him down- no way they're doing that 12 months ago either.

The biggest difference is the difference he's making to Souths, before this year wouldn't notice if he was on or off but now it's obvious Souths need him on the field.

would his improvement be at least in part him actually wanting to play hooker now instead of us trying to force it ... or just regular ISC game time

 

[1910]

Do you know if Kevvie is a fan?

He was there watching, without a doubt he'd be impressed.

 

[BroncsFan]

Like others I'm confused by some of the selections... probably Cobbo over Mead more than anything. If Cobbo is to be the future fullback then we need him playing there for Wynnum rather than possibly getting flogged in first grade each week. Also a trip down to Canberra where it's likely to be -1 degrees for a 1 game player could see him drop form considerably. I'd have Mead all day down there.

Also selecting him over Mead starts to suggest that he's now higher in the pecking order and when it gets time to send him back down to reggies it will appear like a demotion or dropping him.

Bull I can slightly understand only because it sets up a rotation system for our young forwards (Riki, Palasia, Bull, Kobe, etc.), but I'm not liking how Kevvie uses him in general. If the plan is to get rid of Lodge then we will need Bull to step up as a 3rd or 4th prop moving forward. At times I forget when Bull is even on the field because he gets no minutes.

I'm not a fan of dropping Gamble i think he has brought a steadiness to our halves and I think his kicking game has been solid enough to assist with winning the field position battle. I feel like him and Kelly have been a solid halves pairing that compliment each other well.... dropping Gamble for Khunt seems a massive risk that isn't really warranted and could place significant pressure on Kelly if Khunt doesnt step up in the general management of the team and game plan.

I haven't watch Khunt since his Broncos days in 09, but back then there were all the calls of him doing a Lockyer and ending up in the halves. Similar calls were made about Darius at certain times as well, and I feel the only real reason they were making those calls were due to Khunt and Darius' ball playing off the back of the sweep play.

I think Khunt is probably a little more suited to halves compared to Darius, but I recall his kicking game being pretty limited (although his short kicking from the sweep was quite good).

Broncos current need from a halfback appears to be providing the 5th tackle options, which I thought Gamble was doing reasonably well, so if Khunt is coming into the team to provide that then I hope his kicking has improved. He has spent the better part of 12 years in sports far more reliant on long kicking (AFL and Union) so perhaps this aspect has increased his ability exponentially since his last time playing league.

The other aspect that I feel Gamble has been providing that's probably been a little underrated is his ability to get the ball out to the edges. He's been pretty good at identifying when the opposition winger is out of position and getting the ball over the top out to the winger. He also digs into the line before passing to force the defence into making a decision too early

Khunt was obviously a master of the sweep and finishing off the 2v1 so let's hope he still has that vision otherwise a lot of pressure will be put onto Kelly.

Overall I think Gamble was providing a great foil for Kelly, but I've not seen Khunt play at all to tell whether he can at least match what Gamble was bringing. I think Khunt has some reasonably big shoes to fill coming into the team and he can't just be out there pointing and talking to players... because Gamble was already bringing energy to the side.

It's also worth noting that our draw is finally starting to ease up and now more than ever we need to start promoting some consistency in the team.

Breaking up a halves pairing that only 2 weeks ago beat the roosters away from home seems baffling to me

 

[1910]

would his improvement be at least in part him actually wanting to play hooker now instead of us trying to force it ... or just regular ISC game time

Both I think, he wants to play hooker and he's playing there every week. He's got a clear goal and thought pattern now. Hard to want to play hooker when you are at half and then bench and then hooker.

He's playing 60 minutes a week and played 80 a few weeks ago. His stamina has gone through the roof. 2019 was wasted and it was always my knock on him playing NRL that he would be gassed and couldn't do it- he could do it now and you'd get close to 50 minutes out of him.

I wrote this in 2019- complete opposite now.

Paix is an unknown quantity even after one year in ISC.

I thought he started the season slowly but the game against Mackay was a real turning point. He was energetic and purposeful in his actions and then found some really good form at half.

He got injured in Origin and then came back and played three games off the bench as the utility.

I thought he looked unsure of his role and Redcliffe were on a big win streak but he would come on and just look in two minds about if he passes or runs and if I pass who to?

In the final against Tweed he touched the ball 24 times and in a final where a bit of creative running from dummy half could have really opened the game he went twice and made 11m. I just don’t think he read the situation well.

His defence in the ruck was great so that’s a positive.

 

[WASSHHH]

Do you know if Kevvie is a fan?

Pretty sure he is a human. Otherwise, that’s a wicked disguise.

 

[McHunt]

would his improvement be at least in part him actually wanting to play hooker now instead of us trying to force it ... or just regular ISC game time

His improvement is massive, I can't wrap him enough over the last 9 weeks. He's happy too. He wants to play hooker and get better and it's showing. No way 12 months ago he makes that run on Saturday night when Jets markers got caught on the ground. He was great and I know ISC teams are doing plenty of work on him and how to shut him down- no way they're doing that 12 months ago either.

The biggest difference is the difference he's making to Souths, before this year wouldn't notice if he was on or off but now it's obvious Souths need him on the field.

It's disquieting how all these players coming up/back from being coached in ISC - Oates, Gamble, Kelly, Robati, Hetherington, Paix etc - are initially looking better than those being coached by the Kevvie crew.

I'm not deducing Kevvie and his offsiders are bad coaches, but there's not a lot of evidence they're good ones.

 

[broncsgoat]

I can see the headlines now "Broncos drop star captain"

I doubt any journos noticed he was captain especially after he was dragged off the field after 30

 

[broncsgoat]

Pretty sure he is a human. Otherwise, that’s a wicked disguise.

Kevvie after the work day is done

 

[Super Freak]

I just want to see a Hunt grubber behind the line to the winger to score.

That was our pet play back when he was playing for the Broncos. We went away from that quite a bit after he left.

If I can see that from Hunt just one more time. I'll be happy.