PRE-GAME [Round 15, 2022] Broncos vs Storm

[Jedhead]

That was from Reynolds kicking though, I don’t think Walters has the same variety in his kicks

Perhaps not, but he was following the game plan. That's all the coaching staff would expect from him.

 

[McHunt]

Outside the box idea but could you keep JP on the wing and name Cobbo at 7, defending in the front line but TMM plays the halfback role in attack and Selwyn plays fullback in attack?

Didn’t Martin start the year as Ezra’s halves partner at the pies?

With this many potentially out it's smarter to shuffle as few positions as possible. But if Reynolds is out for more than a couple of weeks, then we should bring Te Maire into halfback and either Selwyn or David Mead into fullback. Cobbo at fullback would be our biggest risk defensively, but Mead isn't great either. We would be looking at the longer term picture shifting Selwyn rather than trying to win this game.

Delouise is the most obvious sub for Herbie, but I'd put Kurt there instead. We'll miss Herbie's defence more than his speed, especially against Melbourne. We retain TC from last match.

If Turpin is fit, then he's on the bench. Otherwise, we consider debuting Mozer for a short stint, who's been training with them all year, and played 44 minutes of Qcup on the weekend. Same logic as shifting Selwyn. We're getting a look at him there in a match we're bound to lose anyway.

1. Cobbo (if Reynolds is out)
2. Oates
3. Staggs
4. Capewell
5. JP
6. Mam
7. Martin (if Reynolds is out)
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Flegler
11. Robati
12. Riki
13. Carrigan

14. Mozer/Turpin
15. Hetherington
16. Palasia
17. Kennedy/Willison/Piakura

 

[Jedhead]

Because Paps is just back training there is a huge chance that the Storm rest him a further week as the following week there are no games and it would give him even more time to recover. Belly ache may look at our injury crisis and think it's worth the risk not playing him.

This game is still winnable for us.

 

[theshed]

With this many potentially out it's smarter to shuffle as few positions as possible. But if Reynolds is out for more than a couple of weeks, then we should bring Te Maire into halfback and either Selwyn or David Mead into fullback. Cobbo at fullback would be our biggest risk defensively, but Mead isn't great either. We would be looking at the longer term picture shifting Selwyn rather than trying to win this game.

Delouise is the most obvious sub for Herbie, but I'd put Kurt there instead. We'll miss Herbie's defence more than his speed, especially against Melbourne. We retain TC from last match.

If Turpin is fit, then he's on the bench. Otherwise, we consider debuting Mozer for a short stint, who's been training with them all year, and played 44 minutes of Qcup on the weekend. Same logic as shifting Selwyn. We're getting a look at him there in a match we're bound to lose anyway.

1. Cobbo (if Reynolds is out)
2. Oates
3. Staggs
4. Capewell
5. JP
6. Mam
7. Martin (if Reynolds is out)
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Flegler
11. Robati
12. Riki
13. Carrigan

14. Mozer/Turpin
15. Hetherington
16. Palasia
17. Kennedy/Willison/Piakura

If you are wanting to make as few changes as possible you just shift Billy to 7 and bring Turpin on at 9 - Mozer/Hetho/Roberts to play the 14 role.

1. Martin
2. Oates
3. Capewell
4. Staggs
5. Cobbo
6. Mam
7. Walters
8. Flegler
9. Turpin
10. Jensen
11. Robati
12. Riki
13. Carrigan

14. Mozer/Roberts/Hetho
15. Palasia
16. Kennedy
17. Hetho / Piakura

 

[McHunt]

If you are wanting to make as few changes as possible you just shift Billy to 7 and bring Turpin on at 9 - Mozer/Hetho/Roberts to play the 14 role.

I thought about that but it feels like stepping back into a losing formula. If we switch Te Maire into the halves, Selwyn to fullback, keep Ezra at 6, and give Blake a stint at 9, we're getting a peek at what we're building towards. I'm a little worried we're going to lose Te Maire. I see his future as a utility. Ultimately, he'll be up against Billy.

