PRE-GAME [Round 7, 2022] Broncos vs Bulldogs

[Evander]

My biggest concern is TMM's body is not quite ready for the physical rigors of NRL let alone the fitness levels of the FB position.

Having said that I do wish him well and hope he has a blinder on Friday night. At least he knows to expect some towering bombs.

If Patty was in that line up I'd say we had perhaps the best line up to date. The sooner he's back the better.

And spare a thought for Riki who is soldiering on with his slowly healing ribs. What some of these guys sacrifice to the cause of the Broncos is quite remarkable. I wish we would sometimes cut our own guys some slack.

TMM is fit bro, but yeah may get knocked around a little

 

[Santa]

GAME DAY! TIME TO SMASH THE BULLDOGS!

 

[holdzy]

Just fuckin' win ffs!

 

[Scorchie]

Going to the game for first time this year with the kids - hoping for no disappointment and a 60-0 thrashing.

 

[Jedhead]

Just a quick correction - Haas is still observing Ramadan. A friend has informed me that it does not finish for another 9 days.

 

[Sproj]

I’m so confused by Kev’s decision making and I feel like he’s doing the same thing he did with the spine last year. There just seems to be no longer term planning and every decision seems reactionary.

Surely TMM was never a planned fullback option, if so why is he playing 6 in cup? Why is he not giving Cobbo a run? It feels like a Karmichael Hunt selection.

Is Billy the first choice 6 or is Gamble? If it’s Billy then why move him to bench? He had no issues picking Roberts on the bench round 1. When Turpin is fit does that displace Paix or Billy? Does Billy move back to 6 and Gamble to cup?

It’s a mess.

It is concerning but in this case, I think I can see some rationale behind it (and I'm not saying I agree with it either).

First choice spine was:
1. Niu
6. Kelly
7. Reynolds
9. Paix/Turpin - it was a coin flip

Niu then had a hamstring injury, so he was delayed in starting the season, not much Kevvie could do there so Isaako gets the gig. Getting rid of Isaako, the only real fullback option was stupid but Kevvie said Jamayne asked for the release so the club granted it. That said, it would be nice to not just always be the nice guys and actually getting something in return for these gifts we give away. So Niu goes down, Cobbo is just starting to look really good on the wing but his fitness is not there yet to play a full 80 at the back. That said, he might be there defensively and that would be a good move in my opinion. It gives us the opportunity to potentially get a look at him off and on throughout games and allows us to take advantage of the only other option left in TMM. I am sure if you ask Kevvie in private, TMM is NOT his preferred choice here but he is trying to take a long term view to Cobbo's development and while I'd absolutely go Herbie here, I get it. The other factors in Herbie not getting the run potentially are: 1. he's off to Redcliffe, 2. he is just coming back from injury and so his ability to do the running required at fullback may just not be there at present, 3. he is pretty good at centre and with him and Staggs, you have threats on both edges.

Kelly was going alright and then the Will Smith slap happened and he blew his leg up, goneskis. Walters had gone well in the trials whereas Gamble really hadn't done anything to write home about. Kevvie gave his kid a month there and he really didn't fire so I feel Kevvie is making a statement that no one is undroppable and Walters Jr hadn't nailed the position anyway. In addition to this, if you believe that Turpin really is injured, which Kevvie said yesterday, then Paix is not ready to play a full 80. The only option then is to move Walters to utility as he can and has played there and done ok. The only other option in the squad really is Hetherington and due to Carrigan's injury, he is not really an option to move from 13. Gamble now gets his chance to show that he should have been there from round 1.

Reynolds is set to go and then gets Covid. Walters Jr fills in admirably and so buys time in the team and as the first half replacement in the queue behind Reynolds and Kelly. Walters seems to be trying to shield Ezra and given Ezra's poor start in the Q Cup, this definitely seems warranted. Reynolds is back now and firing on all cylinders.

Turpin is apparently injured and not dropped, so if this is the case, Paix needs to come in to 9 but he isn't ready to play 80 there yet, so he needs bench help and that necessitates Walters going in to the hooker rotation. This is Paix's shot, it is up to him now to keep the 9 jersey if he is good enough and wants it.

Well I hope that explains it.

 

[BRC088]

Going to the game for first time this year with the kids - hoping for no disappointment and a 60-0 thrashing.

Be nice to see our points differential at least in the positive for a little while...

 

[Jedhead]

It is concerning but in this case, I think I can see some rationale behind it (and I'm not saying I agree with it either).

First choice spine was:
1. Niu
6. Kelly
7. Reynolds
9. Paix/Turpin - it was a coin flip

Niu then had a hamstring injury, so he was delayed in starting the season, not much Kevvie could do there so Isaako gets the gig. Getting rid of Isaako, the only real fullback option was stupid but Kevvie said Jamayne asked for the release so the club granted it. That said, it would be nice to not just always be the nice guys and actually getting something in return for these gifts we give away. So Niu goes down, Cobbo is just starting to look really good on the wing but his fitness is not there yet to play a full 80 at the back. That said, he might be there defensively and that would be a good move in my opinion. It gives us the opportunity to potentially get a look at him off and on throughout games and allows us to take advantage of the only other option left in TMM. I am sure if you ask Kevvie in private, TMM is NOT his preferred choice here but he is trying to take a long term view to Cobbo's development and while I'd absolutely go Herbie here, I get it. The other factors in Herbie not getting the run potentially are: 1. he's off to Redcliffe, 2. he is just coming back from injury and so his ability to do the running required at fullback may just not be there at present, 3. he is pretty good at centre and with him and Staggs, you have threats on both edges.

