PRE-GAME Round 2 - Broncos vs Cowboys

Broncs_Fan said:
It will be a tight game for 50 minutes because our guys will get up for the big game and try their asses off. And then the Cowboys will run through us in the forwards late.

Most likely a 6-12 point Cowboys win.
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Unless there is a massive attitude change from last night, the result will be exactly the same.

Cowboys by 20+ in an absolute canter.
 
Morgan is gonna feast on some Milford lamb again. Our left side is in for an absolute hiding.

Happy to be wrong and rightfully abused.
 
Jason Simmons said:
Unless there is a massive attitude change from last night, the result will be exactly the same.

Cowboys by 20+ in an absolute canter.
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In these big games though generally the weaker team (whether Cowboys or Broncos) rises and it's a close game. This year we are the weaker team.
 
ethos said:
It was round one. I'd pick the same 17 except drop Su'a for Murphy.
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I’d drop Thaiday, Sims and Glenn (in that order) before I’d drop Su’a.
That kid has class written all over him. Hits like a truck, runs great lines and just seems like a player the attack would look at and try to avoid. Played 80 in his debut in the back row as an 18 y.o. too.
Way too much upside to him - not so in the three I’ve listed though.
It’s purely academic though, as he’ll be sitting on the pine for a week for his shoulder charge anyway.
 
1. Milf
2. Kahu
3. Roberts
4. Boyd (Let centres roam so he can still do the sweep play)
5. Issakko
6. Nona (? Open to ideas)
7. KNik
8. Lodge
9. McCullough (Bird when fit, then McCullough on bench on at 30 as hooker for 20 then tackling bag lock/second rake rest of match allow bird to run and rove a little)
10. TPJ
11. Sims
12. Gillo
13. McGuire
14. Murphy (till Bird back then McCullough)
15. Offa
16. Oates
17. Fiffita (sua when back)
18. Glenn

Thaiday minimum 4 weeks QCup make him earn it, if not give him a few games during origin for ‘experience’ and maybe a farewell at end of the year.

I know spine is major shake up but hasn’t worked for 2 years so why keep banging head against that wall. Still lacks a dominant half and a go forward pack so have to give up on game plans that require those. Focus on fitness so can throw it around with lots of offloads to wear other teams out, use double hooker combo with bird running a lot to keep markers engaged and let quick small guys run riot in gaps from the ball movement. Risk is a anarchy but don’t see a premiership without a dominant half otherwise.
 
Number6 said:
1. Milf
2. Kahu
3. Roberts
4. Boyd (Let centres roam so he can still do the sweep play)
5. Issakko
6. Nona (? Open to ideas)
7. KNik
8. Lodge
9. McCullough (Bird when fit, then McCullough on bench on at 30 as hooker for 20 then tackling bag lock/second rake rest of match allow bird to run and rove a little)
10. TPJ
11. Sims
12. Gillo
13. McGuire
14. Murphy (till Bird back then McCullough)
15. Offa
16. Oates
17. Fiffita (sua when back)
18. Glenn

Thaiday minimum 4 weeks QCup make him earn it, if not give him a few games during origin for ‘experience’ and maybe a farewell at end of the year.

I know spine is major shake up but hasn’t worked for 2 years so why keep banging head against that wall. Still lacks a dominant half and a go forward pack so have to give up on game plans that require those. Focus on fitness so can throw it around with lots of offloads to wear other teams out, use double hooker combo with bird running a lot to keep markers engaged and let quick small guys run riot in gaps from the ball movement. Risk is a anarchy but don’t see a premiership without a dominant half otherwise.
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The problem Milford is currently having isn't going to be solved by a move to fullback.

Also, Fifita won't be playing NRL this year. He is 17. Not old enough. This is why he isn't in our top 30.
 
Sproj said:
The Broncs made a huge tactical error last night but it is the fact it is the same tactical error over the last two seasons is the big concern. The team does not have the massive forwards other sides do, so they should be spreading the ball every tackle, play an expansive game. They have the players to do it...but they rarely if ever do. This team cannot play like a traditional team, they can't bash and barge up the middle, they are too easily tackled and driven back. They can't kick for field position, they don't have the halves for it. They can't do what traditional sides do, so why not try something different? play wide and play risky football. No one in the comp will expect it and some nights (since they rarely play in the day) it definitely won't come off but it can't be any worse than watching that horror show last night can it?
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I recall WB saying once (a long time ago) that every pass is an opportunity to drop the ball

Perhaps this is still his mentality and is driving the conservative tactics?
 
JAHHW said:
I’d drop Thaiday, Sims and Glenn (in that order) before I’d drop Su’a.
That kid has class written all over him. Hits like a truck, runs great lines and just seems like a player the attack would look at and try to avoid. Played 80 in his debut in the back row as an 18 y.o. too.
Way too much upside to him - not so in the three I’ve listed though.
It’s purely academic though, as he’ll be sitting on the pine for a week for his shoulder charge anyway.
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Sua seems to be developing into the next ben teo and potentially Tonie Carroll. Need to persist with him so he can learn to be milfords body guard. God I hope Thaiday makes way soon.
 
