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

[Jedhead]

Perhaps I'm looking for too far a complex reason to such a simple game.

Maybe the lost ball/poor ball security is simply down to a combination of loss of confidence, and fatigue. I mean any team on a roll has high levels of confidence and low levels of fatigue because they don't need to defend as much.

Witness the last origin where the penalty count/ six again was so lopsided and remember how our 'elite' team of champions performed. I think we're in a chicken/egg type scenario at present.

If we can play like the other night against riff and manage to get a roll on, all of a sudden the confidence is back, the ball security improves, our fatigue levels improve and the outcome of games change dramatically.

Those Titan and Shark's games there was the 10-15 period where we had absolutely no possession and we all know how that ended up.

Last year when we were flying we seemed to play a bit more conservative/safe in the first half and managed our energy levels and then come the second half we let loose and invariably ran amok.

However, try as we might even when we are playing squeaky clean all it takes is the ref to get shitty and a run of 2-3 6 agains and our game goes to shit. We desperately need game managers like Reyno who can slow the game down in those situations. At present we just seem to take whatever the ref is dishing out and try to get on with it.

You watch the other teams like riff and storm have 'injuries' that stop the game and give their guys a chance to suck them in. It's all part of their game management strategy. Are we too dumb to incorporate those same strategies?

 

[Dexter]

Perhaps I'm looking for too far a complex reason to such a simple game.

Maybe the lost ball/poor ball security is simply down to a combination of loss of confidence, and fatigue. I mean any team on a roll has high levels of confidence and low levels of fatigue because they don't need to defend as much.

Witness the last origin where the penalty count/ six again was so lopsided and remember how our 'elite' team of champions performed. I think we're in a chicken/egg type scenario at present.

If we can play like the other night against riff and manage to get a roll on, all of a sudden the confidence is back, the ball security improves, our fatigue levels improve and the outcome of games change dramatically.

Those Titan and Shark's games there was the 10-15 period where we had absolutely no possession and we all know how that ended up.

Last year when we were flying we seemed to play a bit more conservative/safe in the first half and managed our energy levels and then come the second half we let loose and invariably ran amok.

However, try as we might even when we are playing squeaky clean all it takes is the ref to get shitty and a run of 2-3 6 agains and our game goes to shit. We desperately need game managers like Reyno who can slow the game down in those situations. At present we just seem to take whatever the ref is dishing out and try to get on with it.

You watch the other teams like riff and storm have 'injuries' that stop the game and give their guys a chance to suck them in. It's all part of their game management strategy. Are we too dumb to incorporate those same strategies?

Yes we are too dumb.
We are 1 of a few teams that don't seem to have convenient HIAs, well timed injuries or dives.
FMD we could have won the GF if Pat stayed down after JFH clobbered him high.
Whether we like it or not it's a shitty part of the game now.
Teams are playing for obstruction with their defensive structures by having the 3 in defender positioned tight forcing the lead runner to the outside shoulder then running into them.
It's smart but super cynical

 

[McHunt]

Perhaps I'm looking for too far a complex reason to such a simple game.

Maybe the lost ball/poor ball security is simply down to a combination of loss of confidence, and fatigue. I mean any team on a roll has high levels of confidence and low levels of fatigue because they don't need to defend as much.

I suggest next time you watch us play, live or replay, you pay attention to our passing game, particularly long passes to the edges. Try to figure out why they go wrong. Whether it's the pass itself, the recipient is coming onto it from the wrong position or speed, and if the pass is necessary, particularly early in the tackle count.

It's not a one size fits all accusation, but I see a team that isn't drilled in understanding the trajectory of passing. This is something you should be able to fix with practice and familiarity. Unless the players involved are just plain unco.

A big chunk of our dropped balls involve Walsh being overly ambitious. But that's not to say Walsh is at fault.

Payne's drop, I think, was down to wet conditions. Shit happens like that.

 

[Jedhead]

Yes we are too dumb.
We are 1 of a few teams that don't seem to have convenient HIAs, well timed injuries or dives.
FMD we could have won the GF if Pat stayed down after JFH clobbered him high.
Whether we like it or not it's a shitty part of the game now.
Teams are playing for obstruction with their defensive structures by having the 3 in defender positioned tight forcing the lead runner to the outside shoulder then running into them.
It's smart but super cynical

And when the 3rd in gets even touched he collapses like a sniper in the stands has taken him out.

Our game has changed for the worse, where we now reward fakery. A player stays down and fakes injury the bunker looks at tit and overreacts (thinking about the media scrum if the guy really is injured). A sin bin a penalty and then the player gets the 'magic' sponge treatment and up h jumps to play on.

If players like Pat or more recently Coates had stayed down for those tackles, the opposition player is in the bin.

To get that result though the player has to 'embellish' the extent of the hit and therefore force the bunker to react. If, on the other hand they do the manly thing and get up and play on - not only are they now carrying the effects of a cheap shot the opposition are now doubly advantaged as the offending player gets away with it and the victim is left in la la land or worse still the independent doctor then calls him from the field for 15 minutes!!!!

 

[Mick_Hancock]

Of course, but some folk seem to think defence is everything, and appraise only on tackling. I like to see some creativity from the dummy half, and I especially love the interchange utility sparking panic in a tired opposition. Neither of our current hookers are particular creative, and neither spark any form of panic, but they're not slouches in defence.

Agree @McHunt.
People looked at Hindmarsh making 8000 tackles in a game and w*nK over his performance
30% of those were flops
D. Cook makes 40+ every game.
Why?
He is 4ft tall and gets pushed back every contact. Attacking teams are not stupid, who would you rather run at? Murray or Cook.
My point is, tackles alone don’t mean shit. It’s the overall performance that you want from your players.

