Round 5 - Broncos vs Eels - Post-Game Discussion

[Alec]

I don't know why McCullough didn't take cracks at a 40/20. He was practicing them in the warm up. Why practice something you're not going to do?

He almost had one, and it took a superb effort from Hayne to stop it. You would think he'd be trying again, especially as our forwards weren't exactly aiming up.

 

[Foordy]

I don't know why McCullough didn't take cracks at a 40/20. He was practicing them in the warm up. Why practice something you're not going to do?

he did have a crack ... infact he very nearly pulled one off, but Hayne was able to get to it just before it went into touch and after he knocked the ball back in was able to get to it just before it went dead and then somehow got back into the field of play ... i don't say this about Hayne very much but it was a simply brilliant piece of play from him

 

[Super Freak]

he did have a crack ... infact he very nearly pulled one off, but Hayne was able to get to it just before it went into touch and after he knocked the ball back in was able to get to it just before it went dead and then somehow got back into the field of play ... i don't say this about Hayne very much but it was a simply brilliant piece of play from him

He did it once, then he never tried again or even kicked the ball again. He needs to try it more than once. Our halves need all the help they can get in the kicking department.

 

[Kaz]

too many nuffies that need to go. thaiday, hannant, reed, gillett, maranta to name a few.

You must have gotten different versions of games that I watched.

All of the above named have been playing solid football.

 

[ningnangnong]

He did it once, then he never tried again or even kicked the ball again. He needs to try it more than once. Our halves need all the help they can get in the kicking department.

It's difficult though - after you try it the first time, the opposition seem to cotton on and become a lot more aware.

 

[Bucking Beads]

We've performed well above expectations so far this season. Yes it was a poor game by us last night but let's see how they respond before we rip them new ones

 

[Bull Shark]

We've performed well above expectations so far this season. Yes it was a poor game by us last night but let's see how they respond before we rip them new ones

certainly, but for once today's yarn in the courier mail summed it up perfectly - "guts alone can't define their season" ... effort and energy and motivation to prove some critics wrong has fuelled the first few weeks but when it comes to X's and O's, this team is still down near the bottom of the pile. You can see it in the sheer disorganisation that ensues whenever they're attacking an opposition try line and flaws in our defensive structures in certain parts of the field..

It means this broncos team has to be absolutely 100% "on" every single night to be any chance of winning, even against the likes of parramatta .. We can't be outplayed for 70% of a match and still get the result like the Roosters did a couple of weeks ago because we don't have the talent, the structures, the playmakers and the finesse.

So, it's great to have banked three wins early on because I think things are going to get harder for this team the longer the season wears on, because a lot of teams have a lot more upside than the broncos do at this point.

 

[Brett]

My thoughts on the game pretty much haven't changed since my small summary last night.

Reed has to be dropped. He is really costing us out wide. Hoffman also cannot be 5/8 again - he's costing us far too many tries, never mind the fact our backline plays die with him 99% of the time. That Hayne try last night was hard to watch on replay. Hoffman got sucked in by a block runner when there were already 2 defenders there to cover him, then he was too slow to react to Hayne and got palmed off for Hayne to score. Reed's work was also deplorable on this play. When you watch the replay, Reed's back is actually facing Hayne as he runs through the gap between Hoffman and himself. So not only has he turned his back on the guy with the ball, he hasn't even compressed in to cover the inside runner - absolutely rookie grade defence.

This kind of play cannot be accepted at this level.

 

[Super Freak]

It's difficult though - after you try it the first time, the opposition seem to cotton on and become a lot more aware.

I probably should have been more clear, I don't just mean 40/20's. Just taking more kicking responsibilities instead of doing it once or twice in a game. Kick it to the corner or kick it into space anywhere he can find some.

McCullough came up with a stroke of genius last year against the Cowboys when he kicked it early in the tackle count and it caught the Cowboys off guard, a few moments later Broncos score.

Hunt and Hoffman are too hot and cold to rely solely on them.

 

[Tera]

42 missed tackles.

 

[rnabokov]

certainly, but for once today's yarn in the courier mail summed it up perfectly - "guts alone can't define their season" ... effort and energy and motivation to prove some critics wrong has fuelled the first few weeks but when it comes to X's and O's, this team is still down near the bottom of the pile. You can see it in the sheer disorganisation that ensues whenever they're attacking an opposition try line and flaws in our defensive structures in certain parts of the field..

It means this broncos team has to be absolutely 100% "on" every single night to be any chance of winning, even against the likes of parramatta .. We can't be outplayed for 70% of a match and still get the result like the Roosters did a couple of weeks ago because we don't have the talent, the structures, the playmakers and the finesse.

So, it's great to have banked three wins early on because I think things are going to get harder for this team the longer the season wears on, because a lot of teams have a lot more upside than the broncos do at this point.

I agree with most of what you say but short shrifting the Eels is a bit unfair. They came into this game no doubt having carefully analyzed our weaknesses, and had a game plan to exploit them, which they executed particularly well.

