Round 7 - Eels vs Broncos

[broncsgoat]

One of the John’s said about our team (and like all things league media, it was stolen from somewhere else)that it’s like a Ferrari engine without a steering wheel. It was a comment on how we have a big athletic forward pack but no direction from the spine.

Obviously the first step is to prioritise finding a steering wheel asap but in the mean time, what do you do if you have a Ferrari with no steering wheel? You drive straight! It’s not rocket science, we did it against the panthers and almost bored them into a win. When we played direct last night we were pumping the eels forward pack and making huge metres - and this time, instead of panicking in their 20m zone like we did against the panthers, what did we do? Kept going straight. Crash ball after crash ball from TPJ and Haas until one of them broke through. It’s boring as all **** but it plays to our strengths and it has proven to work for us.

Last night we went away from that and started to going wide or had the forwards ball playing, which lead to us dropping the ball and going away from our strengths.

Ive seen enough and heard enough to suggest that this is what Kev is asking them to do (post game presser last week his biggest criticism is that we didn’t use Haas and TPJ close to the line, this week they did for a while. At half time against the panthers he apparently said “don’t let bored stop you from doing what is working”). I actually think based on this that Kev gets it, it’s the idiots on the field that are too dumb to follow the plan. Haas and TPJ get it, no one else seems too.

Al they need to do is run straight. Everyone. Kick returns run hard and straight, Oates, Coates, Farnworth, theyre big fast humans. Lodge run straight and don’t pass, Haas straight, Turpin sees a marker out of position? Run straight. Croft gets the ball? Run it. Get to the kick and and kick to a corner, defend and repeat. Get in their 20m? You better believe that’s a time to run straight.

I agree with you but it all means nothing if we simply can’t defend, our edges are just fucked.

 

[Midean]

I'm f#####g heartbroken ... 1988, this fine club was founded and I was there watching them train before a ball had been thrown in anger ... watched the very first outings against Canberra and the New Zealand President's XIII ... watched them thump Manly in their first NSWRL outing and have followed them ceaselessly for the intervening 33 years. But never have I ever felt such gut-wrenching disappointment as I did last night .. I honestly felt, after the Panthers game, we'd turned the corner, they had their mojo back. But no .. last night was a disgrace, a "f##k you" to every player who ever wore that jersey, one of whom is now the coach and it's a looming tragedy that Kevin Walters may be remembered for failing as a coach rather than his superhuman efforts as a 5/8. I'm almost done with the whole shit-show, the endless, empty-headed post-match comments "we didn't show up tonight", "we've got to take a hard look at ourselves", "thanks to the members and fans for sticking by us" ... empty words, this is one member who won't be signing up again because this is one member who is very .. very nearly done!! with all of the self-serving stupidity and nonsense that's destroyed a once-great outfit.
Sorry about the rant guys, I don't post much but if I can't vent here where can I vent?

Well said mate, I'm in the exact same boat.
I said it in another post, but last night was the angriest and most disappointed i have ever been watching a Broncos game.
I can handle losing a premiership to a dropped ball, or a 50 point thumping if the effort is there and the team tries their best. But i don't feel that from this current group.
There are two blokes in the team who give 100% every week and that's Haas and TPJ.
The rest coast or do the bare minimum.

 

[Mr Fourex]

One of the John’s said about our team (and like all things league media, it was stolen from somewhere else)that it’s like a Ferrari engine without a steering wheel. It was a comment on how we have a big athletic forward pack but no direction from the spine.

Obviously the first step is to prioritise finding a steering wheel asap but in the mean time, what do you do if you have a Ferrari with no steering wheel? You drive straight! It’s not rocket science, we did it against the panthers and almost bored them into a win. When we played direct last night we were pumping the eels forward pack and making huge metres - and this time, instead of panicking in their 20m zone like we did against the panthers, what did we do? Kept going straight. Crash ball after crash ball from TPJ and Haas until one of them broke through. It’s boring as all **** but it plays to our strengths and it has proven to work for us.

Last night we went away from that and started to going wide or had the forwards ball playing, which lead to us dropping the ball and going away from our strengths.

