PRE-GAME Round 6 - Broncos vs Dragons

[Super Freak]

Didn't someone say Nike aren't a sponsor anymore? Why are they all wearing Nike stuff?

They still are at the moment..

But they won't be anymore. I think their sponsorship ends at the end of 2016.. Or the end of 2017. Either way, Nike will be gone.

 

[Waynesaurus]

As long as we don't get lazy in defense and gift them some easy points we should be able to score enough to win this comfortably.

 

[Brett]

http://media.fyre.co/tHKfN9WIQiKkFZjgqEKV_20160404_094033.jpg

..lol, not exactly making shit up

yeah last year WB pulled hodgo just to test the boys i reckon, plus vidot did the fucking 1 handed superman dive - hope that shit works in the WWE. christ it was a shitty miserable night down here and they had their defence sorted back then (talking abt the oki jubilee game right?). night and day compared to where both teams are now.. if we dont skate thru 13+ and injury free ill be livid

I'd say 1910 is the ranga in that photo.

 

[Brett]

1. Darius Boyd
2. Corey Oates
3. Jack Reed
4. James Roberts
5. Jordan Kahu
6. Anthony Milford
7. Ben Hunt
8. Josh McGuire
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Adam Blair
11. Alex Glenn
12. Matt Gillett
13. Corey Parker ©

Interchange:
14. Jarrod Wallace
15. Sam Thaiday
16. Joe Ofahengaue
17. Kodi Nikorima

 

[Broncoman]

Is that the confirmed team?

 

[rnabokov]

All I want from this next game is the two points, tough defence for the 80 mins and no injuries.

All I want from this next game is to get my head around the logic of form, to make sense of the fact that last year we made the GF, and for mine played the better footie, and Milford was the best on the park, and this year we beat the Cowboys, and we are on top of the table, Milford is still up there as the best 5/8, we have probably the best centre in the game, the best defence.... and I can't see why we can't put 36 points on the Dragons like the Cowboys did.

So is it football, form or the Broncos who (with more than less the same side as in the GF last year) defy logic or putting it another way, will it be this time that every dragon has its day?

Maybe I should just have (yet) another beer, become more incoherent and predict Broncos by 20+ anyway (hic).

 

[jarro65]

All I want from this next game is to get my head around the logic of form, to make sense of the fact that last year we made the GF, and for mine played the better footie, and Milford was the best on the park, and this year we beat the Cowboys, and we are on top of the table, Milford is still up there as the best 5/8, we have probably the best centre in the game, the best defence.... and I can't see why we can't put 36 points on the Dragons like the Cowboys did.

So is it football, form or the Broncos who (with more than less the same side as in the GF last year) defy logic or putting it another way, will it be this time that every dragon has its day?

Maybe I should just have (yet) another beer, become more incoherent and predict Broncos by 20+ anyway (hic).

To try and understand form when it comes to football teams (especially the Broncos) is to try and comrehend the meaning of life.

More beers i reckon

 

[mitch222]

just win ffs

 

[Son Edo]

I don't think it will be a blow out. Dragons will lift against Bennett and we'll fade out in the second half, eventually.

Broncos by 12.

But I wouldn't be surprised if we get beaten.

 

[Big Pete]

Surely McGregor isn't stubborn enough to run with the same 17 as last Saturday? Sure, their lower grades performed dismally last weekend (NSW Cup: 50-16, NYC: 38-18) but surely they have three players who can be called up and relieve Havili, Marketo and Matthews of their duty? They aren't offering any value in their current roles and alternatives should be considered.

A bench of...
14. Josh McCrone
15. Mike Cooper
16. Hame Sele
17. Tyson Frizell

With Matthews starting would provide the Dragons with far more balance, especially if McGregor spread his minutes out wisely to ensure he kept his forwards fresh through out. Packer and Ah Mau are only playing around 40 minutes each, which for a side lacking size off the bench is a concern.

