PRE-GAME [Round 21, 2024] Broncos vs Bulldogs

[Bucking Beads]

Gonna be a great afternoon at Suncorp. The NRLW-NRL double header should be great.

 

[Nashy]

Anyone want a couple of tickets to this one?

 

[Totally Unr3al]

Bulldogs at Suncorp is like another home game for them.

They are more than capable of causing an ambush. We take them lightly, it's going to be a bad night.

We don't hold onto the ball, it's going to be a bad night. If we don't start wrapping up the ball, it's going to be a bad night.

This is going to be a tough game. Hopefully they're up for the fight.

Our biggest issues all year have been holding the ball and wrapping up the ball

We made minimal improvements in both yesterday

With our stars back we should be able to score too many points for the dogs but if we are going to go anywhere this year we need to stop these schoolboy errors

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Piakura likely out I would love to see staggs or even cobbo go there from an attack point of view but likely too risky from a defence point of view.

Hethrington to 2nd row would be best overall with willison finishing the game there. Would help our bench too, we need a big bench, hethrington does not help it.

Would like mozer in for smoothy although smoothy wasn't bad and can cover lock (I know this won't happen anyway). I thought Walters was great to start the game, same with the 1st 20 mins last week. He competed in defence, and he asked questions around the ruck (inside passes, runs, long passes, passing back across the ptb) not sure what people want from him (not to be the coaches son maybe?).

The other question is cobbo coming back. Mariner was good but he still gets monstered with the runs from our 20m. Thought that was oates' best game and he really helped us out of our 20m. Arthurs was exceptional. Would love to see mariner to the bench with mozer, tapau and willison. Mariners speed late in the game but Oates metre early in the game is the perfect combo

 

[Big Del]

Bulldogs at Suncorp is like another home game for them.

They are more than capable of causing an ambush. We take them lightly, it's going to be a bad night.

We don't hold onto the ball, it's going to be a bad night. If we don't start wrapping up the ball, it's going to be a bad night.

This is going to be a tough game. Hopefully they're up for the fight.

​

“We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,
In accents most forlorn,

 

[Skyblues87]

Good performance last night but we will need to play much better if we are to beat the Dogs. Don't think anyone played badly but still too many errors with Walsh being the main culprit. Concerned that Piakura may be out, seems to be made of glass. Be interesting to see how they put in if he's out. Maybe Arthars and Cobbo to centres and Staggs to edge?

 

[Bish]

We were always going to fade away in the second half given the efforts of SOO and Reynos first game in a while.

Not too concerned with that in terms of yesterdays game but it has been an issue all season.

Hoping a few days R&R and coming into the Dogs game fresher and with the confidence of a win under our belts will give everyone a big enough lift to grab another 2 points.

 

[mrslong]

Should be irrelevant. The best team needs to be playing.

Hope Kevvie does what he did last year with Piakura.

Or what he did with Paix. It seems Smoothy came in for him out of nowhere really

 

[Sproj]

If Piaks is out which is likely, given all the injuries aside from him in the backrow, I'd be going:

1. Walsh
2. Oates
3. Mariner
4. Cobbo
5. Arthars
6. Mam
7. Reynolds
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Haas
11. Staggs
12. Riki
13. Carrigan

14. Mozer
15. Willison
16. Taupau
17. Smoothy

 

[BroncosFever]

Hopefully Cobbloaf is back for this one - cannot afford to have Mariner up against Critter.

Kikau running at ARey's bad arm..... *shudder*

His shoulder still works.

 

[Manofoneway]

Piakura likely out I would love to see staggs or even cobbo go there from an attack point of view but likely too risky from a defence point of view.

Hethrington to 2nd row would be best overall with willison finishing the game there. Would help our bench too, we need a big bench, hethrington does not help it.

Would like mozer in for smoothy although smoothy wasn't bad and can cover lock (I know this won't happen anyway). I thought Walters was great to start the game, same with the 1st 20 mins last week. He competed in defence, and he asked questions around the ruck (inside passes, runs, long passes, passing back across the ptb) not sure what people want from him (not to be the coaches son maybe?).

The other question is cobbo coming back. Mariner was good but he still gets monstered with the runs from our 20m. Thought that was oates' best game and he really helped us out of our 20m. Arthurs was exceptional. Would love to see mariner to the bench with mozer, tapau and willison. Mariners speed late in the game but Oates metre early in the game is the perfect combo

I reckon Oates and Willison interchange for the 2rf spot if Piakura is out. Oates has good experience but might not have the lungs. Willison can play there in patches I reckon.

