POST GAME Round 2 - Broncos vs Warriors

[Stix]

Thought our kicking game was good, couple of awesome bombs... Milf looks composed when kicking and Hunt improved heaps from last week

 

[lynx000]

We've had two try's scored against us in two games. That's quality defence.

I am on board with Morkel, I think we have been lucky in both games. Re the defence, Parra's attack was heavily compromised by the loss of Foran and then Norman in the first half. The Warriors' attack was also compromised by the two backline injuries and the weird gameplan that does not have Johnson running the ball (not sure whether it is deliberate or him not applying himself)??

 

[coreyh88]

I don't know what is with the Hunt hate. MOTM for me. His running game didn't produce anything but we cam away with tries whenever we went down the right. He also spread it to the left when required. His kicking game was first class and couldn't have been better. He even made a couple of stinging tackles.

boyd. 8 (Met every expectation without being dominant)
oates. 9 (came up with so many big plays turned momentum many times)
reed. 8 (didn't put a foot wrong and combined well with oates, got a try for his trouble)
roberts. 6 (did no wrong, good in defence. Did nothing special in attack barring just being there.)
Kahu. 7 (did no wrong and made some good runs)
Milf. 7.5 (very good performance. Good defensively. Caused headaches without being dominant. Starting to show a good kicking game)
Hunt. 9 (For a team that was error riddled and starved of possesion did everything he could. Once the posession turned he put 2 tries away on the right. Kicking game was the best I've seen from him.)
Blair. 7.5 (solid runs and stinging defence)
macca. 7 (fewer minutes. Good to see him kicking again.)
Moose. 7.5 (high work rate without being spectacular)
glenn. 8 (good form this year. His running game is back and developing an offload)
gillett. 9 (Stinging defence. Doesn't miss a thing. Got his attacking game back.)
Parker 6.5 (With an error or 2 and fewer minutes + 0 offloads. Worst game I've seen from him.)

knik. 7.5 (one of his better games managed the team well in addition to big runs)
thaiday. 8 (shifted momentum good runs and defence.)

 

[Alec]

Teams that play an expansive/skillful game tend to start a bit slower while the passes aren't sticking as much and the combinations are still building/rebuilding. I'm glad we got off to 2 wins, and while our error rate is huge, it will surely improve as the season goes on and combibation and passes start to stick.

 

[broncos4life]

I am on board with Morkel, I think we have been lucky in both games. Re the defence, Parra's attack was heavily compromised by the loss of Foran and then Norman in the first half. The Warriors' attack was also compromised by the two backline injuries and the weird gameplan that does not have Johnson running the ball (not sure whether it is deliberate or him not applying himself)??

You can only play what is front of you and quality defence can make any attack look pedestrian.

I'm not getting into another season of second guessing our defence and talking about this player this, and what if that.

Our defence has far too many runs on the board for that.

 

[Sirlee oldman]

I have read this thread again and can't find the Hunt hate. I see a couple of posts saying he started slowly but finished well. One saying he wasn't quite on song and one saying he looked disinterested. Also when picking a Man of the Match I try to keep in mind that each player has a different job depending on their position. How you could think Hunt was a better halfback than Gillette was a second rower or Oates was a winger is beyond me.

 

[rnabokov]

You can only play what is front of you and quality defence can make any attack look pedestrian.

I'm not getting into another season of second guessing our defence and talking about this player this, and what if that.

Our defence has far too many runs on the board for that.

This.

Our defence is organised, disciplined and improving and the foundation of evolving attacking structures which showed in this game. We are starting to use both sides and you can't forget this side is still gelling under Bennett after years of relative neglect. Milford and Hunt are starting to control this side better with each match. Gillett in particular is finally showing what he is made of, and he and Glenn are doing serious damage in defence and attack on both edges, our forwards are controlling the middle, and I can see Roberts coming into his own any time now. Reed did well and Boyd for me was a revelation against the Warriors with his running game.

Slowly but surely, this team is becoming something special.

 

[LittleDavey]

I'd agree that Hunt looked out of his comfort zone for the first two rounds.

Some better signs in the 2nd round but he definitely looks down on confidence.

It's the very visible frustration he has with himself that comes across as disinterest that worries me.

I'm seeing him as a Pat Rafter type of sportsman. Extremely self-critical and a massive confidence player.

Totally agree, I've always felt Hunt is very much a confidence player. Not so bad that it's rocks-or-diamonds, but he does get visibly frustrated and I've noticed it tends to impact on his game somewhat when he tries to force his hand a bit. Thurston is the same, if you can get him rattled, more often than not he doesn't play to his full potential (like lastnight - is Thurston not 100% or is the gameplan to have other guys kicking to take pressure off JT??)

Having said that, I don't think it's cause for any concern either - Hunt didn't get a pre-season game, we're starting the season fresh, and his running game has always been far stronger than his kicking game. I fully expect him to get back to his barnstorming best within the next month or two.