 

[theshed]

I thought about that but it feels like stepping back into a losing formula. If we switch Te Maire into the halves, Selwyn to fullback, keep Ezra at 6, and give Blake a stint at 9, we're getting a peek at what we're building towards. I'm a little worried we're going to lose Te Maire. I see his future as a utility. Ultimately, he'll be up against Billy.

I think Martin is growing really well into the fullback role. I think if he’s willing to stay here, he actually is a long term fullback for us. He has gotten better each week.

He reminds me of Boyd at his peak - his influence is obvious. He conserves his energy really well, finds the grass on kick returns to not get driven back, safe under the high ball, always calm, great in defence., play more of a distribution role in attack. They both approach fullback from a really calm and intelligent way, rather than being the most athletically dominating.

Cobbo is a few years off and Herbie is dreaming.

The spine is actually resembling 2015 somewhat

1. Martin plays like Boyd
6. Mam plays like Milf
7. Reynolds is like Hunt if you squint
9. Walters/Paix = Macca/Kniko

 

[Shane Tronc]

With this many potentially out it's smarter to shuffle as few positions as possible. But if Reynolds is out for more than a couple of weeks, then we should bring Te Maire into halfback and either Selwyn or David Mead into fullback. Cobbo at fullback would be our biggest risk defensively, but Mead isn't great either. We would be looking at the longer term picture shifting Selwyn rather than trying to win this game.

Delouise is the most obvious sub for Herbie, but I'd put Kurt there instead. We'll miss Herbie's defence more than his speed, especially against Melbourne. We retain TC from last match.

If Turpin is fit, then he's on the bench. Otherwise, we consider debuting Mozer for a short stint, who's been training with them all year, and played 44 minutes of Qcup on the weekend. Same logic as shifting Selwyn. We're getting a look at him there in a match we're bound to lose anyway.

1. Cobbo (if Reynolds is out)
2. Oates
3. Staggs
4. Capewell
5. JP
6. Mam
7. Martin (if Reynolds is out)
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Flegler
11. Robati
12. Riki
13. Carrigan

14. Mozer/Turpin
15. Hetherington
16. Palasia
17. Kennedy/Willison/Piakura

I think this is the best side we could field worst case. Capewell to centre definitely

 

[McHunt]

I think Martin is growing really well into the fullback role. I think if he’s willing to stay here, he actually is a long term fullback for us. He has gotten better each week.

He reminds me of Boyd at his peak - his influence is obvious. He conserves his energy really well, finds the grass on kick returns to not get driven back, safe under the high ball, always calm, great in defence., play more of a distribution role in attack. They both approach fullback from a really calm and intelligent way, rather than being the most athletically dominating.

Cobbo is a few years off and Herbie is dreaming.

The spine is actually resembling 2015 somewhat

1. Martin plays like Boyd
6. Mam plays like Milf
7. Reynolds is like Hunt if you squint
9. Walters/Paix = Macca/Kniko

It's hard to argue against Te Maire at fullback. He's plugged that hole and everything seems to work. I would say, though, that if he's lacking anything, it's the exact x-factor that Selwyn has in spades. Selwyn, on the other hand, I just don't know if he'd bring more holes with him than he'd fill. Like you, I think he should stay on the wing. But will he stay, if he has to stay on the wing? I guess that's the big question.

You have to feel for Te Maire. He's done everything right, and outperformed expectations, yet still he's being treated as if he doesn't exist.

Herbie had the gall to come out and basically demand fullback, without even acknowledging the position is filled by Te Maire. And everyone, everywhere, all the time insists Selwyn is the fullback in waiting.

And then there's Tesi, who's had the position pilfered from under him, forgotten yet not gone. He might slot into Herbie's vacancy when he returns - you'll keep us up to date with how you feel about that - but the club should try to move him on and give his money to Te Maire. That has to happen.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

I really think we don't shift or move players around.

I think Walters and co have followed the storm blueprint of specific roles for each player. That includes what side of the field they play on. I'm guessing hoeter or quai-ward come in for him if they are left siders (?). Hoeter did a really, really good job that game he covered I thought, and Quai-wards stats have been astronomical in qld cup, consistently making 150m+ I think. Although quai-ward is from souths who have poor defence it looks like the reason MAY be that bcos they have so many broncos players in their team that they are used to the broncos training defence systems so they looked lost in qld cup. Because their defence has always looked top notch in nrl.

