POST GAME Round 9 - Broncos vs Bulldogs

[Wolfie]

So Opacic, Roberts, Milford & Bird are all playing injured? :p

I cant confirm or deny anything :D

Blink Blink

 

[Aldo]

This right here should have been a try.

It is frustrating to watch Oates not score here, because I know he was more than capable of getting a try here. Whether he was put off by Montoya, who knows? But he needs to back himself more under the high ball in attack, because that's holding him back from becoming a truly great winger.

Milford and Boyd should have had a couple more try assists last night.

There was another very similar one, I think in the first half, Milf to Oates, where I thought should of been a try.

 

[Porthoz]

But, but, but... they don't want to let the dogs win... dribble, dribble... buaaaaaaaaaaaa

 

[WASSHHH]

Pay is likely to be in trouble after his spat.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/05/04...e-fine-as-bernard-sutton-clears-refs-rulings/

I guess you could say he’ll Pay for it...

 

[Splinter]

I'm not mate, some of these guys are genuinely playing injured and are putting stuff off until the end of the year and tbf, it happens all the time.

They have got a long way to go then

 

[Mosyzlak]

I have a mate saying we've won the last 14 straight with Sutton refereeing at home. Can anyone confirm our deny the validity of that?

 

[Wolfie]

They have got a long way to go then

Yep

 

[WASSHHH]

I have a mate saying we've won the last 14 straight with Sutton refereeing at home. Can anyone confirm our deny the validity of that?

I’ve never met you, so I don’t know what sort of person you are. But I’m willing to go out on a limb and say it’s highly plausible you have at least one mate...
:biggrin::biggrin::porthozthinksthisishot:

 

[Super Freak]

I have a mate saying we've won the last 14 straight with Sutton refereeing at home. Can anyone confirm our deny the validity of that?

Yep.

Our last loss was Round 1, 2015.

 

[Mosyzlak]

I’ve never met you, so I don’t know what sort of person you are. But I’m willing to go out on a limb and say it’s highly plausible you have at least one mate...
[emoji3][emoji3]:porthozthinksthisishot:

You know me too well!

 

[broncos4life]

Sticky has taught Pay everything he knows.

 

[Super Freak]

Roberts pushes his Blues Origin claims

May 4, 2018

Wayne Bennett insists centre James Roberts is making all the tough plays that are required in State of Origin as the Brisbane Broncos strike weapon targets a NSW Blues jersey.

Roberts came up with two decisive plays in the final five minutes of his team's 22-20 win over the Canterbury Bulldogs.

A weaving Roberts run in the middle of the park led to a try to Joe Ofahengaue and then he got involved again with a minute to go.

Roberts put up a towering bomb which led to the Broncos being awarded a penalty when Moses Mbye pushed Darius Boyd as he tried to regather.

It is Roberts' involvement, his defence and willingness to do all the tough one-per-centers which has most impressed Bennett.

"He is doing the things I haven't seen him do in the past and that's the tough things that you have to do in that Origin level," Bennett said.

"When it is not going for you and not much is happening you need to be prepared to just knuckle down and do your job really well and not be a liability to the team.

"I think he is in a good place to be able to do that."

Bennett said Roberts had backed up an outstanding game against South Sydney with another blue-chip performance as he continued to develop his all-round game.

He said Roberts was more than just an athlete and had the footy smarts to go with it.

"It was all flash and show from James when he first arrived here and when he wasn't getting the ball, he didn't want to participate," Bennett said.

"Two years on he has learnt how to be a good pro and is doing a lot of things out there that are making a difference for us without the starry 40 or 50 yard runs.

"His defence was really good tonight. He did a tough job on Inglis [last week] and [Josh] Morris is a really good player as we all know.

"James is probably the most heavily marked player in the game in that area where he plays because everyone knows you can't give him half a metre.

"I am just pleased he is doing a lot of little things that he didn't do in the past. He's a rock for us at the moment."

Bennett hailed the courage of his side to never give up despite not hitting the lead in the game until the 80th minute.

"I liked the way we were behind all night and just kept at it. They are the qualities you want to see in your football team," Bennett said.

"It doesn't always go to script but you want to see them not give up."

The young Broncos forwards were enormous on a night when Matt Gillett and Josh McGuire were both missing with injury.

