PRE-GAME Round 4 - Broncos vs Titans

[Wolfie]

Them why opacic in at all put another big body in like taga or mago.

What Foordy said. Tommy has come in extremely handy in the last couple of games and with Bennett liking to carry a back on the bench he is the logical choice and his defence is strong enough to cover back row as well. I'm not sure Glenn or Sua would be as effective in the backline either as Tommy would if he moved to second row. Opacic probably just offers that bit more flexibility i guess.

 

[Foordy]

Sua can cover centre. I think he needs be in the side, we need to get more experience for our future players.

Read the team list again ... Su'A is in the side

 

[Wolfie]

Su’a would be viable as emergency centre cover, and Alex Glenn at worst case scenario, so I’m not so sure we need to carry a back, unless they truly are a utility (which Opacic may be, but we haven’t seen in the forwards yet).

When you look at it, we have Bird who has admitted he is playing with a sternum injury, so he is a risk, Boyd is a risk so having a back on the bench makes sense and causes less disruption if changes need to be made.

I'm still not totally sold on it for this game tbh, but logically if we are having a back on the bench Opacic is the best choice down to where he can cover.

 

[Wolfie]

Haas would of been in my side from the start if that was the case.

Based on what? Hype?

 

[Kelleher]

Watching Sunday’s Souths norths match, I can see why Sua is favoured over Tagataese but that’s one game I suppose. But the kid looks as solid as a brick house this year and is a sure hitter in defence and was elusive too. Glenn and Sua are easily able to fill in at centre so I think it is odd with both sua and tommy on bench. but tommy is ticking boxes too. I would say sua would have to come on as lock and tommy for centre cover with Birds sternum woes

 

[pagey]

Read the team list again ... Su'A is in the side

Read my first post, lockysillegitamatechild was concerned we are to lite on the bench. He wants taga or mago in for sua , but i think sua needs to stay . Keep up foordy.

 

[Wolfie]

Watching Sunday’s Souths norths match, I can see why Sua is favoured over Tagataese but that’s one game I suppose. But the kid looks as solid as a brick house this year and is a sure hitter in defence and was elusive too. Glenn and Sua are easily able to fill in at centre so I think it is odd with both sua and tommy on bench. but tommy is ticking boxes too. I would say sua would have to come on as lock and tommy for centre cover with Birds sternum woes

I dont think Glenn is great as center. Not sure i've seen much of Sua there either, be surprised if many have on here as well. I do think though Sua needs to be a bench player for this year now, he needs game time.

 

[Foordy]

Based on what? Hype?

That's pretty much how he selects his teams ... see which players the media hype and then calls for them to be selected instantly before even seeing how they handle the ISC :P

 

[winslow_wong]

I dont think Glenn is great as center. Not sure i've seen much of Sua there either, be surprised if many have on here as well. I do think though Sua needs to be a bench player for this year now, he needs game time.

Glenn is too bulked up and slow these days to play centres. I think he filled in recently against the cowboys and got burned for pace?

 

[Accept]

That's pretty much how he selects his teams ... see which players the media hype and then calls for them to be selected instantly before even seeing how they handle the ISC :P

Kyall is just a kid though (I assume). He isn't different from anyone else his age, he is enthusiastic about the much hyped younger brigade.

 

[winslow_wong]

Kyall is just a kid though (I assume). He isn't different from anyone else his age, he is enthusiastic about the much hyped younger brigade.

Really? I actually thought he was old

 

[Number6]

I have a theory with Tagataese. Otherwise known as Taggers, or as I like to call him, Tiggy Tiggy Tutu.

I don't think he was ever intended to play first grade for us. Not because he's not good enough, actually because he is a genuine first-grader who works hard and is a team man. With everyone kissing the arses of every young talent that comes through, they need some form of grounding. Enter Tagataese. Decent first-grader who may or may not pick up a spot in the 17 this year but every week is busting his arse at training, never letting his head drop, and happily doing his job in the ISC. The fact that he is going so well in that comp by all reports just reiterates it to the young guys - a spot in the NRL side has to be earned, over time, through hard work and commitment.

I'm sure during Origin, or through injury, or for a couple of select games, Wayne will play him to show the kids that there is a reward for all the effort. But he's here as a grounding influence IMO.

Whereas Thaiday can be funny and live off past glories while playing a couple of half decent games in 3 years... take a decent first grader with a work ethic any day of the week. Also Tagataese could have got a first grade spot in a few rubbish clubs couldn’t he? NRL is still NRL even if you play in a losing team.