Ive seen enough and heard enough to suggest that this is what Kev is asking them to do (post game presser last week his biggest criticism is that we didn’t use Haas and TPJ close to the line, this week they did for a while. At half time against the panthers he apparently said “don’t let bored stop you from doing what is working”). I actually think based on this that Kev gets it, it’s the idiots on the field that are too dumb to follow the plan. Haas and TPJ get it, no one else seems too.

Al they need to do is run straight. Everyone. Kick returns run hard and straight, Oates, Coates, Farnworth, theyre big fast humans. Lodge run straight and don’t pass, Haas straight, Turpin sees a marker out of position? Run straight. Croft gets the ball? Run it. Get to the kick and and kick to a corner, defend and repeat. Get in their 20m? You better believe that’s a time to run straight.

Cult's under 11's get it.....**** me.....the majority of under 7's get it.

These ***** we have in first grade are completely fucked in the head.

 

[theshed]

Oppa....as in Joe Ofahengaue? Pffft....pass.

Now Benji is a different story....ripping it up for the bunnies last night......and was getting back to his old form for the Tigers last year.

Yep....he would have stayed with us or come back for **** all money. We are despearate for experience and talent in the spine. Marshall would give us both.....instead we're now pining our hopes on a guy who's been out of the game for years and who currently is showing in the reggies.......nothing ........of the player he used to be.

There's lots of reason why we are so so shit....recruitment/retention officers for the last 5 years would be the first ***** I'd get rid of. Fucken useless.

David Fifita killing it with the Titans.....we let him go and instead we keep Alex Glenn, who can't even get through a pre-game warm up without breaking down.

Fifita, Haas and TPJ in your pack.......and a half and dummy half who even just had half a clue......and you're almost unbeatable.

Something is very very wrong up the food chain at Brisbane.

Not Offa, Oppa. Tom Opacic.

The centre who is a bronco debutant who would’ve taken $150k to come back this season before Parra swooped in reaction to the Jennings drug bust.

His stats against us last night were:
1 try
1 try assist
114 run metres
6 tackle breaks
2 line breaks
1 line break assist
17 tackles / 1 miss
(Our centres missed 8 and 4 tackles).

 

[Mr Fourex]

Not Offa, Oppa. Tom Opacic.

The centre who is a bronco debutant who would’ve taken $150k to come back this season before Parra swooped in reaction to the Jennings drug bust.

His stats against us last night were:
1 try
1 try assist
114 run metres
6 tackle breaks
2 line breaks
1 line break assist
17 tackles / 1 miss
(Our centres missed 8 and 4 tackles).

Ah Opacic
......hmmm. I don't think our problem lies in the centres.

 

[Midean]

FIFTY FOUR (54) missed tackles.

SIXTY EIGHT (68) percent completion rate.

These blokes deserve another spoon.

 

[theshed]

Ah Opacic
......hmmm. I don't think our problem lies in the centres.

You don’t think the 7 tries scored down our right edge is an issue?

 

[Browny]

Not running straight that’s a paddlin

 

[rnabokov]

You don’t think the 7 tries scored down our right edge is an issue?

Very much so, but I don't think it is an issue with the centre. It's the whole edge, their poor positioning, zero communication and just poor reads which are way too slow for the speed with which the opposition moves the ball wide.

 

[theshed]

Very much so, but I don't think it is an issue with the centre. It's the whole edge, their poor positioning, zero communication and just poor reads which are way too slow for the speed with which the opposition moves the ball wide.

This is why imo we need a reliable defensive centre who is a good communicator.

Ir doesn’t solve all the issues on the right edge but it’s a good start. A better fullback would help too.

 

[rnabokov]

I thought the same of Milf and have thus far been extremely fucking wrong

The whole problem for mine goes back to losing Bennett the way we did. If he was with us in '19, I bet things would have been a whole lot different, especially with Milford and Boyd, if not the entire roster.

Seibold wasn't the real problem. He was the wrong coach at the wrong time for the wrong roster. The club was and remains the big problem.Now, I am wondering if Walters is also facing such a hard time with the roster he inherited.

