POST GAME [Round 2, 2025] Broncos vs Raiders

[Dexter]

I would be tempted to play Staggs on the left.

Mariner was crazy dangerous tonight on the right... far more than what Staggs has been in recent years.

Staggs has played limited time on the left in the past and has looked alright. He loses his left arm fend, but it's not really doing as much as what it used to.

Staggs will get the choice but a left side Mariner is better than a left side Shiba any day.

 

[Mightybroncs2k17]

That performance felt very much like a team got carried away with last week's victory and expected another walkover cross between one of those nights every team has at least once a year. One of those games where the bounce of the ball and 50/50 calls don't go your way. One of those games where everything the opposition touch turns to gold.

I've always been a big beleiver In Gus Gould's theory that in the first 5 games every team will win at least 1 and lose at least 1 then after round 5 the form rings true. We got everything we deserved tonight but I really hope we learn from it because our squad is much better then that performance.

 

[theshed]

64% completion rate and 50 missed tackles... Madge will not be happy

He’s the coach responsible for not allowing that to happen
- I’m not happy

 

[Santa]

Just got home from the game.

I think I'm a jinx...

Dumb Raiders family not helping either.

 

[Mustafur]

I would be tempted to play Staggs on the left.

Mariner was crazy dangerous tonight on the right... far more than what Staggs has been in recent years.

Staggs has played limited time on the left in the past and has looked alright. He loses his left arm fend, but it's not really doing as much as what it used to.

it would take away from Staggs fend though which is basically what his running game is built on.

 

[TimWhatley]

Raiders tries came from running harder in attack and defence, none of their points came from the spine working together. That was a finals like performance and if they can pull that off every week then I'll be impressed. As for us, our defence wasn't good enough. This reminded me of our games against the Bunnies in '23.

 

[theshed]

The issue as others have pointed out, is that the team still has very little grit and no one with any aggression.

When you come against the raiders who are pure grit and aggression, we just get bullied. We had no answer to their physicality

 

[Dexter]

Raiders got Nicholson from England and he looks a very good signing. Why arent our guys looking to England finding players like that especially when we are so thread bare for back row talent.
We desperatly need a backrower who wants to run through the line not get the ball then put on a step and get folded.

 

[mstreet]

Interchange was the same as last week wasn't it?

Last week Haas and Kobe off at the 30mins mark and Patty played through until Haas came back on at 50mins.

I think Patty's minutes changed to last week, because he was still out there when Haas came back on, but I'm guessing that was Madge's first instance of trust issues with this squad. He looked at his bench and didn't have anyone to trust more than having a Patty that had already been out there for 60 odd minutes straight.

Either way we have two big minute props so they're always going to be playing through to 30mins at minimum.

Potentially Kobe could've come off earlier when we had seen off their initial all energy attack, but the plan going into the game was Jensen and Willison on at 30mins mark and they're needed to play a certain amount of minutes for the later interchanges when Patty is scheduled to come off, etc.

Potentially you could bring Jensen on because he's more experienced, but the preference would be Willison to change momentum at that point. However, Madge potentially doesn't have the trust in his players as yet to be able to change things up on the fly and know they will be able to handle it.

It may have been telling that Piakura was brought on so early this time around and Gos was potentially hooked for some of his defensive reads... Piaks first involvement was absolutely folding Mariota.

I have no doubt that Madge would fucking love to use Piaks over Gos, but he needs to get his defensive reads up to scratch... he may not be too far off getting that spot from him though

Interesting comments.

With respect to trusting players to do the job, I thing Madge underestimates Willison. I have big raps on him. Willison can fold players, quick PTB, bend the line, and has a high work rate. He did well in a shit 24 as a starting prop.

I have to let the Kobe experiment play out. If Jenson isn't in the starting 13, he shouldn't be in the team. We have players you mentioned, that could offer a lot more as an impact player. We got owned in the ruck. I would be interested in a rewatch, were the raiders onside all night? They layed all over us in the opening 10, in a deliberate strategy to slow down our class. We got turned around all night, and our halves didn't risk it till the game was done, which to be honest, I liked. We had a game plan, it just didn't happen. Walsh was a cluster **** tonight! Talk about a headless chook, that is just so desperate to be seen. Teddy out preformed him last week, and this week, absolute rubbish.

