PRE-GAME Round 8 - Warriors vs Broncos

[McHunt]

Rumour has it Oates has been dropped. Unfortunately, Boyd hasn't been.

 

[Unbreakable]

Rumour has it Oates has been dropped. Unfortunately, Boyd hasn't been.

View attachment 8410

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Jedhead]

Rumour has it Oates has been dropped. Unfortunately, Boyd hasn't been.

View attachment 8410

I have to be honest here and say it will take more than missing a session in late June to 'freshen' Darius up.

 

[Painin the Haas]

Coates has been moved between wing to centre often in juniors probably slightly more on the wing though. I think he would be a gun centre with his strength & footwork and you can still kick to him, we kicked to folau every chance we got

His defence can’t be worse than what we have now might as well give him a go

 

[Fernando]

I have to be honest here and say it will take more than missing a session in late June to 'freshen' Darius up.

Way to dash my hopes man, I really thought this might be the turning point!

 

[winslow_wong]

For mine, if we don't fix our defence against the Warriors, we will lose. It's as simple as that

If we don’t score more points than the warriors. We will lose.

 

[mrslong]

My thoughts and feelings were optimism. However, I am still struggling to explain our slide since those 2 wins scrappy though they were, although good for essentially a new spine.

I still maintain that our shoddy defence goes a long way in explaining our defeatist mentality - when we are being dominated in the middle, without the ball and field position because of largely poor defence, it makes us crumble.

There is nothing more motivating than to see your defence hit hard and stop attacking moves dead in their tracks. That is why the Roosters and Eels are so good. Pretty much their entire success is built on their defence.

Not to mention our go forward.
The first 3 hit ups of the game vs the Titans is where we lost it, we barely made 10m ffs. And, yes, 100% agree the middles defence is abhorent too. As is the backs.....I used to think it was Isaako's fault he would fly in off his wing, but every single winger that has played for the Broncos in the last 2 years does it. Oates, Coates, Farnworth, Isaako all shoot up and in off the wing. Obviously they're trained to do it, but cannot execute - coaching needs to see that and adjust.

(I still think the gutlessness of the coach/board is clearly hilighted by naming Croft as captain and continuing to play him in the team at the expense of Dearden, the other coaching issue is the bench management and is inexcusable, and can't be blamed on the players not putting in)

 

[rnabokov]

If we don’t score more points than the warriors. We will lose.

We won't score more points than the Warriors if we let more in than we score because of shitty defence.

Aside from that numbers game, a shitty defence creates a defeatist mentality in our team. And we can't score off the back foot without field position, or the ball

 

[the_next]

Cya Oates. Boyd and Milford hopefully to follow.

 

[Unbreakable]

Joel Gould is usually the most reliable in regards to Broncos news, he's saying Boyd will play. Lodge didn't train and won't play, no mention of Staggs, which presumably means he won't play. Richie Kennar spent some time training at centre, will be in the extended squad.

This is the team that'll be named -

1. Niu
2. Isaako
3. Boyd
4. Farnworth
5. Coates
6. Milford
7. Croft
8. Flegler
9. Luke
10. Haas
11. Glenn (c)
12. Pangai Jr
13. Carrigan

14. Dearden
15. (Not sure, it'll either be Oates or Hopoate)
16. Kennedy
17. Te'o

 

[rnabokov]

Not to mention our go forward.
The first 3 hit ups of the game vs the Titans is where we lost it, we barely made 10m ffs. And, yes, 100% agree the middles defence is abhorent too. As is the backs.....I used to think it was Isaako's fault he would fly in off his wing, but every single winger that has played for the Broncos in the last 2 years does it. Oates, Coates, Farnworth, Isaako all shoot up and in off the wing. Obviously they're trained to do it, but cannot execute - coaching needs to see that and adjust.

(I still think the gutlessness of the coach/board is clearly hilighted by naming Croft as captain and continuing to play him in the team at the expense of Dearden, the other coaching issue is the bench management and is inexcusable, and can't be blamed on the players not putting in)

For mine, making Croft captain was stupid. If anything, make Boyd captain which is exactly what you do, in theory, to your most senior player with his experience. Then, if he fails, as he did, you fucking drop him, drop him because he hasn't done what he was retained to do - lead the younger players.

 

[mitch222]

Personally I hope Kennedy starts over Flegler
Atleast Kennedy has a crack. He might not be that good but he is all effort

 

[rnabokov]

Joel Gould is usually the most reliable in regards to Broncos news, he's saying Boyd will play. Lodge didn't train and won't play, no mention of Staggs, which presumably means he won't play. Richie Kennar spent some time training at centre, will be in the extended squad.

This is the team that'll be named -

1. Niu
2. Isaako
3. Boyd
4. Farnworth
5. Coates
6. Milford
7. Croft
8. Flegler
9. Luke
10. Haas
11. Glenn (c)
12. Pangai Jr
13. Carrigan

14. Dearden
15. (Not sure, it'll either be Oates or Hopoate)
16. Kennedy
17. Te'o

I reckon that's the best we can do and if the team fires, we will win. Attacking strengths everywhere. BUT ... it's ALL about the defence. If that doesn't change, this Titanic will be a row boat which sinks

 

[Shane Tronc]

Yes. Good question, and also, Farnworth has done well in the centres so far. I honestly can't understand why Coates into the centres when he can be a try scoring whizz on the wing as he has shown.

The only argument for Boyd is the "theory" that his experience is a big help in defence. Hmmm

I think the switch assumes that Staggs is still out. So centres would be Coates and Herbie

 

[rnabokov]

I think the switch assumes that Staggs is still out. So centres would be Coates and Herbie

Well, it looks like Darbs is da man, yet again. He was ok v Titans so I can see why he was picked. I still can't see however why is in the team at all for this season, but then it's too late for that.

 

[McHunt]

For mine, making Croft captain was stupid. If anything, make Boyd captain which is exactly what you do, in theory, to your most senior player with his experience. Then, if he fails, as he did, you fucking drop him, drop him because he hasn't done what he was retained to do - lead the younger players.

It's not uncommon for teams to demote a captain, but keep them in the group. Thaiday, for example. In cricket, it's very common. Like Alastair Cook making way for Joe Root, and Root likely to step down for Ben Stokes.

 

[Aldo]

TPJ in the second row worries me moving forward. The bloke is probably our laziest player (for covering defensively) and is about as thick as a bag of cement. I'd rather him just meat-heading it up the middle and look to get some offloads happening for Luke and Niu.

 

[rnabokov]

It's not uncommon for teams to demote a captain, but keep them in the group. Thaiday, for example. In cricket, it's very common. Like Alastair Cooke making way for Joe Root.

Point taken. It's however troubling that a player is retained when their performances on the field are by and large failures