Round 17 - Broncos vs Sharks - Post Match Discussion

did gibb pick up an injury or just not used much? nrlstats has him as only playing 21 minutes, for 11 runs (104 metres) and 17 tackles. is that correct?
 
It felt like he played more than that. First interchange was after the 15th minute at least, and he spent some time in the centres too. Besides those stats are too good for a 20 min stint.
 
Just watched the Intercept Try a few times, and I am no longer as cranky with Wallace as I was. To me, the play looked practiced, with Wallace running an angle to take Macca's pass, Maguire running a decoy, and Wally kept running the angle full tilt, and at all times looked to me like he had already committed to pass to Whitchurch and no-one else, who should have read that and stepped inside big time. If he had done that and taken the pass, I reckon a try was on.

Instead, Whitchurch at centre inexplicably kept moving away towards his winger, leaving such a huge hole that there were 2 Cronulla players who could have taken Wally's pass.

Maybe that was a move practised with Hodges who I'm sure would have stepped inside and taken the pass.

It would have been a great move if it had come off, and one I look forward to seeing again - with Hodges.

And as Ethos posts, and in spite of the positive Jeb cites, I reckon Hoffman is really starting to be a worry. Great as he is at what he does, he is not a ball player, and most of his runs into the back line are poorly timed. Instead, when a good second phase/man play looms, Hoffy usually gets into position too soon and the move dies. This is a matter of instinct and skill. I hope he come good real quick.

I can remember so many excellent tries with KHunt at the back which we just aren't doing. A major weapon has gone. We seriously need another ball playing FB in the line given Norman's on-off form and I must say, predictable plays, and Macca's tendency too often to do a Norman.

Maguire is just epic. He always sets himself to take the pass at top speed. He's rarely if ever caught flat footed, and his defence is just great.
 
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Jeba said:
And once again I have to take issue with it. Hoffman is in the 3rd full season of his first grade career, and I'd be keen to see his critics have a look at where Slater was at the same stage of his career because I don't think he'd be too much different as far as ball playing goes. It's this little thing called development.

We all know Hoffman has it in him to be an asset in our backline movements - have a look at his 2010 season, and in particular his performance against the Titans as Skilled Park. Chimed in beautifully to help lay on 2 tries for Winterstein in the corner. So it's obvious he has it in him, and I think it could be argued that his struggles in that area this season could be put down to the fact that he is no longer playing outside a bloke called Darren Lockyer who was the undisputed king of timing his outside players to perfection.

Hoffman will get there, he's a bloody good fullback.
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Well for starters I said critiquing not criticising.

Agree in regards to the Slater comment but by the same token, I think it's fair to say that Slater was a much more impressive ball runner and support player than Hoffman at the same point in his career. Slater would be lurking around the ruck looking for an offload, something I'm yet to really see Hoffman do.

Can't remember that match specifically but from what I've seen he definitely doesn't look comfortable chiming in to backline movements.

And of course I realise players develop but when you look at the involvement levels of some of the other top fullbacks in the league, I don't think it's unreasonable to be expecting a little more from him in his third year of NRL.

At the moment the strength of his game is fielding kicks, one-on-one defence and kick returns. Needs to work on support play and second man play.

Not saying that he can't add those things to his game, just that he needs to. And of course I hope he does. The sooner the better ideally.
 
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Bucking Beads said:
Either way it's not the play to use with Whitchurch. First gamer
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True. But by the way the play was set, especially the way Wallace positioned himself, I assumed it was something that was rehearsed at training. But yes, it is a lot to expect of a newbie.

As for Hoffman, I shut my eyes and see Hook at training, physically moving him like a chess piece into the positions he should be in, depending on the play, so that when you look down, you see a perfectly set structure, and then, it's practised to death till it's right. (Well, that was how the team I played in was coached hahaha)
 
It was Wallace who called the play Wallace who threw the pass and Wallace who should have read what the D was doing.

When you are running an in and away play like that you have to do it at speed and there is no way you can just step back inside after you have committed to that line.
 
Dexter said:
It was Wallace who called the play Wallace who threw the pass and Wallace who should have read what the D was doing.

When you are running an in and away play like that you have to do it at speed and there is no way you can just step back inside after you have committed to that line.
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I can't agree that Wallace called the play, but even if he did, and if it was a rehearsed move, Whitchurch ought to have had enough basic commonsense to see the enormous size of the hole he was leaving by running the wrong line, and should have adjusted a lot earlier. For Wallace it was too late. He was committed. The whole play was a complete balls up.
 
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You can argue that another player was running a bad line or whatever, but everyone could see the pass wasn't on, and Wallace still tried to push it.
 
Alec said:
You can argue that another player was running a bad line or whatever, but everyone could see the pass wasn't on, and Wallace still tried to push it.
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I agree the pass wasn't on. I just think by that time, it was too late for Wallace to pull out. In any event, I really like the play. It had good depth, speed, structure and I hope to see it work again with Hodges who I am sure will run the right line.
 
rnabokov said:
I agree the pass wasn't on. I just think by that time, it was too late for Wallace to pull out. In any event, I really like the play. It had good depth, speed, structure and I hope to see it work again with Hodges who I am sure will run the right line.
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Nah not at all, I'm Wallace's biggest fan ever (Alec to confirm) and I'll even admit he should have just taken the tackle, the length of the pass and the amount of Sharks defense there... Just wasn't on.

I will say though it wasnt the best move on Whitchurch's behalf, he probably should've been angling infield but it was his first game. Got to blame it on Wallace there.

Also didn't like how he chose to pass it to Macca after that massive break he went through, was like he was trying the miracle play when he should've just tried to beat the fb.
 
simmo77 said:
Hope we get to play them again in the finals and see Hodges wipe that shit eating grin off Graham.
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YES! For sure - that would be awesome - having them in the finals. See McCullough (however it is spelt) was on a mission to get Graham most of the night. He finally got a good chance toward the end and smashed him in the back.

Was a valiant game and have to remember, 7 players out and then losing Reed and Hoffman (as many others have pointed out) - very promising glimpse of Broncos far future I hope.

Hamm is right too - what did we have to do to get a penalty in the ruck? The slow play the ball was mainly because Cronulla players slowing it down, not Brisbane...

EDIT: After reading through all the posts, I agree that it's frustrating seeing Norman choke, but the amount of talk up there has been about him in the off season and this year about filling Locky's boots - I really doubt he will be playing anywhere but 6 any time soon. He has the size and skills to be an awesome no.6 but he just seems to get confused? (I always feel like he is confused when he gets the ball)
 
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rnabokov said:
I can't agree that Wallace called the play, but even if he did, and if it was a rehearsed move, Whitchurch ought to have had enough basic commonsense to see the enormous size of the hole he was leaving by running the wrong line, and should have adjusted a lot earlier. For Wallace it was too late. He was committed. The whole play was a complete balls up.
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Yeah Ok we'll leave it there. Next time you're in the park with your kids or mates try doing something similar but use a stationary post or something as the defence. Run it from 20 mtrs back and see what happens.

There would be very very few footballers ( maybe Renouf or someone like that )who could do what you think Whitchurch should have done.
 
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