 

[mstreet]

The issue as others have pointed out, is that the team still has very little grit and no one with any aggression.

When you come against the raiders who are pure grit and aggression, we just get bullied. We had no answer to their physicality

It is our 2nd row. Carrigan, and Hass offer a lot as props. Carrigan folded players last year, but he had the luxury of being 13.

I thought we showed a lot of grit tonight. Things did not go to script. We got owned in the middle. The ref let them lay al over PTB in initial exchanges. Yet, we only lost by 10 points in a poor performance, with a red hot Raiders.

 

[Ondi]

It’s alright guys Madge will have us ready to win game three and clinch the series!!!

 

[tommy]

Should have taken the 2 at 0-0.

 

[BroncsFan]

Should have taken the 2 at 0-0.

I actually think we should have... Canberra showed their hand that they were going to be giving away penalties every tackle inside their 20m.

Should've taken the points they were offering up and have them use up energy whilst being behind on the scoreboard... we're a better attacking team from outside the 50m anyway.

 

[Broncorob]

just saw the highlights will watch the game tomorrow but based on conments we werent far off. This may be the bar based on other results.

Not writing us off. Lots of positives. defence an issue

 

[Nerd]

I think 1910 said that paix doesn't run the ball. I know billy will, but billy goes off script a lot. Is Mozer a noted ball runner? We got owned in the ruck, and Starling had a blinder. It is hard game to mark with respect to Paix, as the raiders defence was all over us, all night.

My criticism from our spine would be that they didn't adjust. We could have stood deeper, to buy ourselves time. Reece in a deeper play the ball, could have used his step, and speed, to keep them guessing. Be interesting to see how they respond next week on a coaching, and halves level.

Paix was good last week but was kept quiet this game. Thought some of his passing from dummy half was ordinary as well. Billy coming on and then taking a run to the blind side on the 5th before someone must have yelled at him that it was the last tackle leading to a rushed pass and a Riki kick just highlighted that we need Mozer at 9 asap.

With two quality halfbacks already on the field do we still need a 14 that can cover as a half if there is an injury? If Mozer can eventually play a whole game we don't need to carry Billy as a 14 and maybe we need another forward on the bench. We sure as shit needed it last night.

Thought that both Shibasaki and Gosiewski got showed up in defence and offered next to nothing in attack.

 

[Sproj]

just saw the highlights will watch the game tomorrow but based on conments we werent far off. This may be the bar based on other results.

Not writing us off. Lots of positives. defence an issue

We actually turned up big the problem was, it was about 50 minutes into the game. It was pleasing to see they could flick a switch because before that, we were simply awful, and even after we turned up the pressure, we still weren’t great but we were all over Canberra.

The problem was Walsh kept getting in the way and stopped anything good we were starting to do. He had an all time shocker and because he touches the ball so much, he short every play in the foot he got involved in. On the brights side, Haas, Hetherington, Cobbo, Arthars and especially Mariner really stepped up late. Mariner especially turned almost unstoppable.

 

[theshed]

One thing that I found a bit strange is that there was an obvious early game plan to run Haas out wide and target Fogerty.

He seemed to do this every run for the first 15-20 minutes. It didn’t really have much impact as they handled him well and Fogerty seemed unimpaired in attack.

I get the tactic, run a big guy at a half - it’s pretty straight forward. Kev did the exact thing once with TPJ on Sam Walker to great success. The strange thing is that it seemed to disappear after 15 minutes and never return.

Did Madge just give up on it? Did Haas stop following the game plan? Was it only ever intended to be the first 15 minutes?

It’s the kind of tactic that only bares fruit if you persist with it until the half is actually too tired to be effective in attack. i can’t see the desired outcome in making him tackle Haas for the first 10 to 15 minutes and then leaving him alone entirely the rest of the game.

 

[1910]

I hope it's just that, and a lack of training @1910 can you confirm?

Training wasn't impacted at all.