 

[Astro]

Totally agree, I've always felt Hunt is very much a confidence player. Not so bad that it's rocks-or-diamonds, but he does get visibly frustrated and I've noticed it tends to impact on his game somewhat when he tries to force his hand a bit. Thurston is the same, if you can get him rattled, more often than not he doesn't play to his full potential (like lastnight - is Thurston not 100% or is the gameplan to have other guys kicking to take pressure off JT??)

Having said that, I don't think it's cause for any concern either - Hunt didn't get a pre-season game, we're starting the season fresh, and his running game has always been far stronger than his kicking game. I fully expect him to get back to his barnstorming best within the next month or two.

Thats exactly right. Its been a few months without footy. I feel like if he was 'disinterested' like some are claiming it would show in his defence as well, and that has been spot on.

Its round 2 and there is still a lot of footy to play this year the only thing that concerns me so far is the errors we are making. Just hope we clean those up quickly.

 

[broncos4life]

Claiming Hunt is disinterest is well off the mark and quite frankly offensive.

 

[broncos4life]

You can choose to be offended, it'd be strange, but your choice.

The look on his face "comes across as offensive". I didn't say he is disinterested.

What I mean is, he makes a mistake (useless grubber as example) and instead of playing at the loose ball, his head rocks back, he closes his eyes and switches off from what is going on around him for a few seconds. That's not a switched on competitor in his best frame of mind.

He needs a blinder and then it'll be apples.

It's offensive on hunt, not me.

 

[Socnorb]

The point is if there was any sign of disinterest from any of the 1sts they would be playing ITSC.

 

[subsbligh]

(I've been off BHQ for months now and this is probably covered mutliple times elsehwhere)

It wasn't shown on Channel 9 but at the game Roberts looked horrendous. He seriously looked injured/pissed off/unfit for 80 minutes and completely disinterested in his body language.

Literally one defensive set Hunt bumped into/fell over him basically more or less to say, come on your lifeless piece of shit, do something and get out of my way.

Yes, two rounds/new club all that excuses shit...

But seriously man... at this point in time, there's no signs of positive energy or enthusiasm at all coming from him. Compare that with Blair's round 1 effort last year for example.

 

[subsbligh]

But we're 2-0.

And we've got rabble games (other than Cowboys which we will fire up for) over the next 8 weeks pre-Origin.

 

[Morkel]

(I've been off BHQ for months now and this is probably covered mutliple times elsehwhere)

It wasn't shown on Channel 9 but at the game Roberts looked horrendous. He seriously looked injured/pissed off/unfit for 80 minutes and completely disinterested in his body language.

Literally one defensive set Hunt bumped into/fell over him basically more or less to say, come on your lifeless piece of shit, do something and get out of my way.

Yes, two rounds/new club all that excuses shit...

But seriously man... at this point in time, there's no signs of positive energy or enthusiasm at all coming from him. Compare that with Blair's round 1 effort last year for example.

Compare that to Blair's infamous 2015 Round 2 effort. Just sayin'.

 

[Broncoman]

I will judge Roberts as a failure or not in round 8 at least. He has only played 2 games for us, we are a completely different team compared to the GC, we have barely used him in attack but that might change with Oates spending a few weeks on the sideline. As Morkel said above Blair was unpopular with fans when he started. Give Roberts some time.

 

[Unbreakable]

(I've been off BHQ for months now and this is probably covered mutliple times elsehwhere)

It wasn't shown on Channel 9 but at the game Roberts looked horrendous. He seriously looked injured/pissed off/unfit for 80 minutes and completely disinterested in his body language.

Literally one defensive set Hunt bumped into/fell over him basically more or less to say, come on your lifeless piece of shit, do something and get out of my way.

Yes, two rounds/new club all that excuses shit...

But seriously man... at this point in time, there's no signs of positive energy or enthusiasm at all coming from him. Compare that with Blair's round 1 effort last year for example.

Luckily it's only a 2 year deal. If he plays well this season, we lock him up during next season long-term, if he doesn't, it's Barba v2, except he's not on millions of dollars, so it'll be easy to find a home for him.

Win/Win situation.

 

[GCBRONCO]

I will judge Roberts as a failure or not in round 8 at least. He has only played 2 games for us, we are a completely different team compared to the GC, we have barely used him in attack but that might change with Oates spending a few weeks on the sideline. As Morkel said above Blair was unpopular with fans when he started. Give Roberts some time.

And with regards to Hunt as well. I think people need to actually go examine his start to last season as well, similar things were said and that he was having a second year hangover, that all changed very quickly. Much the same with Blair and the move Milford to fullback because he wasn't an instant success at 5/8th. 2 games in, we have conceded less then since 1998 in the two opening rounds, rusty with errors but when shown to hang on the ball the damage capability is there, that will improve soon, the positives are definitely there and when your winning but not at your best, its a good sign.