Our mob (sic) needed, and needs, a coach with the experience and skills of someone like Bennett. Again, I am wondering if Kevvie is the right choice. I mean throwing the jersey down, yelling about passion and effort is fine, but I'm equally interested in the coaching of basic footie fundamentals. I am becoming pessimistic for this season, with this roster under Walters.

 

[rnabokov]

This is why imo we need a reliable defensive centre who is a good communicator.

Ir doesn’t solve all the issues I. The right edge but it’s a good start. A better fullback would help too.

Not enough for mine. That edge is a combination issue - wing - centre - half and 2nd row, and NO FB organising, and reading the play as you say.

 

[theshed]

Not enough for mine. That edge is a combination issue - wing - centre - half and 2nd row, and NO FB organising.

No arguments here but that post reads like an argument for a new centre. I’m not saying a different centre magically fixes the right edge but I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want a new centre there.

 

[rnabokov]

No arguments here but that post reads like an argument for a new centre. I’m not saying a different centre magically fixes the right edge but I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want a new centre there.

Because the problem is structural, not positional. The entire edge is the issue and 1 competent player won't fix that.

 

[theshed]

Because the problem is structural, not positional. The entire edge is the issue and 1 competent player won't fix that.

So your answer is to not sign the competent player? Okay.

 

[broncsgoat]

The whole problem for mine goes back to losing Bennett the way we did. If he was with us in '19, I bet things would have been a whole lot different, especially with Milford and Boyd, if not the entire roster.

Seibold wasn't the real problem. He was the wrong coach at the wrong time for the wrong roster. Now, I am wondering if Walters is also facing such a hard time with the roster he inherited.

Our mob (sic) needed, and needs, a coach with the experience and skills of someone like Bennett. Again, I am wondering if Kevvie is the right choice. I mean throwing the jersey down, yelling about passion and effort is fine, but I'm equally interested in the coaching of basic footie fundamentals. I am becoming pessimistic for this season, with this roster under Walters.

I obviously agree with you re the majority of this (probably a bit harsher of opinion on Seibold).

Walters is on a bit of a hiding to nothing with what he's been handed, it was a fear of mine that it would be the case though I did want him to come in and be a success but yeah to me the whole jersey throwing thing just seems a bit fucking clichéd and stupid.

We need to attract players but I just don't see anyone of any note wanting to come here unless its for massive Milfordesqe overs. The team is a fucking shambles and the unrelenting media scrutiny simply wouldn't be worth it.

The only way I see us making any meaningful improvement in the short term is if Wayne comes back to be involved in some sort of capacity from '22 onwards. This may be a bit back to the futurish but **** me dead it's gotta be better than the past 3 years.

 

[rnabokov]

So your answer is to not sign the competent player? Okay.

My answer is to sign a competent FB and put Coates on notice that if he comes in off his wing again he is in ISC, and the same goes the back rower. I feel Herbie is a fine defender, if his edge mates are doing their job. And then there is the issue of coaching something as basic as edge defence. Throwing a jersey isn't quite enough of itself.

 

[the_next]

The forwards are doing their job, they could be far superior if the spine gave them a chance. The options from our halves and fb are absolutely diabolical. Our back 3 give no help to the big boys and our halves cannot finish off a set of 6 to save their lives.
I feel massively for the blokes that actually have a dig. The Payne Haas’ of the world. Imagine him in a Storm or Roosters jersey. He would be a future immortal with how their sides would allow him to play, and not be spent every fkn week.
We NEED a PROVEN 7. Yeah Reynolds doesn’t want to leave Sydney, but it’s time this club stood for something and made his decision for him. Offer him a 2yr deal, at $1mill a year.
Shop Isaako around or at the very least put him back on the wing or back into cup.
Buy an experienced winger and an experienced centre. In those positions we could get Gags and Fergo relatively cheap imo.
Get some fucking experienced hard-nosed PROVEN players.
Let the next ‘young guns’ find their feet elsewhere if they think they don’t need to spend time learning their trait in cup.
It’s really not that fkn difficult, but for some reason this club has no idea it seems and I’m seeing nothing that tells me we are heading in the right direction.
At least the Bulldogs and Cowboys are recurring for next year accordingly. We just seem to want to keep re-signing young unproven blokes that read in the paper that they’re the next best thing.