Round 4 - Dragons v Broncos - Post Match Discussion

[Mt Smart]

Very good post @Mt Smart .

Agreed with most of what you said, and I hate to do this, but permit me a spelling Nazi remark that just annoys me... It's Barba, not Barber!

Keep up the good work mate, love reading your posts!

P.S. The stats on nrlstats will get corrected after review. Let's see how it looks then...

I got no excuses for the Miss spell either , in that post I spelt it both ways lol

Cheers for the heads up re the stats.

 

[coreyh88]

1. barba his play making and speed are great comparable to hodges his running game has been horrible though hopefully this improves quickly.

2. vidot. he has been great and showed the same strengths as previous games but he has looked shaky under the high ball every game. which is strange because he used to be great.

3. reed. has all been said already

4. copley. another great game. i always knew he was a star in the making.

5. maranta. nothing different to the previous games this year. his skills under the high ball are invaluable.

6. help me decide which winger he replaces. if vidot improves his catching it will be a non contest though.

7. his game is really consolidating. by the end of the year and with a different halves partner he might be able to get us to the grand final.

8. moose was really solid. nothing spectacular but good.

9. macca. probably the best performance by a hooker this year.

10. has any one noticed how many times parker has played at first receiver. means he makes slightly less runs but their all quality and his offloading may have even improved.

11. glenn. good.

12. thaiday. amazing, would be motm if gillett and macca weren't amazinger

13. what words can be used.



14. oates hopefully gets decent minutes next game. i dont mind in what position.

15. kennedy. people are underestimating what he offers. his runs are faaaarrr from damaging. but he offers quick play the balls and he DOMINATES the ruck in defence. can stop the attacker from moving an inch when on the ground and due to this gets to hold them down forever.

16. hala should replace wallace

 

[I bleed Maroon]

When an injured Barba is scaring the shit out of defensive lines while also copping the loudest boos from an opposition fanbase he never even played for, that's the sort of stuff that confirms you're a superstar.

Same goes for Parker. What a champion. He will go down as one of the greatest lock forwards to ever play the game, I reckon. We have produced so many quality forwards, it's frightening.

Very happy with the win. Vidot's bombed try bummed me out but he rebounded and gave us some solid kick returns to make up for it. Hunt was solid, Hoffman was meh, MCG and McC were massive for us. Copley is another outside back who is the makings of a superstar. Reed is bung average right now. Piss him off to QLD Cup to tone up his game and get Oates into the starting side.

With Milf coming next year, we're in a very good place.

 

[bb_gun]

Question: Do we still play Kahu in the 6 when he returns from injury? If yes, who drops off the wing to accommodate Hoffman? If no, do we put Kahu on the wing or leave him out entirely?

Another question, when Hodges returns he has to replace Reed right? Surely Copely has earned his spot.

 

[Cult]

Question: Do we still play Kahu in the 6 when he returns from injury? If yes, who drops off the wing to accommodate Hoffman? If no, do we put Kahu on the wing or leave him out entirely?

Another question, when Hodges returns he has to replace Reed right? Surely Copely has earned his spot.

I think he has a stint playing five-eight in QCup first. Unless something dramatic happens with Hoffman between now and Kahus return.

 

[Foordy]

Question: Do we still play Kahu in the 6 when he returns from injury? If yes, who drops off the wing to accommodate Hoffman? If no, do we put Kahu on the wing or leave him out entirely?

Another question, when Hodges returns he has to replace Reed right? Surely Copely has earned his spot.

If Kahu does go to 6 when he returns then i would drop Reed (at least to the bench) as he has been the worst performing of our 3/4 line. with Hoffman at center

 

[I bleed Maroon]

If we Kahu does go to 6 when he returns then i would drop Reed (at least to the bench) as he has been the worst performing of our 3/4 line. with Hoffman at center

I wouldn't even drop Reed to the bench. Drop him out of the squad completely. He has done nothing to earn the right to knock Hala or Wallace back to QLD Cup.

 

[bb_gun]

I wouldn't even drop Reed to the bench. Drop him out of the squad completely. He has done nothing to earn the right to knock Hala or Wallace back to QLD Cup.

