POST GAME [Round 2, 2026] - Broncos vs Eels

[Renegade]

yeah it's not even like gos is a good defender but rubbish in attack. he's just straight trash.

 

[Harry]

Serious question for our rules / strategy experts as a way to combat the momentum of these ridiculous 6 agains. Might seem silly but hear me out.

In circumstances where you concede a 6 again and the opponent gets a quick PTB and the defensive line is staggered and backpedaling and suddenly you're defensively exposed, what if you just deliberately shut the ball down to avoid it. What's going to happen? 6 again from the 0th tackle? Makes no difference, they won't call a penalty because it's in the 6-again area. Worst case you give the opponent a scrum, but I'd rather defend a scrum play with a set defensive line than have our middles scrambling.

Example:

Cleary goes into a tackle and does his 'play the ball the moment a hand is laid on me before the ref has called held' thing and Penrith get a quick PTB. our defence is retreating as Edwards runs from dummy half, he makes good metres but is just caught and flops around on the ground appealing for a 6-again and of course gets it. It's 0th tackle. What if, instead of just allowing Penrith to continue rolling and taking advantage of the momentum and retreating defensive line, the marker just jumps offside on purpose and lays on top of the ball in the PTB? Game has to stop, defensive line gets to reset and rest. What happens? Ref calls 6 again? It's already 0th tackle, who cares? Ref calls full penalty? I don't think the rules allow for that anymore. Ref calls scrum to Penrith? Still better than allowing play to continue.

I honestly have no idea what would happen if you deliberately forced play to stop in these scenarios and arrested the momentum of the team that received 6 again. Even if the ref does call a full arm penalty - that's just what the game used to be... Haven't you then essentially nullified the opponent's ability to take advantage of the 6 again?

 

[Dexter]

This.

It's no wonder suddenly Melbourne and Penrith are immediately rolling again.

It's going to be 2020-2024 all over again.

Suddenly rolling again WTF?
They haven't stopped. They adjust,and make it happen.

 

[Harry]

Suddenly rolling again WTF?
They haven't stopped. They adjust,and make it happen.

They didn't make it happen last year, baby!

yehaaaaaaaa

 

[Dexter]

They didn't make it happen last year, baby!

yehaaaaaaaa

Oooh bazinga

 

[Allo]

I have never seen a player as bad as Gos.

It's really something. Every single tackle he goes into as the ball carrier, there's a 50% chance he gets absolutely folded.

Every tackle he goes into as the defender, there's a 50% chance he completely fails to make the tackle.

And in both of those scenarios, there's a 50% chance he gets knocked out in the process of that failure.

The Barnett signing is really convenient timing, he embodies the type of hard-nosed, gritty, mongrel that this pack has absolutely none of currently.

I’m willing to throw Scott Anderson up as a challenger.

That **** was such a chance of dropping the ball on a hitup that I used to be able call it in real-time:

“He’ll drop this here”

And he usually always did

 

[Harry]

I’m willing to throw Scott Anderson up as a challenger.

That **** was such a chance of dropping the ball on a hitup that I used to be able call it in real-time:

“He’ll drop this here”

And he usually always did

Lachlan Maranta was like this too.

 

[Harry Sack]

Serious question for our rules / strategy experts as a way to combat the momentum of these ridiculous 6 agains. Might seem silly but hear me out.

In circumstances where you concede a 6 again and the opponent gets a quick PTB and the defensive line is staggered and backpedaling and suddenly you're defensively exposed, what if you just deliberately shut the ball down to avoid it. What's going to happen? 6 again from the 0th tackle? Makes no difference, they won't call a penalty because it's in the 6-again area. Worst case you give the opponent a scrum, but I'd rather defend a scrum play with a set defensive line than have our middles scrambling.

Example:

Cleary goes into a tackle and does his 'play the ball the moment a hand is laid on me before the ref has called held' thing and Penrith get a quick PTB. our defence is retreating as Edwards runs from dummy half, he makes good metres but is just caught and flops around on the ground appealing for a 6-again and of course gets it. It's 0th tackle. What if, instead of just allowing Penrith to continue rolling and taking advantage of the momentum and retreating defensive line, the marker just jumps offside on purpose and lays on top of the ball in the PTB? Game has to stop, defensive line gets to reset and rest. What happens? Ref calls 6 again? It's already 0th tackle, who cares? Ref calls full penalty? I don't think the rules allow for that anymore. Ref calls scrum to Penrith? Still better than allowing play to continue.

I honestly have no idea what would happen if you deliberately forced play to stop in these scenarios and arrested the momentum of the team that received 6 again. Even if the ref does call a full arm penalty - that's just what the game used to be... Haven't you then essentially nullified the opponent's ability to take advantage of the 6 again?

Probably a sin bin lol.

 

[MrTickyMcG]

Lachlan Maranta was like this too.

Maranta had the uncanny ability to not find the tryline

 

[john1420]

Kayo is a rort.

Almost cheaper to just get Foxtel.

Except it isn't.