I've thrown Hame Sele into the side since he's their best up and coming prop available. If the Dragons are going to have a future, they need to consider blooding their next generation and giving the likes of Jacob Host, Blake Lawrie, Luciano Leilua and Drew Hutchinson a proper go.

In the coming weeks, I would be looking to give Jacob Host a shot off the bench with Frizell returning to the run-on side. This Matthews selection is merely a stop-gap solution and a strategy I would employ to ensure a stronger effort over the 80.

 

[rnabokov]

I don't think it will be a blow out. Dragons will lift against Bennett and we'll fade out in the second half, eventually.

Broncos by 12.

But I wouldn't be surprised if we get beaten.

Gee I would. And pissed off too.


And as for the advice from BP, the assistant to the assistant's assistant of the Smaug coach, I totally agree. The better the opposition, the better the practice for us :laugh:

 

[broncoboy]

tbh dragons have plenty of attacking capability with the likes of josh dugan,benji marshall and gareth widop and your backline then to have the caliber of attacking forwards in tyson frizell and joel thompson then to have the speed of mitch rein in the middle they are capacble of scoring i just believe that paul mcgregor needs to stand up and be creative with slection and teach hhis side some set moves and some attacking abbility

 

[Big Pete]

I read that Dunamis Lui is apart of the Dragons extended squad for this game.

I could live with his selection given Sele is just returning from injury and they're both similar players but the Dragons have to look towards the future.

 

[Super Freak]

I think people expecting a big win should be prepared for the worst.

Bennett's history with the Dragons in the past decade hasn't been great. And his record against his former clubs isn't great.

Dragons are a side that can be a major pain in the ass.

And we aren't exactly in the best form.

We shouldn't even be on top with the way we are playing, but we are finding ways to win games. But that's not going to last forever.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Good god @ all this cynicism. We're on the top of the ladder and people are still finding a reason to naysay us.

 

[Sproj]

The Dragons problem is they have absolutely no speed anywhere. Even when they do make breaks between dropping the ball, they get mown down within ten metres every time.

 

[Rally Towel]

Good god @ all this cynicism. We're on the top of the ladder and people are still finding a reason to naysay us.

It's not entirely without reason. I think it's healthy to temper optimism with a dose of realism.

We're winning games but we're yet to really stamp our authority on a game yet. Truth be told, our round 1 effort vs Parramatta is probably our most comprehensive victory and that was hardly dominant.

Panthers stole a win and the Titans came far closer than they had any right to. If we continue to play at that level, we'll drop games which we should be winning.

I believe we're set for another big year but I'll be much happier of we can play to potential and pick up some convincing wins.

Personally, I will be pissed if we don't put the Dragons to the sword. Danger game, lifting against us, Benny's old team, beat Souths, blah fucking blah.... They're a bunch of potatoes and we are clearly stronger all over the park.

 

[FGfrom50]

It's not entirely without reason. I think it's healthy to temper optimism with a dose of realism.

We're winning games but we're yet to really stamp our authority on a game yet. Truth be told, our round 1 effort vs Parramatta is probably our most comprehensive victory and that was hardly dominant.

Panthers stole a win and the Titans came far closer than they had any right to. If we continue to play at that level, we'll drop games which we should be winning.

I believe we're set for another big year but I'll be much happier of we can play to potential and pick up some convincing wins.

Personally, I will be ****ed if we don't put the Dragons to the sword. Danger game, lifting against us, Benny's old team, beat Souths, blah ****ing blah.... They're a bunch of potatoes and we are clearly stronger all over the park.

100% agree with this. In most of our games, we've played down to the level of teams that don't have as good a roster as we do. While we're finding a way to win them (barring that Panther's game, where some weird decisions were made that no one understands), the worrying sign for me is we're doing it with the bare minimum. Against the cows, only some individual brilliance from Milf and Jimmy kept us in that.

The boys are doing enough to beat whoever it is we come up against, but nothing like what we are capable of. If we can't snap out of that at some point in the season, we'll get burnt. It's early on, I get that. We've got time for things to click. But it isn't right at the moment.