Although he has been the worst of our outside backs he did come up with two amazing plays tonight, an offload which should have been a try and a grubber into the in-goal which forced a line drop-out and changed the momentum of the game. His defence has seemingly gone downhill this season as well but I still feel like he has a place in the team.

I really don't know TBH, it's a tricky one but I'm glad we have these kind of dilemmas, at least if we have injuries this year we won't be seeing Glenn or Stagg in the centres ;)

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Although he has been the worst of our outside backs he did come up with two amazing plays tonight, an offload which should have been a try and a grubber into the in-goal which forced a line drop-out and changed the momentum of the game. His defence has seemingly gone downhill this season as well but I still feel like he has a place in the team.

I really don't know TBH, it's a tricky one but I'm glad we have these kind of dilemmas, at least if we have injuries this year we won't be seeing Glenn or Stagg in the centres ;)

I really doubt we'll be seeing Stagg back at all, at this rate. We really don't have a place in the squad for him. An early release/retirement might be on the cards.

 

[bb_gun]

Extended highlights.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Extended highlights.

Yep, that Nightengale try is a disgrace.

 

[broncos4life]

People go on about how even the NRL is every year.

This year it applies more than ever if you look at teams from the bottom of last years comp and what is actually playing out.

The Dragons are a classic case and point , in Widdop they have a completely different feel. Their defensive record from their last two games is why they were at the top of the table going into round four.

They conceded 12 points per game in their last two outings ( against poor opposition Warriors / Sharks..still you can only play what is in front of you ).

I think they would have backed themselves at home to keep the Bronco's to a low score with a fairly simple and committed game plan.

Their video analysis of the Broncos would have had them feeling fairly confident that they could predict the majority of the Brisbane attack to be somewhat stilted and run off very simple plays, keeping Barber out of the game and matching it with the Forwards would have been their priority.

This year, apart from Barber and big forward efforts , the Broncos game has looked tradesman and a bit pedestrian in the early rounds (that's as close as I would go to criticism / I can't call out individual players I don't have the knowledge of this team that other people have ).

The Broncos did a number on the Dragons. Fast To seize the lead , add to that Try's off structured well executed plays ( sure there was Vidot's dropped ball but you should also be looking at how there is a change being able to put Vidot in that position in the first place ).

I don't think the Dragons were expecting the attack the Broncos threw at them , they kept getting caught off guard by quick play the balls ( something the Dragons have been really good at with their speedy light weight forwards and Nightingale / Morris dummy half running under the new rules ).

Smaller forward packs are going well under the new rules , the gap has ( early days ) seemed to close between the monster specialist Prop teams and the more tenacious Second row / prop utility like forwards.

The Broncs were pipped at the post last week , and I can understand sometimes when you go close but lose to the premiers , people expect an easy game against the Dragons.....their three quarter line running off Widdops vision is class , people will miss read them or get caught out by the speed they are running their ruck and secound man plays at.

When the Dragons got their tails up in the secound half, and there were a few lapses.....your fear in those phases of games is that your team can't wrestle momentum back...or they are being sapped out of the contest at that point.

The Broncos struck back with Try's....it's a good day when Ben Barba is half a step off the pace and the team is still going blow for blow scoring without him.

Balanced effort I thought , more positives than negatives , some issues on the left edge in D , you'll get that. So far the season is being won by the tackling. Tonight Try scoring / potential for genuine strike power looks promising....who would have thought that with the halves situation.

Edge defence can be worked out You're playing new combinations, it's helpful if the coaching staff don't have to worry about plugging holes in the middle or mucking around with trying to get the mindset right ( the Bronco's commitment to defence this year is raising a few eyebrows..it's been great to watch all of those held up / stopped on the line tackles ).....the issue looks like a ' time together ' problem ( making good reads / that needs time / communication ). Commitment is fine.

I'm enjoying it. I haven't had to pay my dues going through the rough past....haven't got the scars to prove it.
3/4 is a very strong start for this year.

Great points.

I know I have said it before but god damn I love reading your posts.