 

[McHunt]

Agree @McHunt.
People looked at Hindmarsh making 8000 tackles in a game and w*nK over his performance
30% of those were flops
D. Cook makes 40+ every game.
Why?
He is 4ft tall and gets pushed back every contact. Attacking teams are not stupid, who would you rather run at? Murray or Cook.
My point is, tackles alone don’t mean shit. It’s the overall performance that you want from your players.

Well I think it's great if you have an axe in your team and that's his specialty. That's all we need from Hetherington, for example. But there's a reason hookers are part of the "spine:" they're ball players.

 

[Swordfish]

Looking at Flanagan’s reactions against Rotters, he would whip those Dragqueens to monster us. Given we will be under strength, I do not want any injuries or niggles to our boys from this game. If we manage to get a win, that a real bonus and should absolutely set our season’s direction right.

 

[Bucking Beads]

The dragons have a big strong forward pack. They should be able to roll through our depleted ranks. If our forward find a way to match them we’ve got enough talent to jag a win but we’ll have to have a good attitude in defence

 

[davidp]

Sua not picked for SOO - Piakura on extended squad ???

 

[BroncsFan]

Sua not picked for SOO - Piakura on extended squad ???

Apparently 19th man... Loiero named as 18th hopefully it stays that way so we get Piakura for the dargs.

 

[BroncsFan]

Well at least we have Jensen available... thank **** for that!!

1. Sailor
2. Arthars
3. Staggs
4. Karapani
5. Mariner
6. Ezra
7. Rogers
8. Jensen
9. Billy
10. Willison
11. Piakura
12. Riki
13. Kobe

14. Smoothy / Mozer (if Smoothy used in forwards instead of Semu)
15. Taupau
16. Semu
17. Oates

18. Whoever the **** is actually left

I'm hoping Mozer gets selected with Smoothy sharing lock duties with Kobe, because we need more middles and having Mozer in the 17 is more useful than a kid like Semu who's still learning.

That or have Semu and either Oates or Karapani to 18th man to give some more size and minutes across the forwards... I think that leaves us short if an edge goes down though or if Paiks needs a break. Would mean big minutes for Smoothy at lock, but maybe Billy can provide some minutes there as well if that happens.

I dont see the point in Karapani on the bench this time... it was only ever because we had Cobbo that could move to forwards. We dont have anyone that can do that this time around, except Oates, but cant have a fatigued Oates moved to the forwards without risk.

 

[Manofoneway]

Well at least we have Jensen available... thank **** for that!!

1. Sailor
2. Arthars
3. Staggs
4. Karapani
5. Mariner
6. Ezra
7. Rogers
8. Jensen
9. Billy
10. Willison
11. Piakura
12. Riki
13. Kobe

14. Smoothy / Mozer (if Smoothy used in forwards instead of Semu)
15. Taupau
16. Semu
17. Oates

18. Whoever the **** is actually left

I'm hoping Mozer gets selected with Smoothy sharing lock duties with Kobe, because we need more middles and having Mozer in the 17 is more useful than a kid like Semu who's still learning.

That or have Semu and either Oates or Karapani to 18th man to give some more size and minutes across the forwards... I think that leaves us short if an edge goes down though or if Paiks needs a break. Would mean big minutes for Smoothy at lock, but maybe Billy can provide some minutes there as well if that happens.

I dont see the point in Karapani on the bench this time... it was only ever because we had Cobbo that could move to forwards. We dont have anyone that can do that this time around, except Oates, but cant have a fatigued Oates moved to the forwards without risk.

I would prefer oates in our back 5 somewhere over Karapani. He can catch better (not saying much) and his carries are good. I get he has no speed but **** me we aren't going to win this game on our edges anyway.

 

[BroncsFan]

I would prefer oates in our back 5 somewhere over Karapani. He can catch better (not saying much) and his carries are good. I get he has no speed but **** me we aren't going to win this game on our edges anyway.

Far enough... I was thinking similar, but then wanted a bit of second row coverage on the bench so dropped Oates back there.

I know we have Kobe, but not sure I would want to lose him from the middle of the field if he had to cover edge in the event we lose a back or second rower.

 

[Manofoneway]

Far enough... I was thinking similar, but then wanted a bit of second row coverage on the bench so dropped Oates back there.

I know we have Kobe, but not sure I would want to lose him from the middle of the field if he had to cover edge in the event we lose a back or second rower.

good points, would be happy with either. Pros and cons to both isnt there.

Could you imagine if the likes of Hoeter and big Ben TeKura were available for these games. Both were playing out of their skin before injury.

 

[BroncsFan]

good points, would be happy with either. Pros and cons to both isnt there.

Could you imagine if the likes of Hoeter and big Ben TeKura were available for these games. Both were playing out of their skin before injury.

Same with Pereira.... I definitely think he would've got some games over either Karapani or Oates due to his meters and good form in Qcup.

Hoeter definitely would've got some of the games that Karapani has been given and BTK might've had a handful of games by now... he would be playing this game for sure and probably would've got Wahs and some of those others where Baker was brought back in... Kobe may not have been given some of his games as well if others were available.

 

[Sproj]

I doubt Oates isn't name on the wing.

 

[Totally Unr3al]

Apparently 19th man... Loiero named as 18th hopefully it stays that way so we get Piakura for the dargs.

Has Slater ever watched Piakura play lol?
He missed 10 tackles against the Panthers…

 

[Mustafur]

Our chances feel higher knowing we don't have to use Baker in a game like this since he is injured, he is literally a Black hole.