As I saw it, their game plan was to let the ball do the work, passing more at the defensive line than dying with the ball, keeping depth, width and always support. They passed the ball. They stretched the space and spread us thin and wide. That's when our structures, such as they are, fell apart too often.

We ended up giving them room to run. We let Hayne run. We didn't move up.

As for our talent, I reckon we have plenty. It's the game plan which is fragile, because for mine, it is substantially organized around Hoffman at 5/8 by design and consequence.

Our kicking game was woeful.

For mine, the halves ... both halves, along with the dummy half, organize the team, structure the plays and keep it together. Hoffman doesn't do that, or can't, or won't ... whatever. We lack not talent, but the means to use it, like Barba as a glaring example.

For mine, Hook needs to change a lot in the way this team is, or rather isn't, organized, and starting with a game plan based on 2 play makers and organizers in the halves is simply essential, if even it means taking risks.

And 42 missed tackles? Maybe a lot of that came from the game being taken away from the middle by a team determined to spread the ball and keep it alive, as much as by their powerful forward running and defence.

Looks to me like the Eels have a plan, and the halves to make it happen (not to mention Peats and Hayne). Do we?

 

[Broncoman]

. too many nuffies that need to go. thaiday, hannant, reed, gillett, maranta to name a few..

You must be watching different games to the rest of us. All of the above players with the exception of Reed have all been playing very well and Maranta has improved significantly.

 

[Tera]

Observations from a drunken Tera:

Thaiday is playing better than he has in years.

Hannant I feel is well off the pace. I don't know if it's the new rule changes making the game just to fast for him or just simply because he's past his prime but he's not performing anywhere near where he used to.

Reed has been disappointing and is a frustrating one. We all know what's he's capable of, and he's shown glimpses now and then (how many drops outs has he personally gotten us this year?) but I actually really think he's missing Hoffman outside him.

Gillett has been good this year. Defensively still a little bit of a liability but he's definitely got that "x factor" about him. Can break the game open.

Maranta made me eat my words this year, playing better than he ever has. I do find it amusing that we've been singing his praises purely because he's now an AVERAGE NRL winger.

Barba has been my biggest disappointment for the year so far. I wasn't expecting him to return to full form or anything like that but I would like to see him involve himself more. He's had one good half this year (against the Dogs) but he went missing for the second half of the match. Now, at the end of the Parra game he did finally go looking for the ball by taking a dummy half run which was good to see but his kick returns have been atrocious and at times he doesnt even seem interested (i.e. laying around after the tackle and letting in Parra's last try...) Hopefully it's all mental and he'll pick it up as the year progresses.

 

[Anonymous person]

You must be watching different games to the rest of us. All of the above players with the exception of Reed have all been playing very well and Maranta has improved significantly.

You guys mustnt have been watching any other games this season apart from Broncos ones if you think those players have been playing "very well". maybe compared to the rubbish they served up last year, but they're a long way off the other very good players in the league.

and again, why does BHQ always fall into this trap? broncos player plays well for a game, theyre called a superstar, they then play rubbish for 6+ weeks, "they'll come good, remember how well they played that one game one time?", play well another one game and its "see i told you, best player in the world", play rubbish again for another 6 weeks, rinse repeat. the broncos have too many of these players. remember last year when after 1 game against the cowboys people on here were declaring Hannant the best prop in the world?! lol. this was despite matt scott basically carrying his entire team up the middle in the same game whereas hannant had mcguire also killing it. but no, hannant played well in one game and all of a sudden he was the best.

people on here are too quick to jump on the odd good match here and there and think it invalidates the last 6 weeks of crap.

 

[broncos4life]

You guys mustnt have been watching any other games this season apart from Broncos ones if you think those players have been playing "very well". maybe compared to the rubbish they served up last year, but they're a long way off the other very good players in the league.

and again, why does BHQ always fall into this trap? broncos player plays well for a game, theyre called a superstar, they then play rubbish for 6+ weeks, "they'll come good, remember how well they played that one game one time?", play well another one game and its "see i told you, best player in the world", play rubbish again for another 6 weeks, rinse repeat. the broncos have too many of these players. remember last year when after 1 game against the cowboys people on here were declaring Hannant the best prop in the world?! lol. this was despite matt scott basically carrying his entire team up the middle in the same game whereas hannant had mcguire also killing it. but no, hannant played well in one game and all of a sudden he was the best.

people on here are too quick to jump on the odd good match here and there and think it invalidates the last 6 weeks of crap.

You finished making up garbage yet?

 

[Big Pete]

AP does have a point, fans do get carried away but that's apart of being a supporter and believe me it goes both ways.

As it stands, Thaiday & Gillett have been among the form players in the competition and deserve their place. I think Maranta is perfectly fine as a depth back and has done a good job for us thus far...

The rest are certainly under pressure and let's hope they deliver.

 

[Anonymous person]

I disagree that Thaiday and Gillett have been among the form players of the comp so far. They've played better than they have for the last 2 years, no doubt, and they're even approaching the stage where they actually deserve their spot in the lineup if they keep it up for a few more weeks, but there is no way they're even in the top dozen second rowers this year.

 

[Big Pete]

Who's been better?

Twelve names, go.