Round 3 - Broncos vs Roosters - Pre-Match Discussion

[Dexter]

Hunt will have to get a lot better real quick, he will be under a lot of pressure from the roosters defence. I expect to see Macca kicking from half a bit more next week especially early.

 

[Cult]

I think we'll need to kick early to get pressure off Hunt on the last tackle.

 

[Dexter]

Yeah that might happen, but I meant early during the game. We were put under a lot of pressure on Friday in the second half coming off our line.

We went back to dummy half and one off runs and were kicking on the 30m line which is rubbish even with a long kick in the side but compounded with the pop gun boot of Hunt.

We won't defend the Roosters as easily if we give them as much field position .

 

[Broncoman]

I can't remember if it was Kearney or Stuart that signed Lussick. They obviously thought that he'd follow the path of JWH, they're both ex-Manly grub props with short fuses. $400k. A year. Oh dear.

It was Kearney who signed him in June 2012 to be exact

 

[Huge]

I expect we will get beaten by around 24 points. As well I anticipate we will serve up the exact same thing as we have in the past two games. It will be basic and predictable and it will be easily handled. I'm not unhappy with us playing that way for the first twenty or so minutes but then we need to chance our arm. Get some depth in the back line and swing the play right and left, get those big rooster forwards moving side to side. We have a chance if we can get Hoffman running the ball with the intention of swinging it out wider but we need someone coming from behind cutting back inside. If Barba is fit enough, he would do nicely.

Where we cannot beat them is through the middle, they simply have too much strength. What we need to do is at least match them there for a while. If we try to play very basic football we will get towelled up.

 

[coreyh88]

i take back my earlier statement about giving bhq a break. macca needs to get creative around the ruck next game. having granville in the side will be good but i still want macca playing 80 that way the hooker can run without worrying about losing our structure. one hooker can move to 6 while the other is at 9. people have been a bit harsh on hunt (the kicking game is fair he deserves criticism for that). it is clear our only play is the 2nd man play. we have no legitimate runners coming off of hunt on the 2nd man play. there is literally nothing he can do in this situation. people are saying he is good on the short side. while not explicitly incorrect they're missing the point. hunt is good at 2nd receiver rather than a first reciever whose only option is pass to hoffman. hunt excels at having a 2rf or two a centre possibly a fullback and a winger as options. this is the role he played last year and he always picked the correct option and either made or break or created one. this year at 1st receiver his only options are pass to hoffman and occasionally barba. not much to work with.

people should be criticising hooks structure in attack and the fact that we only have 1 play. rather than a playmaker who is given one play to work with.

 

[Manifesto]

People should be criticising hooks structure in attack and the fact that we only have 1 play. Rather than a playmaker who is given one play to work with.

I loved our set play that led to the Gillett try - the inside ball to an angled runner. Pretty sure we used it another time in the game as well to good effect. Don't remember seeing anything like that last season, so it is great to see a new play that Hook/coaching staff and players have put into practice. If we keep it up, that will be at least 2 set plays then :)

 

[Brett]

I hope the men in charge really study the Roosters play from last night. In the opposition's 20 meters, 90% of the time it's a short ball from Pearce to Aubison or Cordner, isolating the opposition #6 or #7. Their sweep play out to Kenny-Dowall seems easy enough to defend, but Hoffman and Hunt will need to be on their games defensively. The inside men, Thaiday and Glenn on each side respectively, will also need to be highly aware of this and not let Hunt, particularly, get 1 on 1 with Cordner.

We're gonna really need to muscle up too. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is a beast up the middle and we really need to take it to him from the kick off.

There's no reason we can't match them in all other aspects of the game. If we can shut down their middle and their edges, their game will have to rely on Pearce and Maloney. Those 2 guys in isolation, are not great players.

Really looking forward to see how we stack up.

Edit: Agree 100% with coreyh. Hunt should be 5/8, IMO. And by that I mean, playing a wider second receiver. The last 3 or so games of least year he played this role off Scott Prince and often took the line on and had options out wide with Hodges and Oates. This year he'd have Copley, Reed, Vidot, Maranta. We've already seen what he can do with an off the cuff play for Copley - he did the same last year with Oates - put him and Hodges into space plenty of times.

