PRE-GAME Round 19 - Broncos vs Panthers

[Morkel]

First of all, drop the attitude big boy, you haven't got a clue what I do and don't know.

Secondly, Kahu isn't proven in the centres, not in the slightest. Every time he plays there he either gets injured or we completely re-shuffle the back line to get him back on the wing. He has under-performed in nearly every game I've seen him play in the centres in his entire career, he is a liability in defence due to his lack of speed and poor positioning & reads, he offers very little apart from a good draw and pass in attack, and doesn't get to display his safety under the high ball or intelligent finishing anywhere near as much as he did when he was on the wing. All of those factors combined with the abundantly clear fact that the injuries have severely hampered his running game, and you've got yourself a well below average centre, a reasonable comparison would be Jack Reed.. except.. worse.

We could do a lot worse than at least testing out someone young like Shibasaki. I would've also suggested Seve, but the Storm have already poached him. Look at how much the other young guns have thrived when given the opportunity so far this season. You would've given me the same pissy response if I was saying we should test out Staggs a few weeks back. (A better centre than Kahu already, I might add)

To be fair, Staggs and Isaako are the exception. The rookie forwards have gone okay for rookies, but will be a while before they’re doing much more than being blooded. Like TPJ, Su’a and Offa, it’ll be a good 3 years of learning before they’re useful. So I don’t agree that throwing a rookie at left centre will help us in the short term.

I completely agree with you on Kahu though.

As per most of the games we’ve looked hopeless in, the loss against the Warriors wasn’t because we can’t attack. We lost due to careless errors at crucial times, and not being able to back those errors up with strong defence. Hence why I think we’d be better off with a safer player like Opacic. He is a much stronger defender (crucial next to Milford), and though he isn’t flashy, he is safe. He’s doesn’t need to create the points, he just needs to hold on to the ball, make his runs and tackles, and make sure he doesn’t cost us the field position and possession that our attacking players need.

 

[Wolfie]

To be fair, Staggs and Isaako are the exception. The rookie forwards have gone okay for rookies, but will be a while before they’re doing much more than being blooded. Like TPJ, Su’a and Offa, it’ll be a good 3 years of learning before they’re useful. So I don’t agree that throwing a rookie at left centre will help us in the short term.

I completely agree with you on Kahu though.

As per most of the games we’ve looked hopeless in, the loss against the Warriors wasn’t because we can’t attack. We lost due to careless errors at crucial times, and not being able to back those errors up with strong defence. Hence why I think we’d be better off with a safer player like Opacic. He is a much stronger defender (crucial next to Milford), and though he isn’t flashy, he is safe. He’s doesn’t need to create the points, he just needs to hold on to the ball, make his runs and tackles, and make sure he doesn’t cost us the field position and possession that our attacking players need.

I think Tom needs to get his confidence back playing ISC regularly now, which tbf he is doing. He is still defending well but getting his sharpness back, and crucially he is scoring and making assists. I'd leave him there for now quite honestly, even though I'd say he is playing better than Shibasaki at this moment in time. He looks more like the player who broke into the team a couple of years ago, except his shoulders arent stuffed now.

 

[Unbreakable]

To be fair, Staggs and Isaako are the exception. The rookie forwards have gone okay for rookies, but will be a while before they’re doing much more than being blooded. Like TPJ, Su’a and Offa, it’ll be a good 3 years of learning before they’re useful. So I don’t agree that throwing a rookie at left centre will help us in the short term.

I completely agree with you on Kahu though.

As per most of the games we’ve looked hopeless in, the loss against the Warriors wasn’t because we can’t attack. We lost due to careless errors at crucial times, and not being able to back those errors up with strong defence. Hence why I think we’d be better off with a safer player like Opacic. He is a much stronger defender (crucial next to Milford), and though he isn’t flashy, he is safe. He’s doesn’t need to create the points, he just needs to hold on to the ball, make his runs and tackles, and make sure he doesn’t cost us the field position and possession that our attacking players need.

Your first point is precisely why I think going with a young blood at left centre might help us short term, Staggs & Isaako are the only 2 rookie outside backs we've tried this season and they've both hit the ground running and had an immediate impact. It's harder for a rookie forward to come in and dominate straight away, but it's highly possible with outside backs. It's happening all across the league, you need youth & speed in the backs. Ponga, Marsters, Isaako, Ramien, Dufty, Hughes to name a few who have come straight in this year with little to no experience in first grade and made their mark immediately, you could argue that the first 5 of that list have been 5 of the best 10 backs in the comp this year in terms of contributions across the board.

 

[1910]

I do like Shibasaki, dont think he would let us down if he did play but i do feel he can be a bit lazy in defence at times. He will get better the more he plays though i think.

Was solid in defence against Capras, only missed one- Capras though.

11 tackle breaks. He beats guys though without doing anything, it's not beating as he runs 50m it's just beating guys which sort of pads out his stats. Shows in his try scoring- beaten 74 tackles for five tries in 14 games.

Hard to handle but I think he can do more with the ball and get some sort of outcome.

 

[Thelmus]

Warriors fans on here have shown themselves to be all class in victory and defeat, that's what I'd say.

I think both broncos and warriors supporters are united in our disgust of the elitism that comes out of the Sydney rugby league officialdom, the Sydney clubs and leg ups those clubs get playing both our clubs.
If there is one team that can get the rough end of the refereeing pineapple (sometimes a little self inflicted, but not always) it's the warriors.
I used to put it down to them being out of the loop of refereeing interpretations, having juniors growing under different run elite competitions and the like. But now I think, like us there is less antagonism from that cliche Sydney football elite when a 50/50 calls goes against them, rather than for.

