PRE-GAME Round 5 - Titans vs Broncos

[morganmorgan]

Chucked a cheeky $2 on roberts to score 2+ tries. Lets hope

 

[rnabokov]

Chucked a cheeky $2 on roberts to score 2+ tries. Lets hope

I reckon 3 tries.

I'm sure Milf and Roberts have been, and are working combinations together and Hunt as well seeing he and Roberts play the same side.

I can't think of a more deadly combination than Milf and Roberts. The rest of this season as it unfolds is going to be a treat.

 

[whykickamoocow]

im not sure the full story has or ever will come out, but an old story thats pops up relates to when tallis had his neck issue and wayne pressured him into playing even though he knew the predicament tallis was in and the potential worst case scenario that luckily never unfolded. how true that is we will never know unless tallis publicly came forward. the other story dates way back to when kevvy, lazarus and belcher were assistant coaches and got the sack and talllis questioned wayne around this, but again who knows.
tallis is still very good mates with the old bronco boys he played with etc, its just the bennett issue overall.

i thought it had something to do with, or started at least with Bennet benching him for the start of his last game.

 

[Big Pete]

i thought it had something to do with, or started at least with Bennet benching him for the start of his last game.

That makes sense to me.

One of Gordie's biggest insecurities in his younger days was being labelled a bench player. He thought he could be the best backrow in the competition and proved as such from 1999 on.

In Round 13 2001, Tallis suffered a neck injury that put his career in jeopardy. A lot of players would have called it quits, but Gordie chose to play on. Every game was an emotional battle for Gordie. One wrong tackle, one wrong move could see him paralyzed and his family couldn't stand to watch him on the field.

It was such torture for Gordie that he wanted to call it quits at the end of 2002. However, as Morkel mentioned, Bennett pleaded with Gordie to stay on and stressed that he was a huge part of the team.

So Gordie plays on until the Semi Final at Dairy Farmers stadium. The ultimate goal for any player is to retire with a premiership ring, but if you asked Gordie about a consolation, leading his team out in the town he grew up in would have been acceptable.

Bennett denied Gorden the opportunity, making the tactical decision to start Gordie off the bench.

Further, Bennett let it be known that he was wrong about Gordie and that he should have been a bench player for his entire career.

For a guy that built his career on pride and passion, to go out in the fashion he did was undeserved. Gordie was bitter about that and Bennett's general opinion of Gordie's career and when Bennett lost touch with Gordie, those feelings intensified.

In fairness, it's a two-way street. Gordie was very quick to turn on Wayne, calling for his head around 2006 (one of his better calls) only two years out of retirement. Then of course when Wayne tried to get the Cowboys coaching gig, Gordie was on the board, spoke out against Bennett and successfully got the Cowboys to sign Neil Henry instead.

As for whether it's OK to have an issue with somebody being anti-Broncos, sure I don't see the problem. We're Broncos fans after-all, if anyone speaks out against the club we have the right to be critical. Personally, I can't dislike Gordie, he's always had a soft spot and remains one of my all-time favourites. Not only was he a great player on the field, off the field he was a gentlemen and often made it a point to give younger fans the time of day.

 

[Allo]

I honestly can't see the club risking such key players against the Titans

Perfect game to blood a rookie in the backline (or give Eden another run) or play around with the bench. Get some minutes into the fringe guys before Origin rolls around so the impact is somewhat lessened.

They don't need to do too much, just simply play the position and little to no errors if possible.

 

[austin71]

Fair bit of slanging coming out of the Titans about James Roberts.. I don't know why they are bitter. They got Hoffman. Hoffman for Roberts... Fair swap IMO ☺

 

[Dash]

That makes sense to me.

One of Gordie's biggest insecurities in his younger days was being labelled a bench player. He thought he could be the best backrow in the competition and proved as such from 1999 on.

In Round 13 2001, Tallis suffered a neck injury that put his career in jeopardy. A lot of players would have called it quits, but Gordie chose to play on. Every game was an emotional battle for Gordie. One wrong tackle, one wrong move could see him paralyzed and his family couldn't stand to watch him on the field.

It was such torture for Gordie that he wanted to call it quits at the end of 2002. However, as Morkel mentioned, Bennett pleaded with Gordie to stay on and stressed that he was a huge part of the team.

So Gordie plays on until the Semi Final at Dairy Farmers stadium. The ultimate goal for any player is to retire with a premiership ring, but if you asked Gordie about a consolation, leading his team out in the town he grew up in would have been acceptable.

Bennett denied Gorden the opportunity, making the tactical decision to start Gordie off the bench.

Further, Bennett let it be known that he was wrong about Gordie and that he should have been a bench player for his entire career.

For a guy that built his career on pride and passion, to go out in the fashion he did was undeserved. Gordie was bitter about that and Bennett's general opinion of Gordie's career and when Bennett lost touch with Gordie, those feelings intensified.