Absolute cheapest I can find is Foxtel Now, which comes in at $55/month for Essentials plus Sport.

Kayo is $29.99 or you can go cheaper with a Digital Club membership

Broncos is $279 per year which works out to be $23.25 a month - that's less than half the cost of Foxtel Now

I really don't understand how people can complain about $23 a month to support your club AND stream as much sports content as you want

 

[Dexter]

I have never seen a player as bad as Gos.

It's really something. Every single tackle he goes into as the ball carrier, there's a 50% chance he gets absolutely folded.

Every tackle he goes into as the defender, there's a 50% chance he completely fails to make the tackle.

And in both of those scenarios, there's a 50% chance he gets knocked out in the process of that failure.

The Barnett signing is really convenient timing, he embodies the type of hard-nosed, gritty, mongrel that this pack has absolutely none of currently.

Throw in Baker but yeah what's happening with our second row stocks.

 

[Harry]

Probably a sin bin lol.

Is there some section of the rules which covers whether this is a binnable offence?

Similar incidents with players throwing balls away etc to prevent resumption of play don't result in sin bins.

Maybe for repeated infractions, but what if it was only done a couple of times per game as a last resort to neutralise circumstances where we're defensively exposed.

@McHunt you're usually pretty handy with rules.

 

[Wolfie]

Mariner was quiet, but he should have come up with the match winning play. He made a great bust and was looking for support but no one was in coo-ey. Maybe Reynolds would have been if he wasn't controversally taken out in backplay. Maybe the Broncos would have come up with a better follow-up play too.

I'm not too worried. Despite the Eels having the majority of possession in the second half, the Broncos gave themselves opportunities, it just wasn't their night.

I am somewhat worried about the state of the game. The top teams will adjust, but I'm worried for the middle of the road teams and how much of a slog the game is going to become. You see so much better footy off of set starts, the set restart is just headless chook stuff that looks more ass than class.

The state of the game is why i dont watch any games anymore. I dont find it enjoyable to watch.

As for the Broncos, until we can defend i think last years win is going to be a bit of a flash in the pan. You cant keep relying on individual brilliance to win games like we have. At some point, those games you turn it around in and win will become losses. Cant keep conceding so many points.

 

[Big Pete]

Is there some section of the rules which covers whether this is a binnable offence?

Similar incidents with players throwing balls away etc to prevent resumption of play don't result in sin bins.

Maybe for repeated infractions, but what if it was only done a couple of times per game as a last resort to neutralise circumstances where we're defensively exposed.

@McHunt you're usually pretty handy with rules.

In the scenario you're talking about where the marker is blatantly off-side and spoiling the play it's a professional foul and sin-bin.

The good teams give away the set restart on Cleary. Players either flop in late and take the odds to it. Then the next play the hooker will come screaming out of the line and usually 'win' the tackle and put the opposition on the back-foot.

 

[Harry]

In the scenario you're talking about where the marker is blatantly off-side and spoiling the play it's a professional foul and sin-bin.

The good teams give away the set restart on Cleary. Players either flop in late and take the odds to it. Then the next play the hooker will come screaming out of the line and usually 'win' the tackle and put the opposition on the back-foot.

Yes, agreed if it was totally blatant and obvious... What if it wasn't? What about the marker reaching through the tackled players legs in an attempt to gather the ball? Or attacking the dummy half's arm from marker as he's picking the ball up?

I've seen these plays many times before and the player was never binned. Would be hard to prove intent, and if it was used sparingly as a last resort to shut down even 1 or 2 attacking raids per game, surely there's value there.

Kind of like tipping the pinball table -can't do it too much, but just might save you.

 

[Big Pete]

Yes, agreed if it was totally blatant and obvious... What if it wasn't? What about the marker reaching through the tackled players legs in an attempt to gather the ball? Or attacking the dummy half's arm from marker as he's picking the ball up?

I've seen these plays many times before and the player was never binned. Would be hard to prove intent, and if it was used sparingly as a last resort to shut down even 1 or 2 attacking raids per game, surely there's value there.

Kind of like tipping the pinball table -can't do it too much, but just might save you.

I just keep thinking of this:



If a team is struggling to hold on and they give away a blatant penalty like you described then you're inviting the official to bin.

Which is why the good teams don't allow it to get to that point.

 

[Astro]

12,

Is there some section of the rules which covers whether this is a binnable offence?

Similar incidents with players throwing balls away etc to prevent resumption of play don't result in sin bins.

Maybe for repeated infractions, but what if it was only done a couple of times per game as a last resort to neutralise circumstances where we're defensively exposed.

@McHunt you're usually pretty handy with rules.

It would be a professional foul. Like knowingly stealing the ball from an offside position or tackling a player from a quick tap. Play hasnt stopped its a repeat set. Not like when its a knock on or end of set and a player plays silly buggers with the ball to give themselves 5 seconds rest.

 

[Astro]

Maranta had the uncanny ability to not find the tryline

Who had that profile gif of maranta going in to score and ending up upside-down.