PRE-GAME Round 9 - Broncos vs Bulldogs

[Wolfie]

See this concerns me. People are now deciding where a player should play based on what he is being paid? It shouldn’t work like that and I don’t care if he doesn’t want to play at centre. He plays where he is told to play! He isn’t the coach! McGuire and TPJ are miles in front of him in the lock department to IMO so it’s a big no for that position too!

I hope I’m wrong and I’m happy to be proven wrong but I think he is a bad signing for us!

Like it or not, we are under a salary cap and your players that will have the most impact on a game get the most money. You dont spend a fortune of the cap on a player who wont be getting on the ball enough. He isnt a Justin Hodges at center, he isnt anywhere near close to being at that level.

On your other point about a player being told to play where he is told to. We have tried that, and he threw his toys out of the plan and didn't play for the team when he was moved against Melbourne. In theory, players should play wherever they are put and some are happy to give their best, others just eont perform if they are forced to do it.

 

[pagey]

I’m basing it on the only game that I’ve enjoyed watching this year where we actually looked like we had some type of structure and knew what we were trying to do and that was the cowboys game. Let’s face it the warriors and Souths wins were individual brilliance that got us there. There was no structure what so ever. The Souths game was hard to watch especially the first half.

Nikorimas first or second touch against the storm led to a try. He got the ball as a half and threw a great cutout ball for a try. We won’t see that from bird!

I admit his last 2 games have been better but it's been from the bench. You musn't have watched the first 4 games .

 

[Wolfie]

I was thinking lock for Bird....but TPJ is really looking likely. I agree he isn't much of a centre. He needs to get his hands on the ball a lot more than that.

That said......he really is playing at the moment with zero confidence. I hope like **** in the next couple weeks he does something, one thing special.... that will get him flying high again.

I think TPJ will kill it wherever he plays in the forwards, he just has so much ability.

 

[Mr Fourex]

I think TPJ will kill it wherever he plays in the forwards, he just has so much ability.

Yeah....agree. Backrow edge runner or hit up, straight and hard or to the line and offload, he seems to have it all......

 

[lynx000]

I was thinking lock for Bird....but TPJ is really looking likely. I agree he isn't much of a centre. He needs to get his hands on the ball a lot more than that.

That said......he really is playing at the moment with zero confidence. I hope like **** in the next couple weeks he does something, one thing special.... that will get him flying high again.

I know I have been put in the sky is falling crew, but I agree with this. I think we are expecting too much of Bird a few games into his recovery from a major injury, at a new club where he is not familiar with the playing style or roster and with him down on confidence. If we are to be patient with the team and let them build into the season, surely the same should apply for Bird (and the Bird/Milford combination). What we are seeing now and what we may see in 6-10 games might be chalk and cheese.

 

[Wolfie]

I think we should let Bird just get fit and get healed up for a full pre season. This sternum injury needs healing

 

[Sproj]

This game, I would like to see:

1. Bird
2. Isaako
3. Roberts
4. Oppa (he is being given no credit at all and that is another way he is similar to Reed, he is exactly what that left side needs, no coincidence how good Oates is suddenly going since Oppa went there, just as he did when Reed was there)
5. Kahu
6. Milf
7. Bird
8. Lodge
9. Glenn
10. Joffa
11. Su'a
12. Sims
13. TPJ

14. Knik
15. Taga
16. Haas
17. Oates

 

[Foordy]

This game, I would like to see:

1. Bird
2. Isaako
3. Roberts
4. Oppa (he is being given no credit at all and that is another way he is similar to Reed, he is exactly what that left side needs, no coincidence how good Oates is suddenly going since Oppa went there, just as he did when Reed was there)
5. Kahu
6. Milf
7. Bird
8. Lodge
9. Glenn
10. Joffa
11. Su'a
12. Sims
13. TPJ

14. Knik
15. Taga
16. Haas
17. Oates

Kahu isn't due back for a couple of weeks

 

[PerthBrissy987]

This game, I would like to see:

1. Bird
2. Isaako
3. Roberts
4. Oppa (he is being given no credit at all and that is another way he is similar to Reed, he is exactly what that left side needs, no coincidence how good Oates is suddenly going since Oppa went there, just as he did when Reed was there)
5. Kahu
6. Milf
7. Bird
8. Lodge
9. Glenn
10. Joffa
11. Su'a
12. Sims
13. TPJ

14. Knik
15. Taga
16. Haas
17. Oates

Nice, Bird playing 2 positions

 

[Number6]

Thaiday was named there last week. Offa would probably be fine, TPJ at lock seems to work alright. Bring Taga onto the bench.

