POST GAME Round 18 - Titans vs Broncos

[rnabokov]

The Broncos were off the pace from the opening whistle. That opening set is always a good gauge to see if the team is switched on, usually the good teams keep their opposition to 40m, the Broncos gave up 60m. Linespeed is an issue, but it's their first contact that's the main issue. Hardly anybody has any sting in their tackles, so the ball-carriers shake them off and the players tend to find themselves on the ground when the ball is being played. They lose the ruck and they struggle to win it back. What they would give to have somebody like Mitchell Dodds.

Their work coming up with yardage needs an entire re-think. They have Corey Oates who on his day is one of the best carriers bringing the ball out from his own half and defer to Richie Kennar. Yes, that's Kennar's strong suit but if you're going to play Oates on the wing and hope for a resurgence he has to be a priority. Kennar struggled and Oates was basically invisible.

There's way too much emphasis on making metres. It's nice that forwards can bend the line, but the goal at the end of the day is to play the ball before the defence has time to reset. There were very few occassions the Broncos were able to achieve this and when they did, they kept up with their obsession to turn it back into the middle, a set-up play that made things very easy for the Gold Coast to telegraph.

The Broncos needed to test the Titans more on the edges. Even if it was just to give Farnworth some early ball or a Darius Boyd cut-out to the winger coming out of trouble, just something to test out the compressed Gold Coast defence. As it was, the Broncos made it clear as day they were either going to beat you with Fifita or with Staggs and when the Gold Coast were able to shut down both, Brisbane had no answers.

I'm disappointed with the role O'Sullivan and Dearden are playing. I don't get the sense that they're working together and it's very much a case of the left and the right not knowing what's going on. I understand they're a fresh pair and they're both back-up options but I'd prefer to see O'Sullivan as the halfback with Dearden running off of him as opposed to having two halfbacks. I'm disappointed too that we haven't seen the Broncos use Darius more as a Gutherson type who can be an option down the blind-side to keep the line honest and potentially catch teams down those sides. Darius is never going to be a Tedesco, Papenhuyzen or even Edwards but he can throw a good pass so play to that strength.

I thought the Broncos attack went from impotent to diabolical when Paix came on. His service leaves a lot to be desired and the only thing he really brings to dummy half is speed. There were always going to be teething issues and I see this as a prime example as the Broncos using this Covid season to get experience into long term players well before they're ready, but if he is going to have a career in the NRL, then he's really going to have to work on himself in the QCup. I'm not convinced #9 is his position and feel the Broncos are repeating the same mistakes they made with Ben Hunt. Let him be a half and if he can't make it in that position, then see if his experience at 7 can be used to be an effective 9.

Glenn was clearly off the pace for his first game back after 9 weeks. It's been an awful season for Glenn and he's struggled to play anywhere near the type of football he's capable of. He isn't a match-winner, but just having that reliable option in the second row who can make their tackles is something the Broncos are terribly missing. He's going to have to improve a lot heading into the Gold Coast game. I'm surprised that Te'o doesn't come under any fire. He's worse than Thaiday circa 2018 and has nothing left in the tank.

Two more weeks of this for the Broncos fans. I just hope now that the Broncos can see the finish line it gives them a sense of freedom and they just lay it on the line. If they get flogged by 50 it doesn't matter, just throw the ball around, look for some big hits and when you get the chance, turn the opposition around with a deep kick and smash whoever gets it.

Great analysis Pete. One observation I have on the game, and on what you said has to do with making metres. I don't think there can be enough emphasis on making metres, or yardage as you called it, referring to when we come out of our red zone. As I see it, that is all about 2 things: momentum, and field position, which is where we were, and are, absolutely abysmal. Without it, we are constantly on the back foot, under pressure, reacting and not creating, and the game turns negative, full of frustration and errors. And when it comes to both momentum and field position, making metres, it also means having a bloody good kicking game, at which we also suck. The kicking game today for mine is what benchmarks the best teams, perhaps more than any other aspect of the game.

Against the Titans, except for that critical matter of field position, our stats, as others observed on here, were as good as the Titans, which for mine largely explains why we lost - poor momentum and field position both of which the Titans created quite well, and won because of that.

Making metres, having real momentum, going forward and not backwards as we do, means having forwards who actually run onto the ball at full speed, pre-contact metres, to then bend the line, drag in the tacklers, and cause their defence to fragment - post-contact metres, and then, as you say, the critical issue of PTB speed comes into play - getting the ball moving before their line re-sets.

Our PTB speeds were actually very good when compared to the Titans however, the issue then became, what we did with the ball after it was played, which wasn't much, and as you said, we just turned it back into the middle, a perennial obsession with our (Seibold) game plan.

