PRE-GAME [Round 21, 2023] Broncos vs Rabbitohs

[BroncsFan]

I think we're going to continue seeing a back on the bench, at least for this game anyway.

I think Kevvie is going to continue using Cobbo the way he used him against the Bulldogs. I think he did a good job actually. He held his own in the middle and I like the idea of him having a roaming role especially when we're in the attacking zone. Reyno and Walsh could really use that to our advantage.

It seemed to work pretty well, but the question mark would be Cobbo's fitness to do a stint in the middle... he spent a fair amount of time in there.

Next game Patty, Haas and Walsh are all back.

Playing Cobbo in the middle provides 2 fullbacks which should be lethal in a lineup like that.

Patty and Hass can more than hold their own as the only props on the field with Patty being a link man out to Reynolds, Ezra, Walsh and Cobbo.

Or even through the middle having Walsh, Cobbo and Ezra supporting Patty and Hass offloads, etc.

But it could end up being too many cooks in the kitchen.

Walsh likes to be everywhere on the field, if Cobbo is playing as a second fullback Walsh might get stuck on one edge... or it becomes too crowded with him doubling up with Cobbo.

We might keep going with it until Flegler returns, because the 17th jersey isnt doing much till then, but after that the bench becomes Kobe, Taupau and Jensen. Unless we drop Jensen.

I do like the thinking that Kevvie brought to it though, and it starts to provide some flexibility across his team.

If you were going with that kind of approach in a full strength lineup, it could be Capewell that becomes the "outside back" on the bench... shifting to centre, Herbie to wing and then Cobbo as a second fullback.

It gives Kevvie options pending game situation... kind of like basketball where outside their starting 5 they also have situational lineups in game

 

[theshed]

I thought the Cobbo move was great considering how short we were on forwards. It may not have been the most successful execution in the end but it was quite clever.

I’m just not sure Cobbo is quite experienced or smart enough to really excel in the role at this stage. Doing it long term could risk ending up like the Roosters with Manu’s similar roaming license and you just end up with 2 fullbacks hogging the ball and killing the game plan.

I wouldn’t mind Cobbo taking more of a fullback role at stages coming out of our end to give Walsh a breather and get use out of his bigger frame.

 

[Big Del]

I do feel like for the role that he is being used at it would be better to use Herbie for it though, and just have Cobbo in Herbies spot with Mariner on the wing.

Herbie has a bigger motor and like Cobbo is big enough to do damage in the middle, Cobbo didn't exactly have the opportunity in that role to use his skills like he can use on the edge.

Moving Herbie out of centre causes less disruption of the defensive line .
Also Selwyn has trained and played full back this season .

 

[Big Del]

Moving Herbie out of centre causes more disruption of the defensive line .
Also Selwyn has trained and played full back this season .

Edit .

 

[winslow_wong]

need to work out some plays to involve cobbo roaming near the try line. Have him hiding behind Reynolds to take some short balls

 

[Super Freak]

I do feel like for the role that he is being used at it would be better to use Herbie for it though, and just have Cobbo in Herbies spot with Mariner on the wing.

Herbie has a bigger motor and like Cobbo is big enough to do damage in the middle, Cobbo didn't exactly have the opportunity in that role to use his skills like he can use on the edge.

I don't think Herbie poses the same threat that Cobbo does. He's a very strong runner, he's good at poking his nose through with his late footwork before the line and he would have a bigger motor, but in terms of creating and putting doubt into the mind of the defenders, I think Cobbo is the better choice.

 

[Big Del]

need to work out some plays to involve cobbo roaming near the try line. Have him hiding behind Reynolds to take some short balls

Outy - inny with Selwyn , Billy , Adam and Recce .
That I`d like to see .

 

[Super Freak]

Cobbo free to play.

No charge.

 

[Xzei]

Cobbo free to play.

No charge.

 

[Fernando]

Cobbo free to play.

No charge.

They really should apologise to the Broncos for that call on Monday (once again)

 

[Santa]

I think we're going to continue seeing a back on the bench, at least for this game anyway.

I think Kevvie is going to continue using Cobbo the way he used him against the Bulldogs. I think he did a good job actually. He held his own in the middle and I like the idea of him having a roaming role especially when we're in the attacking zone. Reyno and Walsh could really use that to our advantage.

I dunno. I think it worked well as a one off, but we should go back to our original set up with our forwards back.

I think it was mainly done this week to help out the newbies in the middle.

 

[Midean]

Rabbitohs the only team to have deserved to beat us this season. We were not good that night, and it sticks in my throat.
Would be nice to put that behind us and beat one of the media’s darlings.

It’ll be close, but if we can score more than them, we’ve got a good chance of winning…… ;-)

This.

Bunnies would be the team i want to beat most after Melbourne Storm.

I also would love it if it came down to us and the bunnies in the GF.
Would be a poetic and awesome thing for Reynolds to win a GF with us against the Rabbits and my workmates who go for the bunnies would never hear the end of it.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Really interesting team selection this week. Our depth is amazing. I still think we should have got another experienced middle, considering we only had 3 injuries in the middle and we literally ran out of options is not a sustainable model even though it worked for the dogs game.
But our first 3 or 4 reserves in the middle, edges and backs is insanely good.
Oates and riki are guns yet piakura is making himself very hard to drop and arthars is a starter in most nrl teams. Then you've got 1 or 2 of paliasia, jensen, willison missing out this week. You've got backs the calibre of mariner missing out, hoeter and Jordan pereria haven't even been sighted this year and they are 1st drops in most nrl squads for their positions based on last year's performances.
I liked the cobbo to the middle rotation but what middle do you drop? Then there's sailor. I don't care what bs people spin on here, b Walters is legitimately turning into a quality hooker but I'm not sure he can play 80 mins. So many options.

One thing I do know is kev Walters tinkered with the winning side last year and it may have screwed us a bit but I also think he knows what premiership winning teams do around this time of year. You don't play the way you did in April to win a premiership in October. You need something different and to step it up a notch, and that's often done through tweaks to the team list and/or playing style in attack and/or defence.

 

[Foordy]

They really should apologise to the Broncos for that call on Monday (once again)

they won't (once again)

 

[1910]

I thought the Cobbo move was great considering how short we were on forwards. It may not have been the most successful execution in the end but it was quite clever.

I’m just not sure Cobbo is quite experienced or smart enough to really excel in the role at this stage. Doing it long term could risk ending up like the Roosters with Manu’s similar roaming license and you just end up with 2 fullbacks hogging the ball and killing the game plan.

I wouldn’t mind Cobbo taking more of a fullback role at stages coming out of our end to give Walsh a breather and get use out of his bigger frame.

It's from KW's Queensland assistant days; they split the field- Cronk and Lockyer/Thurston and Slater and played with two fullbacks.

It got the job done yesterday, helped out Sailor, got Mariner on the field and got Cobbo the ball but I can see Walsh being annoyed by it.

 

[McHunt]

Moving Herbie out of centre causes less disruption of the defensive line .
Also Selwyn has trained and played full back this season .

Kevvie said Selwyn was playing lock.

 

[Santa]

 

[Super Freak]

Of fucking course they're going to get all of their injured players back and be full strength against us.