Round 19 - Broncos vs Warriors - Build Up Thread

[ningnangnong]

It doesn't get any easier...

 

[user_nat]

It's their turn to win again.

Sharks broke their Suncorp hoodoo, maybe we will break this WWLL thing with the Warriors.

 

[Bucking Beads]

It is a must win game if we want a top 2 finish IMO.

 

[Son Edo]

You'd think with the Warriors bad away record, Broncos fresh after the bye with origin stars returning and at Suncorp they'd win. Hoodoo or no hoodoo.

 

[Foordy]

I think we'll see:

1. Hoffman
2. Maranta
3. Beale
4. Hodges
5. Copley
6. Norman
7. Wallace
8. Hannant
9. McCullough
10. Civoniceva
11. Glenn
12. Thaiday
13. Parker

14. Hunt
15. McGuire
16. Te'o
17. Gillett

obviously Reed is out with a fractured leg and assuming all players come through the origin game unscathed

 

[vertigo]

Reed might not be back until the finals, if Hodges picks up an injury we are in trouble.

 

[Porthoz]

In all honesty, and at the risk of sounding blasphemous, this might be a blessing in disguise. Reed has been performing well below last season's standard and seems to struggle in our attack with Norman as the 5/8. This might be Norman's fault as much as Reed's though.

Anyway, very much looking forward to see Copley in his favourite spot at centre and absolutely trust that either Maranta or Whitchurch will do the job on the wing.

Danger game like always against the Warriors, depending on which side shows up for the game... Jekyll or Hyde?

Either way, hopefully the bye will have all players refreshed from last night's bashathon and Origin, and ready to fire up towards the finals.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Copley to left centre IMO. He will be good there as well.

 

[Big Pete]

Most backlines are pretty average on paper.

Only Melbourne and Manly have better backlines IMO and that's debatable.

 

[Big Pete]

None of those backlines are filled with more than one superstar player really (like ours) so whatever difference there is between us and them doesn't really matter.

:haha: at the Tigers & Dragons though. Newcastle are a hoot too.

 

[Big Pete]

But the other players around them are better than the rookies we have.

According to who?

I respect the time & effort you put into your post but I don't agree with a lot of your selections & I don't want to take this thread off-topic by deconstructing players outside of the Broncos or Warriors.

On paper, our backline is looking thin from the all Test backline it once was but I still believe it's a quality backline.

Besides, I'm more concerned with the forwards and that's an area we're certainly not lacking in *touch wood*.

I don't think the potential loss of Jack Reed is going to be as big as you think it is.

 

[Big Pete]

So nobody other than yourself, gotcha.

I don't believe there's any point in behaving like chicken little because Reed is unavailable but suit yourself.

I find it funny you selected Newcastle. Tell me, who's depth player slotted straight into their starting line up the very first chance he could?

Hope you dislike this post too, that will really show me. :haha:

 

[Coxy]

As thin as our backline stocks are, and as much as our attack seems to struggle, I'm glad we're not doing a Bulldogs and buying anyone who wants to switch clubs midseason.

 

[Coxy]

In fairness to the Dogs, their depth is pretty piss poor. I mean, Goodwin, Lafai and Turner were out with long term injuries, Michael Lett quit and went to WA to be a miner and there isn't much else that looks promising there for them. Can't REALLY blame them for picking up Inu and Perrett. They were going to be in all sorts.

We let go Gagai, suffered season ending injury to Yow Yeh, we're not exactly swimming in options ourselves (with all respect to Whitchurch and Maranta who are going well).

 

[Big Pete]

Yeah. He WAS our depth player. If we still had Gagai then that would be MUCH better for your backline dilemma at the moment. So you've just proved my point really. We ARE running thin on backs, we just had a promising younger player go to another club and slot straight in!

But it's ok, I shouldn't be worried - That backline is arguably the best in the comp according to you, so we should be right! :rash:

For my backline dilemma? Aren't you a Broncos fan anymore? It isn't even a dilemma, Beale is a Test player who could possibly do a better job than Reed, Copley is arguably the most improved player at the club and has been one of our better players in recent times, period while Maranta & Whichurch have both put in mature respectable performances.

Gagai wasn't good enough to get a shot on the wing at the Broncos, let alone the centres. Sure enough, sides like Newcastle line up to collect our scraps and then push them into important positions because they're far more desperate than us.

Yet you rate them & hacks like Tuqiri, over our own players.

Rest easy Rock, doesn't look like Reed has broken his leg. We suddenly have a chance again. :rolleyes:

 

[Big Pete]

You called it 'your' dilemma when referring to the Broncos backline. Think before you post.

You could criticise any backline in the game, there isn't a Storm of 07 backline in the competition, yet you only singled out the Broncos. With or without Reed, there's little that separates us against the majority of the competition and I don't believe backs play that big a role in a success of a side.

It was believed Reed would have been back at the finals even if suspicions were proven correct, so no cause for alarm really.

Also, no, we don't need to be like the Canterbury-Bankstown horders and buy other teams reggie rejects when we have representative reserve graders absolutely dying to play first grade for a club they love.

 

[rnabokov]

Our back line has held it's own against most sides so far. Trouble is, a lot of those sides are really hitting good form, and what will set us apart from those top sides will be our halves, and the game plan. That will either be good, or bad.

For mine it's the halves who drive the back line plays, and I don't like what I'm seeing. And part of that is that flat structure we keep using which cuts down the time and space our halves have for setting things up. Lockyer was class enough to handle that. Norman isn't.

The Warriors are too hot and cold this year, and their defense is suspect, like the Rabbits. The result will largely depend on whether they're hot, or not. My main interest will be watching how our attack goes.

And for the record, I am seriously impressed with Copely, and I'd love to see him in the centres instead of Beale.

 

[vertigo]

And part of that is that flat structure we keep using which cuts down the time and space our halves have for setting things up.

I'm not a huge fan of our compressed attacking line, although it seems to play to our strengths in creating line breaks around the ruck area.

We look more dangerous from 30-40m out than from a set play in the 20m zone (second man play hardly works anymore as Hoffman always gets caught)