My summary of this mess in large part comes down to our failure to create time and space for our halves to capitalise on the back of momentum, in good field position, which for mine has all to do with making metres, which is what we simply don't do. Accordingly, separate to how the halves play as you point out, any impact they could have is nullified.

 

[Broncs_Fan]

Titans look low key exciting next year. They'll probably be fun to watch.

 

[Sproj]

Titans look low key exciting next year. They'll probably be fun to watch.

Amazing what a good coach can do. Alternatively, who would have thought just how bad what an extremely bad coach could do?

 

[Wolfie]

If he can't handle it, he shouldn't be there.

Bit like you on here really Reyter.

Anyone who knows anything about the game would know about player management. Sadly for you, you are pretty clueless.

 

[Sirlee oldman]

Bit like you on here really Reyter.

Anyone who knows anything about the game would know about player management. Sadly for you, you are pretty clueless.

I get your point about player management and I am almost as big a fan of him as you are. I used to go to games early to watch Haas and Carrigan play u/20s. But I think when he looks back on this season he will be proud of the way he tried to carry the team and I honestly think he will want to continue through to the end.

 

[Big Pete]

or yardage as you called it

Apologies, too many Brett Kollerman (NFL analyst) videos.

Great analysis Pete. One observation I have on the game, and on what you said has to do with making metres. I don't think there can be enough emphasis on making metres, or yardage as you called it, referring to when we come out of our red zone. As I see it, that is all about 2 things: momentum, and field position, which is where we were, and are, absolutely abysmal. Without it, we are constantly on the back foot, under pressure, reacting and not creating, and the game turns negative, full of frustration and errors. And when it comes to both momentum and field position, making metres, it also means having a bloody good kicking game, at which we also suck. The kicking game today for mine is what benchmarks the best teams, perhaps more than any other aspect of the game.

I definitely think it's a case of all of the above for the Broncos. The key with the Broncos, the first thing they need to fix is their defence. Their technique is just dire and there were lazy efforts from that opening set. It's difficult to compete in any game when the opposition are making metres effortlessly and can turn the ball over where they feel. That's where I feel the Broncos inability to work the ball out of trouble really gets exposed.

 

[Broncapz]

We probably lose about 3 line breaks a game from lack of player support in offload opportunities.

 

[WASSHHH]

Why are we so afraid to pass the ball in attack

Because we’ll probably fucking drop it.

 

[rnabokov]

Apologies, too many Brett Kollerman (NFL analyst) videos.



I definitely think it's a case of all of the above for the Broncos. The key with the Broncos, the first thing they need to fix is their defence. Their technique is just dire and there were lazy efforts from that opening set. It's difficult to compete in any game when the opposition are making metres effortlessly and can turn the ball over where they feel. That's where I feel the Broncos inability to work the ball out of trouble really gets exposed.

Doing the hard yards has a certain ring to it. Classic. Can't say it better.

But absolutely what you say about defence. And when I look at those benchmark defensive performances in '15, it's what really defines a team way way better than any attacking prowess - it's all about resilience, toughness, aggression, builds self belief, communication and playing as one, all we are not. So yes, as you say, without that defence, there is no competing, no sense of identity as a team. Defence is everything ... and a good kicking game

 

[TimWhatley]

Doing the hard yards has a certain ring to it. Classic. Can't say it better.

But absolutely what you say about defence. And when I look at those benchmark defensive performances in '15, it's what really defines a team way way better than any attacking prowess - it's all about resilience, toughness, aggression, builds self belief, communication and playing as one, all we are not. So yes, as you say, without that defence, there is no competing, no sense of identity as a team. Defence is everything ... and a good kicking game

Defence isn't everything, remember the Tigers in 2018?

 

[rnabokov]

Defence isn't everything, remember the Tigers in 2018?

Yep, sure do. You need more than a popgun behind a brickwall and, whoever let BOTH Tedesco and Papenhuyzen go ought to be shot, and not by the popgun

 

[something]

We have the Broncos just where we want them to be. Sure they lost 10 in row sitting close to the bottom of the ladder, leaderless, rudderless and spineless. If Fifita and Paix didn't drop the ball on the goal line it could easily be an 18-all draw line. They did this without a big chunk of salary cap munching players: Bird, MILF, TPJ, Lodge. In only 2 games of throwing out Seibold's game plan the Broncos have managed to trim their losing margin by a lot. Now imagine having a whole pre-season and a whole season without Seibold's game plan, a new coach, new CEO, new coaching staff, having Boyd and Paul White out of the picture, removing some dead weight in the roster and adding new players this year and a year beyond that..... we've hit rock bottom and the only way is up next season. So we have the Broncos just where we want them to be.

Hahaha i remember saying we'd hit rock bottom after the first Rooters game.... oh how wrong I was