Round 8 - Broncos vs Titans

[KnToad]

I must say I have been loving seeing Oatesy playing well again.

Me too!!!
It’s great to see the big fella back galloping down the field like a thoroughbred racehorse

 

[broncsgoat]

As much as I love TPJ’s game, he did something really dumb in the first few minutes that led to points. Fifita was being held upright and he ran from the middle of the field to put an unnecessary hit on him. The next play the Titans ran straight through the gap he would have been defending in and scored. It’s the little things like that, that make it really hard for this team to win games.

While I don’t disagree, Fifita went into his shell and literally couldn’t stop kicking the ball away. It may have led to points but it attributed to their best player playing like a little bitch.

 

[KnToad]

I must admit, I do feel vindicated with how Isaako is performing this year. There wasn't too many people who stuck by him over the last 2 years, but you can be damn sure I was one of them.

Just wanted to see how he performed with a full off-season training in a single position with no off-field distractions.. it's paying dividends.

I think there's plenty of room to grow as well, not only defensively, but in attack. He's had so many different halves pairings that there's been no combinations forming. Give him a couple of months working together with Milford & Gamble and I think he'll be even better in attack.

I’m with you UB.

 

[1910]

So how long till some club swoops in to lure Gamble away with a bit of dosh? I give it 3 months. Just enough for him to really find his feet as a player before he's bought out. Broncs can't keep talent. Not with that fraud parasite organization in melbourne stealing QLD's talent and calling itself "melbourne".

He is mid 20’s and a part time electrician, been playing ISC since 2017. He’s not getting better money anywhere, it’s just chance he wants.

You do know the Broncos got him from Wests Tigers?

 

[McHunt]

When you single out Fifita for a fresh glass of hardway juice:

 

[KnToad]

I know I have said it a few times already but I fucking loved Gamble’s game. Watching the replay for a second time already and he was just awesome. Made the right calls, directed the team and gave great ball to the outside backs. Further to all that his attitude and energy is fucking amazing and that obviously rubs off on the team. Loved him getting in Brimson’s face when he got sin binned and him waving it away when Fogarty kicked out on the full.

Great stuff.

Absofknlutely!!
If he plays like that all the time he’s gonna be my new favourite player. I loved his attitude. Reminded me of watching my wife’s team the Panthers with all their young guns full of in your face attitude

 

[nopatience101]

Lodge & Riki somehow got grade 1 charges for the push & shove at the end, facing fines. Titans somehow avoided any charges...

 

[McHunt]

I'm wondering if there is any merit in having Milf putting up a torpedo bomb to restart a goal-line drop out? It might not have the distance Isaako gets but there is a real chance the opposition spills one of those wicked floating bombs, or plays safe and lets it bounce and who knows where it goes then.

Torpedo bomb. Goal-line drop out. Pick one.

 

[Jedhead]

Torpedo bomb. Goal-line drop out. Pick one.

Nah the first is a version of the second.

 

[McHunt]

Nah the first is a version of the second.

You're suggesting a spiral bomb drop kick? That sounds like a recipe for going sideways out on the full, or maybe even missing the ball with your foot altogether.

 

[mitch222]

Just gotta say how good was it to finally see a halfback dig deep into the line before passing
Opens up our backline so much better when that happens
Gamble isn’t afraid to take a shot to give the outside players more space

 

[ChewThePhatt]

HTH

View attachment 12714

I'm a fan of Riki but I dunno, I've just watched a replay & several times Jordan looked well of the pace.
Is he injured/sick?
It looked to me that he had his head & heart in the game, his body though seemed to be letting him down....?

 

[Galah]

Just gotta say how good was it to finally see a halfback dig deep into the line before passing
Opens up our backline so much better when that happens
Gamble isn’t afraid to take a shot to give the outside players more space

Everyone out side of him also knew exactly where he wanted them. Dearden and Croft had everyone running around like headless chooks.

 

[McHunt]

Lodge & Riki somehow got grade 1 charges for the push & shove at the end, facing fines. Titans somehow avoided any charges...

Here's the Lodge incident on Fifita. What a pissweak charge:

 

[LittleDavey]

I'm a fan of Riki but I dunno, I've just watched a replay & several times Jordan looked well of the pace.
Is he injured/sick?
It looked to me that he had his head & heart in the game, his body though seemed to be letting him down....?

I have no inside info but think he's simply struggling to keep up in NRL at the moment, I love the bloke but he bombed two opportunities and really wasn't great on either side of the ball on Friday. He really needs a breather in ISC IMO. Think some of his mates were sitting behind us, they lifted the roof every time he got near the ball

 

[KnToad]

No one wins an argument and I wasn't trying to either. Commentary DOES influence people, you've said so yourself. Our eyes deceive us on occasion and the blame being heaped on Isaako is entirely unreasonable and heavily influenced by being told what to believe. I have little doubt that had there been no yammering Anasta there'd be a great deal less condemnation. Anyway, I can't be fucked writing about it anymore so if people want to believe Isaako was responsible for all those points, so be it. They're just plain wrong.

The only thing I would add to the back and forth, and maybe it’s just some balance, is I think Isaako “appeared” to lack urgency when he could be seen jogging across the ground behind the play. If he looked like he was hooking across trying to get there at top ace and with some “urgency” then observers may be less inclined to place the blame on him in these sort of situations.
I’m a big fan of his and he think he has received a lot of unfair criticism but I wouldn’t be upset to see him showing some anticipation in situations like that and showing some real urgency to get there and be the difference. A perfect example is our goalline defense. We stopped three tries on or over the line that more than likely would have been scored I previous weeks and months.

 

[LittleDavey]

Everyone out side of him also knew exactly where he wanted them. Dearden and Croft had everyone running around like headless chooks.

This impressed me the most - he was pushing/pulling EVERYONE around, all night. At one point he took Milf with him and swapped sides of the play-the-ball twice in two consecutive tackles to keep the Tits guessing. Another time he was in behind one of our boys getting tackled, told Turps to get it to Lodge next, then tapped Lodge on the shoulder as he jogged past to the outside, and let his outside men know it was a forward hitup coming next play. Those are the two situations that stuck in my mind from the game, but he was literally doing it all night. Great to see, and EXACTLY the type of on-field leader we've been lacking. I really hope he can back it up and keep it going.

 

[KnToad]

and we had all sorts of issues with kicks in behind over the last few years when Darius was up in the line.

Isaako's issue seems to be urgency.

He knows he has to be in the line and then drop and float out the back, but he needs to be showing more urgency to stay in front of the ball.

That takes a shit ton of fitness to do.

From memory the fittest young players at the club the last few years have been Herbie and Niu... I'm sure Isaako is as well, but I can't recall how he usually goes with his fitness. He looks fit as ****, but if he's all power rather than stamina then perhaps he needs to change that aspect up.

What we do know about Isaako is that he is super committed and dedicated as a footballer off the field, and I'd say defence is one of those things that can be taught.

I think if we did get a Billy Slater in there to do 1v1 coaching of Isaako to fix his defence he could be a seriously dangerous fullback for us.

Took the words right out of my mouth