PRE-GAME Round 23 - Broncos vs Rabbitohs

[KnToad]

Moving Milford would just be insane at this point. Give O'Sullivan the keys to the car and trust him and Milf at Fullback to get us around the park. O'Sullivan's kicking game is already better than Turpin's so if anything we should have less reason to move Milford now than we did before.

This...
I don't know what I am missing. Why isn't SOS a given to come back into the halves?

A few weeks ago when Deardon was injured SOS came in and I thought he looked really promising in his short time in the halves. He ran with purpose and looked like he was up for it.

Then the curse hit and he was also injured..

If he hadn't been injured would he still be there?
Surely he has to be the next obvious choice given our complete lack of options?

Why muck with the Isaako/Staggs combo when they have been outstanding the last few weeks (melbourne excepted of course)?

While I am still unsure about Milf's best spot I don't think now is the time to put him back in the halves where he will have to carry Boyd. This will just upset the team balance all over again just when they are starting to look ok.

Just put SOS in 7 and get on with it

 

[Gaz]

Ouch!

 

[Kooly87]

Moving milf in the first point was insane.

On what basis could you possibly argue that?

 

[Jedhead]

This...
I don't know what I am missing. Why isn't SOS a given to come back into the halves?

A few weeks ago when Deardon was injured SOS came in and I thought he looked really promising in his short time in the halves. He ran with purpose and looked like he was up for it.

Then the curse hit and he was also injured..

If he hadn't been injured would he still be there?
Surely he has to be the next obvious choice given our complete lack of options?

Why muck with the Isaako/Staggs combo when they have been outstanding the last few weeks (melbourne excepted of course)?

While I am still unsure about Milf's best spot I don't think now is the time to put him back in the halves where he will have to carry Boyd. This will just upset the team balance all over again just when they are starting to look ok.

Just put SOS in 7 and get on with it

Is there perhaps some sort of financial incentive that SOS gets if he plays a certain number of first grade games and we're not wishing to risk our salary cap? Ican't think of any other reason as to why we would not be rushing him back into the halves this weekend.

 

[broncsgoat]

On what basis could you possibly argue that?

He has been largely ineffective, running fewer meters than required and having less of an impact than he should be. He is also suspect under the high ball.

I'm a massive milf fan but don't get the hype around him being at the back. People will say this is agenda driven against seibold but I have been having this argument for years with mates saying he should be a fullback. It's as clear as ever to me that he's a 6.

 

[Kyall]

I’m really hating our left side atm Boyd is done and out of position. Shibasaki has no attacking skills at all and Oates is out of form.

 

[Dazza 92]

I’m really hating our left side atm Boyd is done and out of position. Shibasaki has no attacking skills at all and Oates is out of form.

...yes...the right side is where its at....Isaakos first try last game was that simply stunning right side sweeping set play...worked beautifully.....id keep going there....TPJ was a decoy, whoever replaces him can simply do the same.....

We are desperate for ore variety in attack...id like to see us pull this move out at least once or twice against Souths...

 

[Foordy]

On what basis could you possibly argue that?

The basis that Seibs made the decision instead of Bennett

 

[Kimlo]

Honestly, I've enjoyed seeing Milf in the 1 jersey but with every passing game I'm starting to agree more with @Unbreakable that he does not have a future in the 1. Seriously, his run metres are borderline terrible.

Let me list some stats below:

Milford - Last 6 rounds
RD 22: 10 runs 69m
RD 21: 13 runs 77m
RD 20: 11 runs 78m
RD 19: 19 runs 203m
RD 18: 9 runs 67m
RD 17: 19 runs 219m

Average: 13.5 runs for 118m

Boyd - Last 6 rounds
RD 16: 17 runs 154m
RD 13: 10 runs 78m
RD 12: 7 runs 55m
RD 11: 15 runs 107m
RD 10: 7 runs 73m
RD 9: 10 runs 73m

Average: 11 runs for 90m


What is he really doing at fullback that Boyd wasn't doing? Saving the odd try? If that's his only benefit over Boyd then it's kind of pointless. The fullback needs to be a running threat to be an effective team. Not only that, by having him at fullback it's harder for him to be in position to be our first choice kicker. Milford has actually become one of the best kickers of the ball in the last year or two IMO, so we lose by FAR our best kicking option, gain not very much in attack but we might save the odd try in defence that Boyd isn't fast enough to get to.

Is that worth it? We lose IMO, the best 5/8 in the game to get, IMO, a pretty fucking average, if not bottom tier fullback. Better than Boyd, sure, but not by much.

Maybe his body just isn't right and he needs an off season to get in shape for it but I'm not convinced.

 

[PNG Broncos fan88]

I’m really hating our left side atm Boyd is done and out of position. Shibasaki has no attacking skills at all and Oates is out of form.

Oates used to get me on the edge of my seat every run, now he is just a non event. Fatherhood has changed the man but will we see him back? Maybe a week in Q cup could wake him up. Farnworth and Perese are seriously top grade options over him and Shibasaki.

