PRE-GAME [Round 19, 2024] Broncos vs Dragons

[ningnangnong]

Discuss

 

[Alec]

Pretty much a must win game, right?

 

[Scorchie]

If Hunt has one of his blinders against Brisbane I think I'll die a little inside. He's out due to Origin though....right?

 

[Santa]

We're pretty evenly impacted by origin (maybe we have 1 more if Cobbo is selected). Riki and Staggs back too (should keep Mariner at centre though).

We play like we did tonight and we win.

Broncos 38 - Dragons 8

 

[winslow_wong]

How many losses in a row will this be?

 

[Spike]

We can’t have Walter’s and Smoothy in the same team as they are identical. Time for Mozar.

 

[Mick_Hancock]

How many losses in a row will this be?

2024. Wait, that’s this year…. Oh well

 

[Skathen]

Pretty much a must win game, right?

Noone wins outside the 4, we're already cooked.

 

[Santa]

Noone wins outside the 4, we're already cooked.

Records are made to be broken. If anyone can do it, its us.

 

[mstreet]

How many losses in a row will this be?

7 shaky wins, and 8 frustrating loses.

The wooden spoon is a possibility this year. The 8 isn't.

 

[Skathen]

Records are made to be broken. If anyone can do it, its us.

I love your positivity @Santa but the blatant reality this season is just not our year.

• Our fitness is dismal compared to last season. Like seriously poor.
• We were kissed by luck with injuries last season. This year, it's like a uno-reverse card on that front.
• We had the best bench in the comp. Jensen couldn't even get a fucking run in the finals. This year, it's fucking tragic.
• Our ball security is one of if not the the worst in the NRL, possibly the worst I've seen our ball security since the year we won't ever speak of again.
• We are consistently contained to 30-40m a set. This is not just bad, this is hopeless.
• Either the refs are cheating or we are doing something very wrong in tackles to keep giving away 6 agains that never get called in our favour when it happens to us.
• Without Reynolds, we are incapable of closing out games again.
• Our attack is "throw it to the fast guy" compared to the horror season where it was "throw it to the big guy". Last season Ezra was popping off, we had Walsh going crazy, ARey setting things up, Patty getting in the mix with try assists. We had Herbie who would often punch through defence and score every game or two. Staggs going nuts on the other side pulling beast mode. Most of that's just hot air this season and no love bug.

In spite of ALL of that....

• We are trotting out Oatesy because we don't have any outside backs left. Our second row stocks led us to buy a discard off the cows, who's now injured as well. Oates, who was already criticised because he was slow as ****, is now slower than my grandmother with worse hands.
• Piakura was promoted even though no-one checked if he could defend laterally and we let Capes go.
• Riki was a gun last season, he's back to old Jordy again now - doing dumb shit and playing half injured all the time.
• Staggs has had shoulder, knee, rib etc. Injuries.
• Cobbo is playing through something, also injured. Still hot and cold.
• We lost our best winger to a smashed jaw for nigh 2 months.
• Our Half who's 1 more major injury away from retirement misses half the season with a torn bicep and we have no clue who is going to replace him as the mentee has turned out to be utter dogshit - who is laughably now also injured.
• Patty, our one shining light is showing signs of burnout. I'm consigned to the fact he's going to pick up a serious injury soon.
• Haas, playing injured most of this year with knee issues. Hasn't scratched his '23 form yet.
• Walsh has missed a lot of footy for us this year, with his face getting smashed early, then knee issues, then the concussion. He's also been highly erratic in attack, thinking it's all down to him to do everything - every play. Sadly, he's probably not far off being right.

Even if... injuries start to improve, ARey comes back with a vengence and things start to click again. We're going to need to win 10 straight, starting now. Our fitness is going to have to just suddenly change. We have to fix whatever we're doing so very wrong in the ruck to cause us to always be on the losing side of the penalty count. Our defence tonight needs to be the new baseline, with the capability to go up from there. We need to start making 50m a set, consistently. And we need to stop dropping the fucking pill.

Fix all that, and we have a snowballs chance in hell of not embarrasing ourselves further.

 

[Mister Wright]

Way too early prediction of selected 17.

1. Sailor
2. Arthars
3. Staggs
4. Mariner
5. Oates
6. Rogers
7. Mam
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Willison
11. Piakura
12. Riki
13. Hetherington
14. Smoothy
15. Tapau
16. Karapani
17. Mozer
18. Paix

Well struggle to name a 19th player. Will get worse if Jensen is selected for QLD.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I think Oates is used as a forward for this game. Karapani on the wing if Cobbo plays origin.

 

[Santa]

Our fitness is dismal compared to last season. Like seriously poor.

I think its less fitness, and more ball control. We did well tonight to keep up with Penrith.