Smoothy has been the inferior hooker but hes been belting out minutes in the middle as lock. I think he could really be a Max plath type if he put a bit of size on. If Heatherington doesnt improve he could really challenge him for the smaller forward/lock spot and probably be the ball player to give patty a rest.

Billy has been going great for weeks now but the anti-fans just will not give him any credit. All they saw on the weekend was the one forward pass. Not the 80 run meters, line breaks, deception, inside passes, defence or forced drop out. Its really crazy to see the son of one of our clubs greatest players, coach and person who probably loves the club the most be so unpopular with the fans. They want him to be Harry Grant. Little do they know, his stats are very similar and for a fraction of the price.

 

[Manofoneway]

If Piaks is out which is likely, given all the injuries aside from him in the backrow, I'd be going:

1. Walsh
2. Oates
3. Mariner
4. Cobbo
5. Arthars
6. Mam
7. Reynolds
8. Jensen
9. Walters
10. Haas
11. Staggs
12. Riki
13. Carrigan

14. Mozer
15. Willison
16. Taupau
17. Smoothy

As much as i hate the thought of moving Staggs, He could play in the back row no doubt! Only thing is, when he is on he is so crucial to that side of the field defensively. I dont know how many times ive seen him make a solo effort tackle and it just seems as though the players around him know he will make the tackle which just stiffens up that side.

I'd try and plug wither Willison or Heatherington on that edge and tell them to put their hand up when they need a rest. Seriously with Marty having his third career wind he can be the impact from the bench. Will be interesting to see what they do.

 

[Manofoneway]

His shoulder still works.

Yes, but both his legs, hip, back are all shot too. lol. Duct tape him up and give him whatever Edwards has and we will be sweet!

 

[BroncsFan]

All they saw on the weekend was the one forward pass.

I'm putting that forward pass on Haas anyway... the crash play for Haas was definitely on, but he never puts himself in a good position to be a threat.

His first thought is to just be there as a decoy.... he's 125kg with footwork like an outside back, he should always be a threat close to the line, but never is.

 

[BroncsFan]

Burton doing all the kicking and sending them left... that will be Arthars wing rather than Oates at this stage, but I can see him wanting to test Reece as well.

If I'm Kevvie I'm not picking Mariner to return to the wing in this game, because he won't stand a chance against those kicks.

If Cobbo is fit I'd be tempted to play him left wing and Arthars right wing, with Mariner left centre... big concerns about Mariner playing right wing in this game if it happens.

Annoying thing is the dogs chase is always offside, because Burton stands deep to get his kicks off... ref called a penalty tonight, but anyone getting inside the 10m on a Burton kick is pretty much always offside

 

[Sproj]

Burton doing all the kicking and sending them left... that will be Arthars wing rather than Oates at this stage, but I can see him wanting to test Reece as well.

If I'm Kevvie I'm not picking Mariner to return to the wing in this game, because he won't stand a chance against those kicks.

If Cobbo is fit I'd be tempted to play him left wing and Arthars right wing, with Mariner left centre... big concerns about Mariner playing right wing in this game if it happens.

Annoying thing is the dogs chase is always offside, because Burton stands deep to get his kicks off... ref called a penalty tonight, but anyone getting inside the 10m on a Burton kick is pretty much always offside

Agreed and given Piaks is likely out, we can make it happen if Staggs goes second row.

 

[BroncsFan]

Agreed and given Piaks is likely out, we can make it happen if Staggs goes second row.

Not sure Kevvie will go that drastic though.

In a recent game where we were missing a second rower... maybe Panthers?? he named Willison there, but played Patty in the second row and just had Payne trying to do the ballplaying at lock.

He might just go with that again, but I don't want to see Patty playing on the edge... fucking Kobe needs to learn how to play edge.

 

[Sproj]

Not sure Kevvie will go that drastic though.

In a recent game where we were missing a second rower... maybe Panthers?? he named Willison there, but played Patty in the second row and just had Payne trying to do the ballplaying at lock.

He might just go with that again, but I don't want to see Patty playing on the edge... fucking Kobe needs to learn how to play edge.

Kobe needs to be dropped, he's been awful this year.