Kelly was going alright and then the Will Smith slap happened and he blew his leg up, goneskis. Walters had gone well in the trials whereas Gamble really hadn't done anything to write home about. Kevvie gave his kid a month there and he really didn't fire so I feel Kevvie is making a statement that no one is undroppable and Walters Jr hadn't nailed the position anyway. In addition to this, if you believe that Turpin really is injured, which Kevvie said yesterday, then Paix is not ready to play a full 80. The only option then is to move Walters to utility as he can and has played there and done ok. The only other option in the squad really is Hetherington and due to Carrigan's injury, he is not really an option to move from 13. Gamble now gets his chance to show that he should have been there from round 1.

Reynolds is set to go and then gets Covid. Walters Jr fills in admirably and so buys time in the team and as the first half replacement in the queue behind Reynolds and Kelly. Walters seems to be trying to shield Ezra and given Ezra's poor start in the Q Cup, this definitely seems warranted. Reynolds is back now and firing on all cylinders.

Turpin is apparently injured and not dropped, so if this is the case, Paix needs to come in to 9 but he isn't ready to play 80 there yet, so he needs bench help and that necessitates Walters going in to the hooker rotation. This is Paix's shot, it is up to him now to keep the 9 jersey if he is good enough and wants it.

Well I hope that explains it.

A fairly comprehensive look at things mate. Kevvie has had a bit of a nightmare trying to get a fixed set of combinations since week one.

For the past three maybe even four years there has been next to no stability in our spine. Some of it was due to injury some of it due to poor form, but if you look at the likes of Panthers and Storm their line up has not changed that much at all over the last three years.

That stability is what builds combinations and understanding between players. That stability allows the coach to develop players and the team as a whole. Without it, it's a case of marking time until that stability becomes a constant.

 

[Sproj]

A fairly comprehensive look at things mate. Kevvie has had a bit of a nightmare trying to get a fixed set of combinations since week one.

For the past three maybe even four years there has been next to no stability in our spine. Some of it was due to injury some of it due to poor form, but if you look at the likes of Panthers and Storm their line up has not changed that much at all over the last three years.

That stability is what builds combinations and understanding between players. That stability allows the coach to develop players and the team as a whole. Without it, it's a case of marking time until that stability becomes a constant.

Agreed and even if you look at the Tigers, the spine they won with last week is basically their first choice (with the exception of Doueihi potentially), it was just that they tweaked who did what. You do need consistency in the spine. So barring injury, I hope this is the spine Kevvie now sticks with unless TMM absolutely tanks it for the next month. Give them a chance to gel.

 

[McHunt]

It is concerning but in this case, I think I can see some rationale behind it (and I'm not saying I agree with it either).

First choice spine was:

9. Paix/Turpin - it was a coin flip

Wasn't even close. Turpin was the incumbent.

6 was more of a mystery: could've gone to Kelly, Walters or Gamble.

 

[Tristan1990]

Just a quick correction - Haas is still observing Ramadan. A friend has informed me that it does not finish for another 9 days.

I'm not sure but there is a post on facebook from a local butcher sending over 2 x 2.2kg tomahawk steaks as a Iftar feed so i would suggest maybe its over

 

[Jedhead]

I'm not sure but there is a post on facebook from a local butcher sending over 2 x 2.2kg tomahawk steaks as a Iftar feed so i would suggest maybe its over
View attachment 17958

No it ends on May 1st at sundown.

 

[Tristan1990]

No it ends on May 1st at sundown.

not sure then maybe keep them in the fridge for another week lol

 

[Santa]

Just a quick correction - Haas is still observing Ramadan. A friend has informed me that it does not finish for another 9 days.

It's good it's a nightime game then, he can eat before the game starts.

 

[1910]

My biggest concern is TMM's body is not quite ready for the physical rigors of NRL let alone the fitness levels of the FB position.

Having said that I do wish him well and hope he has a blinder on Friday night. At least he knows to expect some towering bombs.

If Patty was in that line up I'd say we had perhaps the best line up to date. The sooner he's back the better.

And spare a thought for Riki who is soldiering on with his slowly healing ribs. What some of these guys sacrifice to the cause of the Broncos is quite remarkable. I wish we would sometimes cut our own guys some slack.

Yeah a player that has barely run for five rounds is a big test to play fullback. That's what concerns me- he's been so timid and stand backish for Wynnum. Which you can do at 6 to a degree but can't do at fullback.

 

[JoeyK]

Well I am driving down from the Sunny Coast again for this one. I really hope the trip back is silent....not because we played badly but because I screamed with so much joy that I lost my voice.

This team shakeup has me quite optimistic.

I am tipping Martin & Haas to have a blinder of a game.

 

[holdzy]

Yeah a player that has barely run for five rounds is a big test to play fullback. That's what concerns me- he's been so timid and stand backish for Wynnum. Which you can do at 6 to a degree but can't do at fullback.

Also he's going to get bombed to hell by Burton, so his confidence could get shot very early.

 

[BooKhaki]

Just a quick correction - Haas is still observing Ramadan. A friend has informed me that it does not finish for another 9 days.

Yeah I'm sure he is following it closely, just like how he gave up the piss when he turned to Islam a few years ago.