We really need a natural #7. I still maintain Hunt is a #6. He plays better wider, with more space. Bring in someone who can just stand and deliver the ball to Hunt. That person needs organisation skills though. There's way too much pressure on Hunt on the 5th tackle. You go back and watch the game against the Cows, there's at least 3 defenders, sometimes 4, running straight at Hunt on the last every time.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Not having McGuire will be a big blow but it should mean we see more of Kennedy on the field. I'd like to see Kennedy run a bit harder TBH. He should make more metres on his hit ups IMO.

 

[Fozz]

If McGuire is suspended, and even if he isn't, then Kennedy should start so we can combat JWH.

 

[Brett]

McGuire will get 2 weeks most likely.

In the press conference after the Cows game, Hook intimated that Macca would be getting a rest in the next few weeks while they try something new to keep him fresh. That to me means they'll bring in Granville to give Macca a rest, or possibly shift him a bit wider to #6, or a more natural #7 and push Hunt wider.

This is the team I expect to see this week...

1. Barba
2. Vidot
3. Reed
4. Copley
5. Maranta
6. Hoffman
7. Hunt

8. Kennedy
9. Macca
10. Parker
11. Glenn
12. Thaiday
13. Gillett

14. Granville
15. Hannant
16. Wallace
17. Hala (???)

 

[animal eater]

Did you see the lines that the back rowers for the Roosters ran last night. Something to learn from for the Broncos. They are straight and decisive, kind of like the line that Gillette ran to score on Friday. Point being this step left, step right and run straight through the middle doesn't march a team down the field effectively.

 

[Morkel]

Did you see the lines that the back rowers for the Roosters ran last night. Something to learn from for the Broncos. They are straight and decisive, kind of like the line that Gillette ran to score on Friday. Point being this step left, step right and run straight through the middle doesn't march a team down the field effectively.

Yeah but those lines mean nothing against a competent defensive line. Once they got Parra on the back foot their defence was easy pickings. That'll happen to any side once defensive confidence is gone. It's like when people say give the ball to Copley more. The reason he's been effective is he's gotten the ball at the right time, when the defence has been stretched or broken. The only player that can make something out of nothing at will is Hodges.

 

[Unbreakable]

17. Lowrie

Fixed.

 

[Super Freak]

I don't think we will see Granville playing in the NRL any time soon. I said to a mate at the start of the year that Granville will more than likely not have a place in the side except during Origin & injuries.

Here's what I think the 17 will be this week.

1. Barba
2. Vidot
3. Reed
4. Copley
5. Maranta
6. Hoffman
7. Hunt
8. Kennedy
9. McCullough
10. Parker
11. Glenn
12. Thaiday
13. Gillett

14. Hannant
15. Lowrie
16. Wallace
17. Hala

I think Copley and Maranta should work more on their ability under the high ball, because they will have to deal with Tupou. We've all seen what he is like under the high ball, makes Folau look like an amateur.

If McGuire doesn't get suspended, then obviously the side will be the same as it's been for the last couple of weeks.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I wouldn't be against getting one of the under 20's big forwards off the bench. They probably won't get much if any game time but it could be a good experience. Maybe Francis Molo or Joe Ofahengaue

 

[Rhys van Beurden]

Twopoo is on Maranta's side right? Will be interesting to see those two against each other. Defensively, Maranta is bloody solid under the high ball, and obviously Twopoo is great at plucking it out of the air himself.

 

[Super Freak]

Twopoo is on Maranta's side right? Will be interesting to see those two against each other. Defensively, Maranta is bloody solid under the high ball, and obviously Twopoo is great at plucking it out of the air himself.

Lol.

Right. Topou is on Maranta's side, and RTS is one Vidot's side.

I have noticed RTS chiming in at fullback throughout the game. Perhaps grooming him for when Minichiello retires.

Should be interesting.