I’d start Glenn at hooker and move Nikorima off the bench into the role when the Dogs forwards start to tire.

Sims and Su’a in the second row. Oates can go to the bench as a back-rower / outside backs cover. It’s a patched up team and not at all ideal, but what choice do you have with as many injuries as we’ve got? We almost have a whole pack on the sidelines...

1. Boyd.
2. Kahu.
3. Jimmy.
4. Oppa.
5. Isaako.
6. Bird.
7. Milf.

8. Sammi.
9. Glenn.
10. Offa.
11. Sims.
12. Su’a.
13. TPJ.

14. Niko.
15. Taga.
16. Oates.
17. Haas.

Are we going to go through the remaining fit forward pack until no one is fit or actually playing in their more valued position we play a second hooker? And second row stocks are low now too.

Give Murphy a go. If he only has to play 25 minutes then just tell him to turn his effort in defence up to 11.

 

[Number6]

I don’t understand where this concern about Nikorima’s defence is coming from? I haven’t seen anything to suggest that he is a bad defender, small yes but everytime I’ve watch him he puts his body on the line!

I don’t buy into the he would get isolated more defending as a half. You can’t tell me that he is a liability defending three in but your happy for him to play hooker and defend set after set up through the middle.

Anyway my opinion is obviously completely different to a lot of people’s but I will say this again “in my opinion” (please nobody get their nickers in a twist) we are a far more dangerous side with Nikorima playing 7. This means bird has to play left centre.

Bird playing in the halves puts to much pressure on Milford at the back end of the sets. This may sound stupid but if Milford gets tackled on the 5th tackle who’s kicking the ball? Not bird from what I’ve seen. Boyd? A forward? It reminds me of Cartwright at the titans. Just a lock pretending to be a half.

KNik was a speed bump in the halves. His kicks often struggled to hit the centre of the boot and he spent more time at centre than at half this year. In fairness he didn’t have a preseason, is probably warming up the shoulder and wasn’t getting a lot of help from the rest of the spine but showed so much more at hooker. In hooker he can’t be isolated so much so can get help in defence. Longer term would think he could be a five eight but isn’t an organising half.

And bird doesn’t have a terrible boot by looks of it especially compared to our current options. Btw who is our kicking coach can we please fire or hire someone ASAP.

 

[WASSHHH]

Kahu isn't due back for a couple of weeks

He’s a better chance of playing than Bird is of playing fullback and halfback!
:porthozthinksthisishot::porthozthinksthisishot::porthozthinksthisishot:

 

[Sproj]

He’s a better chance of playing than Bird is of playing fullback and halfback!
:porthozthinksthisishot::porthozthinksthisishot::porthozthinksthisishot:

Pfft, everyone's a critic. The guy is on $16 million a year, so I thought he might as well play two positions.

 

[winslow_wong]

Nice, Bird playing 2 positions

We signed jack birds brother on a packaged deal. His name is John

 

[WASSHHH]

Pfft, everyone's a critic. The guy is on $16 million a year, so I thought he might as well play two positions.

Look, if we’re going to have someone play multiple positions simultaneously, it should be TPJ on present form.
Add to that; he is already willing to stay for less, so he’d deadset be the deal of the century if he was playing 10 and 13.

 

[Broncos Maestro]

This game, I would like to see:

1. Bird
2. Isaako
3. Roberts
4. Oppa (he is being given no credit at all and that is another way he is similar to Reed, he is exactly what that left side needs, no coincidence how good Oates is suddenly going since Oppa went there, just as he did when Reed was there)
5. Kahu
6. Milf
7. Bird
8. Lodge
9. Glenn
10. Joffa
11. Su'a
12. Sims
13. TPJ

14. Knik
15. Taga
16. Haas
17. Oates

Agree about the lack of praise for Oppa. If we don’t acknowledge his contribution to the team, he’ll probably get picked up by another team, play absolute blinders and we’ll be like “WB forced Oppa out, why couldn’t we keep him like Arrow/Wallace/Hunt etc etc etc”

 

[Wolfie]

Agree about the lack of praise for Oppa. If we don’t acknowledge his contribution to the team, he’ll probably get picked up by another team, play absolute blinders and we’ll be like “WB forced Oppa out, why couldn’t we keep him like Arrow/Wallace/Hunt etc etc etc”

Thing is, he doesnt need to be a superstar or even be anything more solid, but i feel he helps the games of others around him and sometimes thats good enough.

 

[Morkel]

Poking my head in to say I am also a fan of what Opacic brings.

It's a tough one, but I think spots 1-4 need to stay as-is, so it's up to Kahu and Isaako to battle it out for the #5 jersey.