 

[Morkel]

Your first point is precisely why I think going with a young blood at left centre might help us short term, Staggs & Isaako are the only 2 rookie outside backs we've tried this season and they've both hit the ground running and had an immediate impact. It's harder for a rookie forward to come in and dominate straight away, but it's highly possible with outside backs. It's happening all across the league, you need youth & speed in the backs. Ponga, Marsters, Isaako, Ramien, Dufty, Hughes to name a few who have come straight in this year with little to no experience in first grade and made their mark immediately, you could argue that the first 5 of that list have been 5 of the best 10 backs in the comp this year in terms of contributions across the board.

Marsters and Ramien are the only centres out of that group. Backs in general are easier to have hit the ground running, sure, but not necessarily at centre. It's a tough position defensively, which is why most rookie centres are blooded on the wing for a season or two first. It'd be even harder defending beside Milford, and it's where Kahu is struggling.

Even just going back to Isaako, he looked a gun for a couple of weeks back there, but his errors on the weekend were both killers, in fact I think both lead to tries being scored against us the very next set. Point being, like I said earlier in the season, young, green players very rarely have any sort of consistency, and right now we need someone safe.

 

[Unbreakable]

Point being, like I said earlier in the season, young, green players very rarely have any sort of consistency, and right now we need someone safe.

Fair call. Not sure we have any consistent, safe players on our roster right now that can play left centre. Opacic is probably the closest thing, but once again, who really knows what he can offer, never really played more than 2-3 games at a time.

 

[Broncos Maestro]

Back to the team lineup, can anyone (bar Wayne-o) why Sims is still named? Is it because of his defense cause it ain’t for his attack.

The games I’ve watched this year (often with gritted teeth and/or the defibrillator nearby) with Sims, except for a couple of ‘choice’ games, he isn’t bending the defensive line at all - basically tackled into a standstill. His efforts make even Thaiday look awesome! I swear even Isaako makes the defense put some effort into stopping him. With Sims is like ‘Bang ok I’ll stop now’.

I know some of the young guys aren’t great yet but if you keep letting plodders like Sims and McGuire (yeah I went there) take up valuable spots, it’s no wonder some of our best and brightest (ie Arrow) leave the club. McGuire doesn’t scare the opposition like he used to; he needs to be back at Prop and just run the **** into the opposition.

 

[Foordy]

First of all, drop the attitude big boy, you haven't got a clue what I do and don't know.

of course i do ... you told everyone ...

you said and i quote "Only seen him probably 5 times total in the NYC / pre-season trials / ISC games I've see"

I would be surprised if anyone knew much about a player after only seeing them 5 times, especially if those games included the NYC (where defence was virtually non-existent) and pre-season trials (where teams are rarely at full strength)

 

[Unbreakable]

of course i do ... you told everyone ...

you said and i quote "Only seen him probably 5 times total in the NYC / pre-season trials / ISC games I've see"

I would be surprised if anyone knew much about a player after only seeing them 5 times, especially if those games included the NYC (where defence was virtually non-existent) and pre-season trials (where teams are rarely at full strength)

Don't worry about responding to the remainder of the quote where I explain my reasoning and go over the glaring weaknesses of your wonder child Kahu.

 

[Maddy1to9]

why on earth would you drop Glenn to the bench when Su'a is guaranteed to miss the game (probably the rest of the season) with injury ...

not to mention that Glenn has been one of our best most consistent players this year

Coz, I would start TPJ & Joffa in the back row. When they deserve a break, I would replace with Glenn who would then come in & continue the same punch. Nothing against Gelnn but just that I love our young lads to have more mongrel & aggression before the interchanges come-in.

In other words, I don't want to see a scoreboard where in we have to chase 16+ points after 1st half. I want us to be leading by 16 points after 1st half.

I know I may be living in fools paradise but wouldn't it be so freaking awesome if we go on to win the game by 13+ points?

 

[Mitchell_Broncos]

Haven't really read if its here, why was Oates in the press after the game, I thought it was because he was going to get picked at 2nd row if Su'a was injured which he is but wasn't named there?

 

[Scorchie]

Boyd was injured so he took Oates.

 

[Mitchell_Broncos]

Boyd was injured so he took Oates.

Ok cheers, didn't watch the last 15 minutes or so if he got injured then, just couldn't watch it =(

 

[Mitchell_Broncos]

PlayerJosh McGuire Club Broncos Minute of match 33rd Charge/incident Contrary conduct - contact with match official Charge grade 1 ResultGuilty - early plea Matches to serve0Points/fine calculation$1700 Carry-over pointsN/A Misconduct on whom? Grant Atkins

Was it even that bad? what did he exactly do?

 

[Cult]

PlayerJosh McGuire Club Broncos Minute of match 33rd Charge/incident Contrary conduct - contact with match official Charge grade 1 ResultGuilty - early plea Matches to serve0Points/fine calculation$1700 Carry-over pointsN/A Misconduct on whom? Grant Atkins

Was it even that bad? what did he exactly do?

Something I saw in the last few minutes of the first half. A Warriors player dropped a knee into the face of a Bronco whow as attempting a tackle. The ref was a few metres away in direct view of it and did absolutely nothing. Nothing has been said about it but I will try find it

 

[Accept]

Haven't really read if its here, why was Oates in the press after the game, I thought it was because he was going to get picked at 2nd row if Su'a was injured which he is but wasn't named there?

So you thought that the Broncos were going to use a post game presser after a huge loss to announce the switching of positions for Corey Oates in place of a player whose injury hadn't been properly diagnosed yet? You have a wild imagination.

 

[Super Freak]

Kikau has re-signed with the Panthers.

Usually when an opposition player re-signs with their club the same week they play us, that team tends to win well and the commentators spend the whole time blowing their loads over said player.