PRE-GAME Round 4 - Storm vs Broncos

[Xzei]

Would have went for kennedy over Flegler but is about what i expected

 

[BroncsFan]

Dont mind the squad although I worry about Haas and Lodge's fitness (game fitness rather than training fitness).

I'd want our best defensive middles on the park to start the game... Note I have no idea who that might be as we struggle to control the ruck at any point in the game.

Whoever is starting need to weather the first 20-30 mins until the storm start their HIA shenanigans and the bench are out on the field.

Their bench is weak as **** compared to ours, but that wont matter if we're down by 20 by the time they come on the field.

I dont mind TPJ on the bench... he has 3 stints a match currently so he'll likely be first on at the 20min mark (probably for Lodge) and play through to halftime... will be mostly playing against their bench forwards.

I hope to see Asiata at the 30min mark for Carrigan or Haas (although I think both should be off at that point).

That bench is absolutely stacked and provided there's no injuries we should have fresh middles running the whole game.

 

[Huge]

Dont mind the squad although I worry about Haas and Lodge's fitness (game fitness rather than training fitness).

I'd want our best defensive middles on the park to start the game... Note I have no idea who that might be as we struggle to control the ruck at any point in the game.

Whoever is starting need to weather the first 20-30 mins until the storm start their HIA shenanigans and the bench are out on the field.

Their bench is weak as **** compared to ours, but that wont matter if we're down by 20 by the time they come on the field.

I dont mind TPJ on the bench... he has 3 stints a match currently so he'll likely be first on at the 20min mark (probably for Lodge) and play through to halftime... will be mostly playing against their bench forwards.

I hope to see Asiata at the 30min mark for Carrigan or Haas (although I think both should be off at that point).

That bench is absolutely stacked and provided there's no injuries we should have fresh middles running the whole game.

Tend to agree on your prediction. I'd definitely like to see both Haas and Lodge off after 15-20 as neither are really good defenders. Great go forward especially from Haas and if he's motivated and knows he's not playing 80 we could see a great result from him. Lodge has me worried and I simply have to trust the coaches really ensured he's 100% right.

Our bench does look good and I've dropped a bundle on the Broncos this time. Mind you I mean with 18.5 start and 20.5 start and I'm really hoping we stay with them and keep it close.

 

[Jedhead]

When?

...do as the Romans do. Don't tell me you've never heard it.

 

[Matheos]

It would be very easy to look at the opponent and betting odds and fall into a trap of playing slow, ugly football to try and keep the score close. This is a massive test for Kevvie. I truly believe the win or loss here is irrelevant. I want to see him stick with the gameplan and style of play that he is trying to implement. We should look at it as a way to learn and build off rather than trying to change our approach because we're scared of a damaging loss. The boys are coming into it with confidence and off a huge high. I just hope he has managed to settle and compose them this week. Our squad is young and for many that was their first win. Just hope they don't lose any intensity and effort. Hopefully the lockdown has helped curb any likely partying that may have occurred otherwise.

 

[McHunt]

Alex Glenn (current captain):

“I have never been in a situation where I have gone to another club, but it‘s a huge opportunity for Brodie to prove his worth to Melbourne and why they shouldn’t have let him go. Crofty has been critiquing his game all off-season."

“The battle of our halves has been one of the most spoken positions in our team. When you come up against a quality team, it‘s a great opportunity to showcase the skills you have and what you can do in first grade and this is another opportunity for Brodie Croft. He will step up to the occasion for sure.”

“It‘s a huge asset for us having Haas and Lodge back. Those two boys trained well. ‘Lodgey’ looks unscathed. He wasn’t lacking confidence at training, he was opening up with his hamstring so it’s good to have those boys back."

“We are under some strict quarantine rules. Everyone is their own room, we are all isolated. There are a lot of things uncertain about how the week will pan out but we are dealing with it as best we can.”

McHunt

 

[Nashy]

Alex Glenn (current captain):

“I have never been in a situation where I have gone to another club, but it‘s a huge opportunity for Brodie to prove his worth to Melbourne and why they shouldn’t have let him go. Crofty has been critiquing his game all off-season."

“The battle of our halves has been one of the most spoken positions in our team. When you come up against a quality team, it‘s a great opportunity to showcase the skills you have and what you can do in first grade and this is another opportunity for Brodie Croft. He will step up to the occasion for sure.”

“It‘s a huge asset for us having Haas and Lodge back. Those two boys trained well. ‘Lodgey’ looks unscathed. He wasn’t lacking confidence at training, he was opening up with his hamstring so it’s good to have those boys back."

“We are under some strict quarantine rules. Everyone is their own room, we are all isolated. There are a lot of things uncertain about how the week will pan out but we are dealing with it as best we can.”

McHunt

Yeah that's real nice, but Dearden is better.

 

[JungleBoogie]

TPJ should be starting on the edge ... Kev picking like a junior footy team coach.

Croft should be gone even though not that high on Dearden.

Will be interesting to see if Haas has got any better at how he starts his runs and his defence.

 

[Foordy]

TPJ should be starting on the edge ... Kev picking like a junior footy team coach.

Croft should be gone even though not that high on Dearden.

Will be interesting to see if Haas has got any better at how he starts his runs and his defence.