 

[broncos4life]

Tonight, Vidot was slapping at the ball, watching it, not contesting it. Or are my glasses out of date? Sure, his running game is superb, but he really worriedm me in the air tonight.

Hoffman did nothing. Sorry. N O T H I N G.

He rarely breaks the line and seldom looks to pass, and more seldom, creates an option and passes the fucking ball. We are playing really well with one half. Imagine if we had Widdop at 5/8. Broncos 56 - Dragons 20

Yeah widdop at 5/8 would be great, but his 700k salary that would rule out Milford wouldn't be

 

[rnabokov]

Yeah widdop at 5/8 would be great, but his 700k salary that would rule out Milford wouldn't be

Of course I take your point, but my point was more that if we had a creative 5/8: Widdop, Milford, Foran just to name a few, we would have put on another 20 points at least on the Dragoons.

I will say it again, we are playing with one half and doing really well until we come up against very good defence (like the Roosters) and then our lack of point scoring becomes so apparent.

Imagine one of those 5/8's I mentioned above v Roosters? We would have won. Yes, we did really well, yes, Hoffman did a few good things but it was nowhere near enough.

Last night, for mine, Hoffman created nothing. We are crippled in a way, and it will show big time when we meet the top defensive units, oh, and more so when Gillett is off the field as last night showed. When he went off, the right hand side's spark in attack died. To me, it was as obvious as a slap in the face. It exposed our weakness - playing with one half.

 

[noisetheory]

i saw that nightingale try as a double movement as it happened live. i couldnt believe they didnt even check it. that was right after they called barba for a knock on when he clearly scooped the bomb backwards with a defender in his face so i was pretty mad at that point haha.

Macca was outstanding last night. his game was all class. he's really stepping up to the plate.

Thaiday again superb. Gillett had a really good game.

hunt is gaining confidence on the ball and looking more threatening each time he touches it.

hoffman was solid. there was really nothing on out wide last night when he chose to run it. his kicking game was pretty good.

hopefully barba finds full fitness and confidence soon. not saying he's been bad, his timing in the backline is class, would just love to see some running game and breaks in broken play

Since not many others mention him i thought jarrod wallace went pretty well in his time on the field.

 

[Mister Wright]

Anyone wondering what Cameron Smith would look like in a Broncos jersey got to see it last night. Great game from McCullough.

 

[broncos4life]

Of course I take your point, but my point was more that if we had a creative 5/8: Widdop, Milford, Foran just to name a few, we would have put on another 20 points at least on the Dragoons.

I will say it again, we are playing with one half and doing really well until we come up against very good defence (like the Roosters) and then our lack of point scoring becomes so apparent.

Imagine one of those 5/8's I mentioned above v Roosters? We would have won. Yes, we did really well, yes, Hoffman did a few good things but it was nowhere near enough.

Last night, for mine, Hoffman created nothing. We are crippled in a way, and it will show big time when we meet the top defensive units, oh, and more so when Gillett is off the field as last night showed. When he went off, the right hand side's spark in attack died. To me, it was as obvious as a slap in the face. It exposed our weakness - playing with one half.

Yeah I get what your saying now. Very good points and I agree totally

 

[animal eater]

Vidot needs to be taught how to catch the ball. He is a liability against teams with good kicks to their wingers.

Hoffman is crippling our attacking potential which, this year, is looking seriously good. For mine, he did nothing. Zip. He is a running centre choking our middle, restricting our options. Sorry, I am not warming to him at all.

The defence out wide is still a real worry.

Oates. He ought to replace Reed.

Wallace was great. Kennedy is wasted space.

Thaiday and Parker - so good. they are running with so much more determination than ever before, and, they are passing/offloading. They are so important to this side. They are instrumental in a great positive shift in our forward momentum this year which is so refreshing to see.

Gillett. Outstanding. When he went off, our right hand side went to pieces, especially in the 1st half.

Macca was excellent.

Barba needs time to get his ankle right, and we need to use him not wait and hope he will put a rabbit out of the hat. This is one area where we are stifled. Hoffman and Barba, Hunt and Barba, these ought to be set plays. What a waste. Need to look at Cronk-Slater a lot.

Bingo! No need for me to give thoughts because you already summed them up.