In fairness, it's a two-way street. Gordie was very quick to turn on Wayne, calling for his head around 2006 (one of his better calls) only two years out of retirement. Then of course when Wayne tried to get the Cowboys coaching gig, Gordie was on the board, spoke out against Bennett and successfully got the Cowboys to sign Neil Henry instead.

As for whether it's OK to have an issue with somebody being anti-Broncos, sure I don't see the problem. We're Broncos fans after-all, if anyone speaks out against the club we have the right to be critical. Personally, I can't dislike Gordie, he's always had a soft spot and remains one of my all-time favourites. Not only was he a great player on the field, off the field he was a gentlemen and often made it a point to give younger fans the time of day.

In what universe was Gorden Tallis a bench player? Wayne isn't often wrong, but if that story is true, he was definitely wrong.

Broncos/Bennett hating notwithstanding, Gorden Tallis is a credit to the game since his retirement. I know for a fact he donates time, money and whatever else he can to multiple junior teams, clubs and competitions. There was a junior club had a working bee. Tallis was having work done on his house at the time and sent the tradies down to the club to help out while he was paying them.

I'm also 99% sure he's working for free at the Titans, because he knows they need the help and he wants all Qld teams to be successful.

 

[broncoboy]

titans for me have got it all wrong with friend and mortimer, i believe mortimer is onw of the most underrated players in the game he needs to wither be starting or given more of a go

 

[mrslong]

Fair bit of slanging coming out of the Titans about James Roberts.. I don't know why they are bitter. They got Hoffman. Hoffman for Roberts... Fair swap IMO ☺

HA ha.

But let's not forget they did get Ash Taylor. In all seriousness, that is a pretty bloody good pick up.

 

[Super Freak]

Schick Hydro Preview: Gold Coast Titans v Brisbane Broncos
Cbus Super Stadium
Friday, 7.05pm (AEST)

Who would have thought that the latest instalment of the M1 derby would be a top of the table clash between the two form teams of the competition? Gold Coast have punched well above their weight so far this season, defying the critics who tipped them to finish in the bottom two.

They now sit fourth and await a Brisbane side sitting pretty in second position. The Broncos played out a thrilling extra-time victory against the Cowboys last Friday night and it was a win that gave them a small slice of revenge after the North Queensland side famously beat Brisbane in last year's decider.

A courageous last-minute win over the Canberra Raiders last weekend typified the Titans' season to date and if they can play with the same heart on Friday night they may just give Brisbane a real shock.

Injury clouds hang over Tyrone Roberts, William Zillman and Nathan Friend for the Titans – while forward Ryan James will need to beat a dangerous contact charge at the Judiciary on Wednesday night if he is to play.

While there may be uncertainty over the make-up of the Titans team the Broncos have been bolstered by the returns of both Jack Reed and Corey Oates from injury and Jordan Kahu has recovered to take his place in the team after copping a heavy knock against the Cowboys.

Watch out Titans: Former Titan James Roberts turned on his jet engines last week to put in a memorable performance. Criticised for his slow start to the season, Roberts saved his best for the Cowboys as the star centre dominated from the get-go. He amassed 185 run metres and looked threatening every time he received the ball. The key for Roberts is to get his hands on early ball – if he does that he is very hard to stop. It will be the first game for Roberts against his former club and he will be looking to show the Titans what they are missing. If 'The Jet' can repeat his three line breaks and six tackle breaks from last weekend then you can expect him to feature heavily on the scoresheet. His combination with five-eighth Anthony Milford is getting stronger every week, with the two combining regularly to open up the Cowboys defence last weekend.

Watch out Broncos: David Shillington showed last week against the Raiders that there are few more powerful things in rugby league than a player with a point to prove which makes Josh Hoffman a dangerous proposition on Friday night. The former Bronco is settling into his new life in the centres and while defence has been a focus, his attack has shown promise in recent weeks. Against Wests Tigers in Round 3 Hoffman had two line breaks, a try and a try assist and against the Knights in Round 1 he managed to keep his cousin, Dane Gagai, quiet for much of the game. His next assignment is to contain James Roberts and he won't want to let down his new teammates on such a big occasion.

Key match-up: Greg Bird v Corey Parker. The two veteran locks have led from the front in recent years and you can expect to see the same come Friday. Bird has amassed three try assists this season for the Titans, doubling as a five-eighth when Gold Coast moves into attack. Young halfback Ashley Taylor, an ex-Bronco who Bird has taken under his wing, only betters Bird by one assist. Bird's past experience at five-eighth has seen the two regularly combine for the Titans and together they hold the key for Gold Coast's attack, especially if five-eighth Tyrone Roberts is ruled out. Parker is in a different position at Brisbane. Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt have established themselves as two of the elite playmakers of the NRL. Parker's job is simple – give these two halves the field position they need to produce the plays that have made Brisbane one of the most entertaining sides in the competition. Parker is averaging 117 run metres and 33 tackles a game and relishing his new role as captain. If Bird can combine with Taylor and break open Brisbane's defence, then the Titans may just cause the upset of the season. On the other hand, if Parker and the Broncos dominate the ruck, Brisbane may just run the Titans out of the game with their slick style of play through the middle of the field.