TPJ will be an absolute weapon off the bench

 

[Foordy]

theres talk this game could be played in Sydney instead ... could be better for us than playing at AAMI Park

 

[Super Freak]

Croft probably didn't throw hospital pass after hospital pass, it doesn't really matter because that's not his biggest problem.

His biggest problem is most of our attacking weapons are on that right edge but he struggles creating opportunities for them. He's not very good at using our right edge.

He tries hard, but who cares?

 

[theshed]

Croft probably didn't throw hospital pass after hospital pass, it doesn't really matter because that's not his biggest problem.

His biggest problem is most of our attacking weapons are on that right edge but he struggles creating opportunities for them. He's not very good at using our right edge.

He tries hard, but who cares?

I think that’s what people are saying when they say hospital passes. Not the text book example of throwing a pass for someone to get immediately slammed, though he did do that. I think people are referring to exactly what you said, Croft’s passes were ineffective at creating space for his outside men, he would throw passes that the defence had already prepared for. That being said, there may be other variables at play that weren’t immediately obvious to me, such as bad shapes or bad service from hooker, Riki running bad lines, Isaako not causing doubt in the defence, etc I’m not sure.

 

[McHunt]

Croft probably didn't throw hospital pass after hospital pass, it doesn't really matter because that's not his biggest problem.

His biggest problem is most of our attacking weapons are on that right edge but he struggles creating opportunities for them. He's not very good at using our right edge.

He tries hard, but who cares?

I think that’s what people are saying when they say hospital passes. Not the text book example of throwing a pass for someone to get immediately slammed, though he did do that. I think people are referring to exactly what you said, Croft’s passes were ineffective at creating space for his outside men, he would throw passes that the defence had already prepared for. That being said, there may be other variables at play that weren’t immediately obvious to me, such as bad shapes or bad service from hooker, Riki running bad lines, Isaako not causing doubt in the defence, etc I’m not sure.

He's hopeless in open space is my problem with him. He runs like he's muscle bound, and doesn't seem to be aware of support.

 

[theshed]

He's hopeless in open space is my problem with him. He runs like he's muscle bound, and doesn't seem to be aware of support.

He just isn’t very good. He’s kind of slow (both running and reflexes) and isnt good at reacting in the moment. He does try his darndest though, I’ll give him that.

 

[Morkel]

He's hopeless in open space is my problem with him. He runs like he's muscle bound, and doesn't seem to be aware of support.

This is kind of what I noticed in the second half of the Titans game. He seemed like a (somehow) slower and less talented Pearce, running at the line and putting on a huge step just before meeting it, which sucked in absolutely nobody and he was easily swallowed up. We had more than enough possession and field position to stage some sort of comeback, but our halves (both of them) just offered nothing in terms of using shapes to move and fatigue the defence.

 

[BroncsFan]

Croft probably didn't throw hospital pass after hospital pass, it doesn't really matter because that's not his biggest problem.

His biggest problem is most of our attacking weapons are on that right edge but he struggles creating opportunities for them. He's not very good at using our right edge.

He tries hard, but who cares?

Exactly this.

Riki, Niu and Coates, but hes barely fired a shot.

Riki was under pressure on pretty much every pass sent his way. It needs to become apparent that the opposition is loading up on him and figure out a way around it.

Outside of the hospital passes I did note at one point when Hoppa was injured Croft took the ball down his blindside on 4th tackle for a nothing play that ended up with an error. It screamed of a guy that was feeling pressure to create something and figured I'll take a shot (at nothing) and see if something happens

We took a couple shots at Hoppa on 1 & 2, but no real sweeping backline movement to get him 1v1... the ball was moved to the right and then Turps had a hit up on on the right to bring up 4th. At that point Croft should've been planning for a spread back to the left knowing it would get Herbie 1v1 against Hoppa who he was torching even when he was fit... but instead he went down the blind and dumped it off to Niu who had absolutely nothing on. Niu proceeded to run all the way back in field and then threw the forward pass to whoever it was that ran a decoy in front of him.

I'm not entirely sure what has happened to Croft to be lacking so much awareness, because even in the early rounds of last year he was far superior to Milf and was creating the bulk of our points... and then when the media went after him for laughing with storm and the apparent crocodile tears the following week he completely dropped his bundle and hasn't recovered since.

He needs a spell in ISC to get his confidence back, because right now he is seriously struggling to create points and opportunities

 

[BroncsFan]

He just isn’t very good. He’s kind of slow (both running and reflexes) and isnt good at reacting in the moment. He does try his darndest though, I’ll give him that.

I dont know if that's really the case because he can bust teams straight back through the ruck.

There were plenty of examples with Melbourne when he plays in front of the advantage line... and hes done it with us in the early rounds last year (Cows rd 1, Eels in the only try, etc.)

For whatever reason he's not timing his involvements well at all... he seems very premeditated at the moment and is either not seeing any weaknesses in the defensive line to exploit, possibly because the team isn't on the front foot, but I'm not sure that's the case because we've had good periods so far this year.... so if it's not that then he's missing opportunities to attack the defence because of a lack of awareness

 

[Mustafur]

If you watch the first line break that Herbie had, it was off the back of TPJ stepping up as First receiver running at the line and spreading it wide(attracting defenders on him and opening up the edges), a Fucking massive forward doing what Croft should be doing.