 

[tommy]

Whereas Thaiday can be funny and live off past glories while playing a couple of half decent games in 3 years... take a decent first grader with a work ethic any day of the week. Also Tagataese could have got a first grade spot in a few rubbish clubs couldn’t he? NRL is still NRL even if you play in a losing team.

Except he's really not that funny.

 

[Number6]

Except he's really not that funny.

Touché

 

[1910]

From what I understand he's been playing 45-50 minutes in Q Cup. Is he ready for 15-20 in the NRL?

If he does get a crack at first grade that's all he'll be getting, similar to TPJ prior to this year.

133 minutes over three games. 44 minutes a game.

The thing that has impressed me the most is his defence. He's played a game in pouring rain with Carney directing things at him, he's playing against Tui and he's played against Redcliffe three pretty big challenges.

One missed tackle in three games- 68 made. He covers ground well for a big man and reads the defence well. Mind you he doesn't have to move much to make a tackle!

 

[1910]

Carrigan 6 tackle breaks, one try (his first) and 22 tackles- 0 missed.
Flegler- 4 runs and 64m with three tackle breaks. He's a footballer- 14 tackles with one miss.
Sa'A- six missed tackles.

They were the standouts.

Guy I have noticed is Billy Gilbert the Capras hooker- leading the comp for tackles- 131 and last week six tackle breaks, 1 line break, 1 try assist, two offloads and a try. Very fast the try he scored was great vision.

Clifford I spoke about somewhere else but he is going well too for Pride. Leading point scorer, two tries, goals, 401m kicking in the wet, 1 line break and 6 tackle breaks.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Dunno if it's been said already but Wynnum Manly Seagulls are playing Norths Devils in a curtain raiser match for the Broncos vs Titans match.

 

[Super Freak]

Su'A ready to follow in Te'o footsteps as Broncos enforcer

March 29, 2018

Jaydn Su’A has been likened in style to former Brisbane Broncos enforcer Ben Te’o and Sam Thaiday insists the 20-year-old back-rower is ready to take on that role to provide match-turning plays in defence.

The Broncos have fielded a suite of back-rowers renowned for shortening up opponents over the years with Trevor Gillmeister, Tonie Carroll and Te’o three of the best.

Su’A, Auckland-born like Te’o, was a Junior Kangaroos star and so highy regarded by the Broncos that they gave him his NRL debut in 2016 at the age of 18.

He will join Thaiday in coming off the bench for Sunday night’s Telstra Premiership clash with the Gold Coast Titans.

"He has definitely got the same aggression and the ability to turn a defensive set with a big tackle like Te'o," Thaiday told NRL.com.

"You rely on the halves to come up with the fancy plays in attack but in the forwards you look for someone to come up with a special tackle or a special effort and Su’A has definitely got that in him.

"Te’o really set the standards in defence and when he led that line speed in defence and came up with a couple of big shots you knew that defensive set would be dominant and you’d give yourself the best opportunity in the next attacking set.

"Jaydn is going to learn that role and do that job for us going forward and we will be looking more to these young guys to come up with those great plays."

Su’a was suspended for a shoulder charge after the round-one loss to the St George Illawarra Dragons and Thaiday said he would learn lessons from that ban while not losing his venom in defence.

"That [aggression] is why he got suspended, along with a bit of fatigue and frustration, so his tackle technique went out the door and he went back to old habits," Thaiday said.

"He is very tough when it comes to his defence but needs to be smarter in the way he does it. Jaydn went back to Queensland Cup [in round three] and proved he was ready to come back. He is a cover-all-bases kind of player for us because he can play centres, back row and is tough enough to play in the middle."

The Broncos have changed their bench each round and it has received another reshuffle with Tevita Pangai jnr and Corey Oates injured.

"It has almost been a masterstroke having Tom Opacic on the bench the last couple of weeks where he’s had two outside backs go down in Jordan Kahu and Corey Oates," Thaiday said.

"It is not overly great chopping and changing but it gives Korbin [Sims] a chance to start and really show he is ready for that position."

Thaiday suffered a head knock in the win over the Wests Tigers but said he would be ready to go against the Titans.

He is expecting a bounce back from the Gold Coast after their 54-8 thrashing at the hands of the St George Illawarra Dragons, and in particular from former Broncos forwards Jarrod Wallace and Jai Arrow.

Source: NRL.com