Round 24 - Broncos Vs Storm - Build Up Thread

[Big Pete]

I don't think it will be that seamless & if Melbourne are smart they'd just target whatever wing he's on.

 

[Jeba]

19 actually.

I'm sure Hook has had him spending every off-season working on his game at fullback. :laugh:

Have a look at Ben Barba's form last year at fullback. He's come along a bit since then hasnt he?

My apologies about his age, got that one wrong. Point is players can improve from time to time, and we have an obvious problem with our attack at the moment so we need to try things.

 

[Big Pete]

Difference is Ben Barba has spent 2-3 years full time in that position & played his juniors there.

Norman was thrown in for a couple of games, eventually exposed and has been a five eigth up until now.

If they wanted to try things how about playing somebody who's done the job before like Gerard Beale?

 

[Bucking Beads]

Isn't J Wallace injured or coming off an injury?? That could be affecting his selection.

 

[Alec]

I don't think it will be that seamless & if Melbourne are smart they'd just target whatever wing he's on.

I think him defending in the centres, pushing Reed to the wing is that way to go.

 

[Big Pete]

Yep, you're right.

Sanderson is there but I doubt he's 100% either.

Lui shouldn't have been given a shot in the first place and Frei should have been blooded but I spose Hook made his bed.

I believe Rugby League is a tough enough game without playing Musical Chairs.

 

[vertigo]

Man I wish Hala didn't get injured, he is an impact weapon and hits it up like a beast.

 

[Bucking Beads]

McGuire got poked in the eye again. Poor bugger already can't see out of that eye. It would be such a shame if hie trouble with his eyes ended his career one day. He could be the first player to wear goggles.

 

[broncos4life]

Agreed, infact I'm looking forward to it, I would like to see our halves kicking for him at the oppositions line a fair bit given his great under the highball. I also think he will benefit more from having his inside players creating opportunities for him, his much better when given open space to utilise then trying to create opportunities for other players.

As for Norman tbh I wasn't too concerned with his defensive effort against the bulldogs, IMO what he offered in attack that we have really lacked from fullback outweighs some bad decisions in defence he made, still we need to see more of what he can offer from there before we can be totally convinced he should remain there.

I have to totally agree. I love the thought of Hoffman on the wing, I think he could be a bit like Yow Yeh there, we have really missed the type of winger JYY is this year, the type that can kill you if giving some space and has real safe hands, for mine, that is hoffman

IMO Norman needs to remain our fullback, his attack warrants keeping him there and improving his defence, look at Barba this time last year, and look at his defence now.

 

[Dexter]

I don't really see the point then.

Seriously, am I the only one who remembers Norman's stint in 2010 and 2011?

Yes, I also remember all this year and we are going nowhere fast with Hoffman at fullback. It must be so deflating for our forwards to bust a hump getting us into position to score and nothing happens.
Our whole season will change if the team feels we can score enough points to win.

 

[Big Pete]

Didn't know it was the fullback's job to playmake.

Could have sworn it was the halves.

 

[Alec]

Didn't know it was the fullback's job to playmake.

These days it pretty much is. How many fullbacks in the NRL have no ball playing ability?

 

[Jeba]

Didn't know it was the fullback's job to playmake.

Could have sworn it was the halves.

Shane Perry was a good playmaker......

 

[Big Pete]

How many teams solely rely on their fullback to playmake and where are those teams on the ladder?

Exactly.

Blaming Hoffman for our inability to score points is silly, especially when you consider how poor our halves have been for the majority of the season.

Jeba - Yep and Darren Lockyer was total dogs**t right?

 

[Jeba]

You are getting angry Pete.

Peter Wallace is not the best playmaking halfback in the League. He is far from it. He is closer to being Shane Perry than Andrew Johns. He needs more support from his 1 and 6, like Perry got with Hodges/Hunt and Lockyer.

Not putting the blame on Hoffman at all, but I just think we need a different type of fullback right now, and especially when Hoffman's qualities can still be put to great use on the wing or in the centres (or in defence at fullback).

 

[Old Mate]

Yeah but the make up of our side needs a ball playing fullback, rightly or wrongly we're better off with Norman there in attack as the Hoff doesn't cut it. Unfortunate for him our halves are struggling but they are.

 

[Old Mate]

You are getting angry Pete.

Peter Wallace is not the best playmaking halfback in the League. He is far from it. He is closer to being Shane Perry than Andrew Johns. He needs more support from his 1 and 6, like Perry got with Hodges/Hunt and Lockyer.

Not putting the blame on Hoffman at all, but I just think we need a different type of fullback right now, and especially when Hoffman's qualities can still be put to great use on the wing or in the centres (or in defence at fullback).

100% agreed.

 

[Big Pete]

Hoffman isn't the source of our attacking woes though. This idea that our ineptitude inside the opposition is his fault is clearly wrong. Hoffman is lucky to get his hands on the ball twice a game in that field position when his halves are continuously taking one out hit-ups, throwing forward passes or kicking it into the opposition's leg. That's what I take umbridge with, Dexter's post.

Why not have the best of both worlds and go with Beale? It doesn't seem like rocket science.

The fact we're comparing Perry to Wallace is plain sad really. Perry was a depth player who could hold up his end defensively & had a surprisingly effective long distance kicking game in his first year. Wallace is a marquee player who has been in some of the worst form I've seen from a halfback. Put it this way, when Alfie played this bad, he left the club.

He should have been demoted a few weeks ago, Hunt & Norman should be given an opportunity if only as a move to rid this side of it's complacency.