 

[Super Freak]

Believe it or not, Oates is suffering from not having Boyd at fullback.

Go through Oates' tries in the past few years, look at how many are from a Boyd pass. For whatever reason, Milford just hasn't been able to use that left side all that well. Not as well as Boyd does. Whether or not he has the ability to do so remains to be seen but honestly I would not mind Boyd moving back to fullback for that reason.

 

[PNG Broncos fan88]

Locky was talking about Milf to 7 and Isaako to 1.

Cant for the life of me believe that Locky still justifying Boyd remain in the halves with Milf returning instead of just slotting in SOS.
Darius made a fool last start against Souths, FFS can we just omit him altogether just in case!

 

[Dazza 92]

Believe it or not, Oates is suffering from not having Boyd at fullback.

Go through Oates' tries in the past few years, look at how many are from a Boyd pass. For whatever reason, Milford just hasn't been able to use that left side all that well. Not as well as Boyd does. Whether or not he has the ability to do so remains to be seen but honestly I would not mind Boyd moving back to fullback for that reason.

that's a good point.....watching JPD utterly ruin setting up Oates for a try after Isaakos break into the backfield in the second half.....

 

[tommy]

Milf will be great at the back once we get some proper spine members and he doesn't have to do 2-3 players jobs for them. I'd leave the decision up to him to choose where he wants to play- I think he's earned that much. If he wants to be 5\8 put him there, if he'd prefer to be at the back then that is where he should stay. Personally, I'd prefer the 2015 running milf back. He scored and setup some amazing tries that year before he was given the organizing responsibilities. Same at Canberra in '14.

 

[Viti]

Honestly, I've enjoyed seeing Milf in the 1 jersey but with every passing game I'm starting to agree more with @Unbreakable that he does not have a future in the 1. Seriously, his run metres are borderline terrible.

Let me list some stats below:

Milford - Last 6 rounds
RD 22: 10 runs 69m
RD 21: 13 runs 77m
RD 20: 11 runs 78m
RD 19: 19 runs 203m
RD 18: 9 runs 67m
RD 17: 19 runs 219m

Average: 13.5 runs for 118m

Boyd - Last 6 rounds
RD 16: 17 runs 154m
RD 13: 10 runs 78m
RD 12: 7 runs 55m
RD 11: 15 runs 107m
RD 10: 7 runs 73m
RD 9: 10 runs 73m

Average: 11 runs for 90m


What is he really doing at fullback that Boyd wasn't doing? Saving the odd try? If that's his only benefit over Boyd then it's kind of pointless. The fullback needs to be a running threat to be an effective team. Not only that, by having him at fullback it's harder for him to be in position to be our first choice kicker. Milford has actually become one of the best kickers of the ball in the last year or two IMO, so we lose by FAR our best kicking option, gain not very much in attack but we might save the odd try in defence that Boyd isn't fast enough to get to.

Is that worth it? We lose IMO, the best 5/8 in the game to get, IMO, a pretty fucking average, if not bottom tier fullback. Better than Boyd, sure, but not by much.

Maybe his body just isn't right and he needs an off season to get in shape for it but I'm not convinced.

I'd like to see how he would go running behind a halves pairing who were actually willing to take on the line. For me, this all comes back to the fact that someone somewhere thinks we must have Boyd in the team so we may as well hide him in the front line.

 

[Kimlo]

I'd like to see how he would go running behind a halves pairing who were actually willing to take on the line. For me, this all comes back to the fact that someone somewhere thinks we must have Boyd in the team so we may as well hide him in the front line.

Yeah fair point but he is also our best half, so it complicates things a lot.

If we had a good, heck, serviceable halves pairing, I probably wouldn't be against it. Dearden gone for the year, SOS seems to have fallen out of favour. I'll see what team is named tomorrow, I'm fully expecting Milford to return to the halves this week and next.

 

[broncsgoat]

The basis that Seibs made the decision instead of Bennett

I've given my argument why I believe he's not a 1. If you could argue your point in the affirmative without using the phrase 'he looks happier' that would be great.

 

[Socnorb]

Rugby league isn't popular world wide but comparing afl to rugby league on the world stage is like comparing rugby league to soccer. Afl has a sport similar being played in Ireland... So?

I wasnt bagging supporters like yourself, simply pointing out why I don't like it and that a lot of people don't... But again, the true arrogance/ignorance of afl fans shines through "how could you not like it?!"...ALOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT AND NEVER WILL. Its been getting rammed down our throats for years in the media and still isn't the top sport in Nsw, QLD or act (which makes up more than half the australian population). BTW, league is also popular in PNG (population 8 million) and growing in the Pacific, has actual proper Leagues in dozens of countries (not 25 ex pat aussie getting together like the afl claims is a footprint in a country), and if its a joke that league is behind Union in those countries then what does that make afl? Lol

Rants are good, get into it! Haha

Am I right in assuming that you've never played AFL?