History: Played 19; Titans 5, Broncos 14. The sole south-east Queensland derby for 2016 sees the Titans trying to rectify a recent record against the Broncos that reads a very unflattering two wins from their past 13 clashes. The Titans boast just five wins in 19 games against their northern neighbours, four of which have come at Cbus Super Stadium. Nathan Friend and Sam Thaiday are the only players who took part in the first meeting between these teams in 2007 – a game won 28-16 by the Titans – who are set to take the field on Friday night.

What are the odds: Titans $4.45; Broncos $1.21. It's all Brisbane in this one – 75 per cent of the money wagered on the game with Sportsbet has been placed on the Broncos and the premiership favourites have been included in a large number of multis across the weekend. Broncos by 13-plus has more money riding on it than all of the other winning margin options combined so punters are expecting a big win to Brisbane.

Match officials: Referee: Jared Maxwell; Assistant Referee: Gavin Badger; Touch Judges: Michael Wise and Clayton Sharpe; Review Officials: Luke Patten and Steve Chiddy; Senior RO: Bernard Sutton.

Televised: Channel Nine – Live 7pm (Qld), 7.30pm (NSW); Fox Sports – Live 6.00pm (Qld), 7.00pm (NSW).

The way we see it: After some lop-sided scorelines going the way of Brisbane in recent years we should at least be confident that this will be a good old-fashioned smash up derby that will go down to the wire. The Titans have shown great courage to win three of their first four but they will also have to be clinical to best the competition favourites. The Broncos won a classic in Round 4 against the Cowboys and will claim a second Queensland scalp in as many weeks. Broncos by 10 points.

https://matchcentre.nrl.com/match/2016/111/20161110520/#preview

 

[mitch222]

Game plan this week is to run it down Ash Taylors throat. He is a defensive liability and I hope Milford & Glenn really expose it.

 

[M.B.88]

Game plan this week is to run it down Ash Taylors throat. He is a defensive liability and I hope Milford & Glenn really expose it.

Yeah but that isn't going to help us next week or going forward for the rest of the year. We want to win the GF not just put a score on the titans. . What would that prove.

What we really need is ben hunt back on his game. Biggest issue we have at the moment by far is the lack of a controlling halfback.

 

[Porthoz]

Game plan this week is to run it down Ash Taylors throat. He is a defensive liability and I hope Milford & Glenn really expose it.

Taylor plays on the left side of the Titans attack, Hunt and Gillett's side. Regardless, it is a pretty standard plan to send traffic to the opposition halves, not only because they are generally the weakest defenders, but also to tire them out and reduce their effectiveness.

I don't understand this insistence on Taylor's defensive weaknesses. His job is to steer them around in attack and control the game, which he has been doing quite well for a rookie halve in the NRL.
Besides, his defense has been at a pretty average level when compared with most other halves in the comp. In fact, he's very close to our own halves. Here's their averages per game so far after 4 rounds:

	Ineffective	Missed
B. Hunt	1.25	3.75
A. Milford	1.25	2.75
T. Roberts	0.25	2.25
A. Taylor	1.75	3.75

 

[Morkel]

Taylor plays on the left side of the Titans attack, Hunt and Gillett's side. Regardless, it is a pretty standard plan to send traffic to the opposition halves, not only because they are generally the weakest defenders, but also to tire them out and reduce their effectiveness.

I don't understand this insistence on Taylor's defensive weaknesses. His job is to steer them around in attack and control the game, which he has been doing quite well for a rookie halve in the NRL.
Besides, his defense has been at a pretty average level when compared with most other halves in the comp. In fact, he's very close to our own halves. Here's their averages per game so far after 4 rounds:

	Ineffective	Missed
B. Hunt	1.25	3.75
A. Milford	1.25	2.75
T. Roberts	0.25	2.25
A. Taylor	1.75	3.75

What % though?

 

[Porthoz]

What % though?

It's very close. In fact, Taylor's is exactly the same as Milf's average per game:

Tackles	Ineff	%	Missed	%
19	1.25	7%	3.75	20%
11.5	1.25	11%	2.75	24%
17.5	0.25	1%	2.25	13%
15.5	1.75	11%	3.75	24%

 

[austin71]

Yeah but that isn't going to help us next week or going forward for the rest of the year. We want to win the GF not just put a score on the titans. . What would that prove.

What we really need is ben hunt back on his game. Biggest issue we have at the moment by far is the lack of a controlling halfback.

One game at a time?

 

[sus]

titans for me have got it all wrong with friend and mortimer, i believe mortimer is onw of the most underrated players in the game he needs to wither be starting or given more of a go

not that i think that much of the titans assessment of talent.. but assistant under secretary to the bench seems a pretty generous rating for mine

 

[rnabokov]

Just .... get the ball to Roberts FFS