PRE-GAME [Round 7, 2024] Broncos vs Raiders

[Manofoneway]

We don't have anyone else to cover centre/wing and back row, so the bench is his until further notice.

I reckon Israel Leota will fill that role eventually.

 

[Big Del]

I reckon Israel Leota will fill that role eventually.

Maybe this Karapani kid too ?
He played centre with Mariner outside him in the trials .

They bought him from Souths and had him in the extended squad last week . He must have some thing going for him .

 

[Manofoneway]

Maybe this Karapani kid too ?
He played centre with Mariner outside him in the trials .

They bought him from Souths and had him in the extended squad last week . He must have some thing going for him .

Yeah he is a spritely young back with heaps of speed. I can't believe Souths got rid of him considering their current line up in the backs are a bunch of slow moving caravans.

 

[HarryAllan7]

Feels like an absolute horror start to the season (and it some ways it has been), but if you look at the ladder now, we're really only one win away from the top (4 teams have 4 wins, we have 3)... and that includes all of our injuries, a Storm game we deserved to win and then blew, a few matches where we've lost key players very early on and an exhibition game in Vegas.

We're one Jesse Arthars drop away from being in the top 4 and equal first on wins even after everything. To only be one game behind considering what we've had to deal with is actually pretty amazing and a testament to the players and the coach. If we can keep going until we get all our players back then this experience and tackling this adversity may actually do wonders for us in the back end of the year - not to mention the game time under the belts of these young players also helping too.

A few weeks ago it felt like this season was a lost cause, now it feels like we're still very well places and there's no reason not to be just as hopeful as we were before the season started.

 

[McHunt]

I reckon Israel Leota will fill that role eventually.

I was thinking he might be able to fastrack his way into the side if he asked to switch to second row. He's something of a sporting polyglot but I don't think he's played anywhere but wing in rugby/league.

Yeah he is a spritely young back with heaps of speed. I can't believe Souths got rid of him considering their current line up in the backs are a bunch of slow moving caravans.

He was a very naughty boy.

 

[eggstar10]

I hope we are super cynical in the ruck this week and win off the back of it so Ricky explodes in the presser

Haha that's true ....the one takeaway i got from the game was there was absolutely zero pressure put on fogerty ...if I can see it kevvy will be all over it ...and cut his hang time and accuracy down

 

[Fernando]

Feels like an absolute horror start to the season (and it some ways it has been), but if you look at the ladder now, we're really only one win away from the top (4 teams have 4 wins, we have 3)... and that includes all of our injuries, a Storm game we deserved to win and then blew, a few matches where we've lost key players very early on and an exhibition game in Vegas.

We're one Jesse Arthars drop away from being in the top 4 and equal first on wins even after everything. To only be one game behind considering what we've had to deal with is actually pretty amazing and a testament to the players and the coach. If we can keep going until we get all our players back then this experience and tackling this adversity may actually do wonders for us in the back end of the year - not to mention the game time under the belts of these young players also helping too.

A few weeks ago it felt like this season was a lost cause, now it feels like we're still very well places and there's no reason not to be just as hopeful as we were before the season started.

Agree, they have handled the injuries well and through the toughest stretch of the draw too. The issues coming into the season were:

1) How would the GF loss impact the side - hasn't been an issue.
2) The shortened preseason and trip to Vegas - throw in a stack of injuries on top and 3 from 3 is a fine start to the season.
3) Replacing Herbie, Flegler and Capewell - Cobbo has been great, so has Mariner and Willison and Jensen have stepped up with BTK emerging too. Capewell is probably the biggest loss just because of the issues it causes on the bench.

After 6 rounds it looks like Brisbane and Penrith again imo. Melbourne and the Roosters have improved but I don't think it'll be enough. I am just excited for us to field a full strength lineup and see what it's capable of now.

 

[Mustafur]

Maybe this Karapani kid too ?
He played centre with Mariner outside him in the trials .

They bought him from Souths and had him in the extended squad last week . He must have some thing going for him .

Not sure if Leota was injured but Karapani was above him as he has made the reserves list last few games, he was good in the Trials too.

 

[Sproj]

I haven't seen a huge amount of Leota but he hasn't really done much to stand out to me. He looks like he should be a weapon when you see the size of him but I can't even remember one highlight play.

 

[Skathen]

He was a very naughty boy.

Wasn't it largely because he allegedly turned up drunk to training?

 

[McHunt]

Hard to believe:

 

[Jedhead]

Did Reyno take part in any training?

 

[1910]

I was thinking he might be able to fastrack his way into the side if he asked to switch to second row. He's something of a sporting polyglot but I don't think he's played anywhere but wing in rugby/league.

8/17 Meninga games have been in the centres. He's played nearly only centre for 23/24- 8/10.

 

[Fitzy]

Hard to believe:

I don’t believe it simply because he hasn’t been seen training but the surgery was just a standard clean out and his knee would have strengthened partially over the weeks he was playing through injury as well. Think he is very likely to play next week very unlikely this week.

 

[McHunt]

8/17 Meninga games have been in the centres. He's played nearly only centre for 23/24- 8/10.

Seems to have only played wing in Host Cup and rep level that I can find.

 

[Broncapz]

Feels like an absolute horror start to the season (and it some ways it has been), but if you look at the ladder now, we're really only one win away from the top (4 teams have 4 wins, we have 3)... and that includes all of our injuries, a Storm game we deserved to win and then blew, a few matches where we've lost key players very early on and an exhibition game in Vegas.

We're one Jesse Arthars drop away from being in the top 4 and equal first on wins even after everything. To only be one game behind considering what we've had to deal with is actually pretty amazing and a testament to the players and the coach. If we can keep going until we get all our players back then this experience and tackling this adversity may actually do wonders for us in the back end of the year - not to mention the game time under the belts of these young players also helping too.

A few weeks ago it felt like this season was a lost cause, now it feels like we're still very well places and there's no reason not to be just as hopeful as we were before the season started.

That is a really good take on the season. To counter that, we haven't really played like a top 4 side. Our wins have come from high error counts from the opposition (Bunnies, Cowboys) or just injury ridden teams (Dolphins). How we fare against opponents with a high completion rate and good kicking game is still to be tested, as well as our ability to close out games.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Feels like an absolute horror start to the season (and it some ways it has been), but if you look at the ladder now, we're really only one win away from the top (4 teams have 4 wins, we have 3)... and that includes all of our injuries, a Storm game we deserved to win and then blew, a few matches where we've lost key players very early on and an exhibition game in Vegas.

We're one Jesse Arthars drop away from being in the top 4 and equal first on wins even after everything. To only be one game behind considering what we've had to deal with is actually pretty amazing and a testament to the players and the coach. If we can keep going until we get all our players back then this experience and tackling this adversity may actually do wonders for us in the back end of the year - not to mention the game time under the belts of these young players also helping too.

A few weeks ago it felt like this season was a lost cause, now it feels like we're still very well places and there's no reason not to be just as hopeful as we were before the season started.

#sleepinggiant

 

[GCBRONCO]