Another thing I've noticed in the qld cup stats as well is the forwards are playing much longer minutes it seems. Edges are 80 min players Fullstop now, middles play heaps longer minutes as well.

I know the above sounds more complicated but it's actually a lot simpler from the players point of view and the coaching staff.

 

[theshed]

It's hard to argue against Te Maire at fullback. He's plugged that hole and everything seems to work. I would say, though, that if he's lacking anything, it's the exact x-factor that Selwyn has in spades. Selwyn, on the other hand, I just don't know if he'd bring more holes with him than he'd fill. Like you, I think he should stay on the wing. But will he stay, if he has to stay on the wing? I guess that's the big question.

You have to feel for Te Maire. He's done everything right, and outperformed expectations, yet still he's being treated as if he doesn't exist.

Herbie had the gall to come out and basically demand fullback, without even acknowledging the position is filled by Te Maire. And everyone, everywhere, all the time insists Selwyn is the fullback in waiting.

And then there's Tesi, who's had the position pilfered from under him, forgotten yet not gone. He might slot into Herbie's vacancy when he returns - you'll keep us up to date with how you feel about that - but the club should try to move him on and give his money to Te Maire. That has to happen.

We have enough X factor that we don’t need it from fullback - much like the 2015 team or current Panthers. Martin brings our X factor players into the game.

Staggs, Cobbo, Hearbie, Mam all bring enough X factor that what we need most from our fullback is reliability - which is Martin’s strongest point. For me I think I was waiting to see Martin get exposed as a non-specialist fullback as more teams tested him which is why I was treating him like a stop gap but what he did well game 1 he is still doing well and he’s developing quickly in other aspects.

He’s just such a smart player. Even little thing like how he gets into dummy half and gives Paix/Walters a break for whole sets out of our end while providing good service.

I think because he isn’t particularly flashy a lot of his really good work goes overlooked.

We all want to see the spectacle of Cobbo’s kick returns at fullback but at this stage we lose a lot by moving Martin. Cobbo himself says he doesn’t want fullback yet so I don’t think that’ll make him leave unless he has a Haas like manager. Shift him to centre if he wants more prestige. He’s getting picked for rep teams and is the games most hyped player from wing, it may be a wise career decision from him to stay there for now.

 

[Super Freak]

Reyno seems to think he'll be playing.

 

[ZTop]

Reyno seems to think he'll be playing.

He always says and wants to, think it gets taken out of his hands normally

 

[007]

Our season has quite literally been hit by a runaway freight train.

 

[Big Del]

People will raise eyebrows but I deadset think the club should just categorically write this game off. Just rest whoever has even a slight injury concern and run out the Baby Broncos, because we all know we aren't winning down there anyway. We could field a full strength side and the refs would still find a way to do us over.

Damn your pessimism !

 

[McHunt]

Reyno seems to think he'll be playing.

He always says that.

 

[Sproj]

Our season has quite literally been hit by a runaway freight train.

How is Dave Taylor involved?

 

[McHunt]

People will raise eyebrows but I deadset think the club should just categorically write this game off. Just rest whoever has even a slight injury concern and run out the Baby Broncos, because we all know we aren't winning down there anyway. We could field a full strength side and the refs would still find a way to do us over.

Short term pain, long term gain. Accept that the top 4 is a pipe dream now and go into the finals in as strong a position as possible in terms of fitness. Getting knocked out in the Semis or Prelims should be considered a MASSIVE victory of a season considering recent years, and go into next year with big expectations.

I'm not in favour of writing the game off. The points differential matters and so does pride in the jersey. I'm in favour of giving Mozer a brief debut if Kevvie wants to dip his toe in the water, but not if it means surrendering points without a fight. That's not what this club is about. Not on Kevvie's watch.

 

[Big Del]

Cobbo is a few years off and Herbie is dreaming.

Yeah , like Ezra .
Send them both back to Q cup to earn it . LOL .