Exactly. I’ve said a few times he’s not really a bench player and would serve us better than Glenn in my opinion. And Glenn would serve us better off the bench. But really Sua needs to play on the edges, the trials showed that. He looks like he could be our aggressor out there if he learns to use it at the right times.
 
Sproj said:
No, no he isn't 'the least of Bennett's worries.'

He threw a clearly forward pass at the start of the game that should have been a try and Bronc in front, a very different game after that. His lack of hunger (at least the appearance of a lack of hunger) is hurting this side. Other sides (read JT and Smith) complain to the ref every chance they get, regardless of whether a penalty is dubious or not. Where is Darius when that happens?

If he is the 'lead by example' kind of leader, he isn't leading by a very good example. He doesn't seem to talk to his side much and has not looked his best since 2016. He isn't fit, fine but will he ever be 'fit' again? Those injuries, particularly to his legs, are starting to mount up. He looks slow, he looks disinterested and he looks like he is lacking in hunger and willingness to put his body on the line. If he is starting to mess up the one sweeping play he is good at as well, well this is a massive problem.

A lot of a team's problems start at the top. Bennett has favourites, he always has and that is usually fine but in this case, it isn't. Boyd has been sub-par for some time. Given he is the captain, he is one of the biggest current problems with this team. He is by no means the only problem but his attitude and possibly a positional switch is not the worst idea, at least in the short-term.
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And the most frustrating part of his game is his slow play the balls whilst looking up at the ref. We need to move him to the centres just like Inglis is.
 
john1420 said:
I recall WB saying once (a long time ago) that every pass is an opportunity to drop the ball

Perhaps this is still his mentality and is driving the conservative tactics?
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But they weren’t being particularly conservative the other night. They were off-loading like crazy and equalled the dragons in total for offloads despite the dragons having 60% possession...

The issue was they weren’t off-loading at the right time, they looked like they were offloading for the sake of offloading as if they were under instruction to generate 2nd phase at any cost, with predictable results (large amounts of unforced errors) and constant turnover of possession.

This sort of football is rubbish, particularly when it is combined with our near perennial problem of ZERO support play and no apparent consideration of the parts of the field we are in, when offloads were attempted.

The other night we would have been far better served to knuckle down and try and grind out some metres and field position and defend like their lives depended on it, yet the desire and heart to do this was clearly absent.
 
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Kodi Nikorima knows Broncos need more from halves as date with Cowboys loom large

March 10, 2018

BRISBANE halfback Kodi Nikorima has appealed for coach Wayne Bennett to give him and Anthony Milford time to fire in the halves, admitting their debut outing “wasn’t good enough”.

Nikorima and Milford were given a chilling reality check of the pressure to succeed this season after their below-par displays in Brisbane’s 34-12 loss to the Dragons in a round-one horror show at Kogarah.

Now the heat will intensify, with Brisbane’s new scrumbase combination bracing for a daunting showdown with Cowboys superstars Johnathan Thurston and Michael Morgan next Friday night at Suncorp.

Broncos coach Bennett rallied in support of Nikorima and Milford following the Dragons defeat, lashing the inability of Brisbane’s beaten forward pack to lay a foundation for their pint-sized halves.

But Nikorima is making no excuses and says the halves must take responsibility for giving the Broncos the direction to be a premiership force this season.

“I was disappointing,” he said.

“With a result like that, it wasn’t good enough.

“There is always pressure on the halves and we didn’t deliver. We didn’t complete our sets and a few times we didn’t get to our kick and I need to take ownership of that.

“I thought our forwards did a decent job. There was a time in the second half where we got ourselves back in the game, but you can’t give cheap ball away and expect to win games.”

While the jury is out on whether the Milford-Nikorima alliance will ever succeed, the livewire Kiwi Test utility is adamant their combination can work.

“It’s going to take time for us,” said Nikorima, who has started at halfback in 14 of his 56 career games.

“We knew going into the season we were going to be a bit rusty.

“It’s disappointing how we combined (against the Dragons) but we have a lot of games to look ahead to and we have to forget this and move forward.

“I have the belief that we can succeed.

“I know me and ‘Milf’ can make it work but we definitely need to be better with our options. Against the Cowboys, we need to be on.”

Nikorima rued Ben Hunt’s matchwinning intercept, admitting Brisbane’s squad should have been more alert given the Dragons recruit’s 187-game stint with the Broncos.

“All the training we have done together, we should have seen Hunt coming,” he said.

“As a former teammate, we know what he is capable of. He played well and I can only wish him the best for the season.”

Nikorima praised the effort of underwire prop Matt Lodge, whose hard running in his Broncos debut was marred by the ill-fated intercept pass he threw for Hunt’s try.

“He’s been out of the game for three years,” he said.

“There was so much criticism on him and a lot of it was uncalled for to be honest.

“I’m glad he got through it and he was in a good headspace. He was pretty enthusiastic too. It’s nice to have a big body in our side.”

Source: Courier Mail
 
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