• We were kissed by luck with injuries last season. This year, it's like a uno-reverse card on that front.

Yea it sux, but the big guns are all coming back in time for finals.

• We had the best bench in the comp. Jensen couldn't even get a fucking run in the finals. This year, it's fucking tragic.

I think injuries and picking Baker have made this a bigger problem than it should be. Willison and Taupau off the bench are fine.

• Our ball security is one of if not the the worst in the NRL, possibly the worst I've seen our ball security since the year we won't ever speak of again.

Yea, but again - much better tonight.

• We are consistently contained to 30-40m a set. This is not just bad, this is hopeless.

Better tonight too - especially against the best defensive side in the comp.

• Either the refs are cheating or we are doing something very wrong in tackles to keep giving away 6 agains that never get called in our favour when it happens to us.

I'm not a fan of blaming the ref.

• Without Reynolds, we are incapable of closing out games again.

True, but he'll be back :)

• Our attack is "throw it to the fast guy" compared to the horror season where it was "throw it to the big guy". Last season Ezra was popping off, we had Walsh going crazy, ARey setting things up, Patty getting in the mix with try assists. We had Herbie who would often punch through defence and score every game or two. Staggs going nuts on the other side pulling beast mode. Most of that's just hot air this season and no love bug.

I think Walsh showed how much of an impact he has to our attack tonight. Add Reynolds into that, and it's not so bad.

In spite of ALL of that....

• We are trotting out Oatesy because we don't have any outside backs left. Our second row stocks led us to buy a discard off the cows, who's now injured as well. Oates, who was already criticised because he was slow as ****, is now slower than my grandmother with worse hands.

Riki will be back. Oats was only playing because Staggs was out - won't happen long term. Might be nice to see Oats come off the bench again too (I assume he spent the whole pre season training at 2nd row).

• Piakura was promoted even though no-one checked if he could defend laterally and we let Capes go.

Was better tonight.

• Riki was a gun last season, he's back to old Jordy again now - doing dumb shit and playing half injured all the time.

Hopefully he's well rested after the 3 weeks off.

• Staggs has had shoulder, knee, rib etc. Injuries.

Should be good now.

• Cobbo is playing through something, also injured. Still hot and cold.

He just needs Reynolds back to give him good ball.

• We lost our best winger to a smashed jaw for nigh 2 months.

But he's back.

• Our Half who's 1 more major injury away from retirement misses half the season with a torn bicep and we have no clue who is going to replace him as the mentee has turned out to be utter dogshit - who is laughably now also injured.

But he's back this year. Don't worry about 2026. Moses is unhappy at Parra, we can steal him.

• Patty, our one shining light is showing signs of burnout. I'm consigned to the fact he's going to pick up a serious injury soon.

I think he just permanently looks tired. He had a week off and still looked gassed. But he's playing well.

• Haas, playing injured most of this year with knee issues. Hasn't scratched his '23 form yet.

He did in origin, so must be better. He'll get there.

• Walsh has missed a lot of footy for us this year, with his face getting smashed early, then knee issues, then the concussion. He's also been highly erratic in attack, thinking it's all down to him to do everything - every play. Sadly, he's probably not far off being right.

He made a statement tonight. Really played aggressive.

Even if... injuries start to improve, ARey comes back with a vengence and things start to click again. We're going to need to win 10 straight, starting now. Our fitness is going to have to just suddenly change. We have to fix whatever we're doing so very wrong in the ruck to cause us to always be on the losing side of the penalty count. Our defence tonight needs to be the new baseline, with the capability to go up from there. We need to start making 50m a set, consistently. And we need to stop dropping the fucking pill.

Fix all that, and we have a snowballs chance in hell of not embarrasing ourselves further.

We've got this. We're not far off form wise. All that matters is form post origin. History shows lots of teams going on a run in the final 3rd of the season (and lots of teams dropping off who started well).

It's been a bad/unlucky year, but once we click, we'll be unstoppable.

 

[Foordy]

We have to go outside our top 30 to even field a team next week

 

[Sproj]

We look so tired and the injuries have been destroying the season compounded by yet another origin impacted game BUT, once we get on a roll, and we will, we should well and truly be the freshest side hitting the finals. We just need a bit of luck on the injury front so we can get guys back a couple of weeks out and hit finals running.

 

[Galah]

We look so tired and the injuries have been destroying the season compounded by yet another origin impacted game BUT, once we get on a roll, and we will, we should well and truly be the freshest side hitting the finals. We just need a bit of luck on the injury front so we can get guys back a couple of weeks out and hit finals running.

Won’t be in the finals

 

[Sproj]

Won’t be in the finals

Does this need to spread through every single thread?