Bennett also revealed 18-year-old Payne Haas had an ankle injury and not concussion after he left the field following a collision with David Klemmer in the 56th minute.

Source: NRL.com

 

[Super Freak]

Hooked or injured? Wayne Bennett explains under-fire Jack Bird’s Broncos benching

May 3, 2018

WAYNE Bennett has explained Jack Bird’s late benching in the Broncos’ controversial last minute win over the Bulldogs, claiming that the star utility had injured his quad.

However, so ordinary was Bird’s 69-minute performance before he went off, Fox League commentators Corey Parker and Braith Anasta speculated it was “the old fashioned hook”.

“I think it is,” Anasta said when asked by Parker if he thought Bird’s benching was performance related.

“Bird’s only run the ball three times in the whole match playing in the halves.

“You want him to run the ball, that’s why you’ve got him there.

“I know the NSW selectors are looking at him to play five-eighth for the Blues, well this will do his chances a lot of harm.”

Bird has struggled to meet the lofty expectations that accompanied his big money off-season signing, with injury and then form issues dogging his first season with the Broncos.

Unable to get his hands on the ball enough at centre, Bird was moved into the halves last month but he is yet to stamp his mark on Brisbane’s No.6 or No.7 jersey.

Even with the Broncos falling over the line at the end of a gritty performance against the Bulldogs it was another muted display from Bird, failing to ignite his side’s attack with his running game and signing off for the night with a defensive error that cost his side a try.

The slippery Suncorp Stadium surface was partly to blame for that mistake, with Bird losing his footing in a carbon copy of a play that embarrassed Darius Boyd just before half-time.

Bird looked to have an attacking Bulldogs kick covered as he chased back infield but as he was about to make a play on the ball he slipped onto his back and Bulldogs utility Kerrod Holland swooped to give his side what looked likely to be a match winning lead.

According to Bennett, it was that play that injured Bird, with the halfback feeling his quad tighten up after he hit the ground.

“ ... His quad started to tighten up when he slipped over when they scored that try to go to 20-14,” Bennett said in the post-match press conference.

“On the chase there going back he felt it go a little bit and it tightened up.

“I don’t think he’ll be available next week and Alex Glenn was in the same boat.

“Pretty physical game and played at a pretty fair speed, so a few of them are struggling.”

Still, Bird’s game will have NSW selectors concerned with a halves spot alongside James Maloney up for grabs due to injuries to Mitchell Pearce and Nathan Cleary, who may yet return in time to be considered for an Origin debut.

Bird has played five Origin games for the Blues in the last two years but his current form will make it difficult for new coach Brad Fittler to justify his selection.

Speaking in Fox League’s pre-game coverage of the Broncos-Bulldogs clash Bird’s former Cronulla teammate Mick Ennis implored him to run the ball as often as possible, Bennett should instruct him to take one of two options.

“Wayne Bennett should be giving Jack Bird two options — give James Roberts early ball or run the ball,” Ennis said.

Bird did neither, running three times for 25 metres and leaving most of the playmaking duties to Anthony Milford and Boyd.

Source: Fox Sports

 

[Mightybroncs2k17]

For me the best part about winning in that fashion is knowing that the dogs coach not only copped a 30k fine for bitching but knowing he’s probably still crying over it. Deadset drove me crazy watching him celebrate every try they scored like he just won a premiership or trained the winning Melbourne cup horse.

I mean we are round 9 and they’ve won two games it’s not not like they’re on a 15 game losing streak and about to knock off the reining premiers. Bloody hell mate sit the hell down and figure out why your NSW representative forward pack are been monstered week after week rather then celebrating a try caused by your opposition falling over.

 

[Jason Simmons]

For me the best part about winning in that fashion is knowing that the dogs coach not only copped a 30k fine for bitching but knowing he’s probably still crying over it. Deadset drove me crazy watching him celebrate every try they scored like he just won a premiership or trained the winning Melbourne cup horse.

I mean we are round 9 and they’ve won two games it’s not not like they’re on a 15 game losing streak and about to knock off the reining premiers. Bloody hell mate sit the hell down and figure out why your NSW representative forward pack are been monstered week after week rather then celebrating a try caused by your opposition falling over.

Yep, the NRL should definitely make him Pay...

Don’t mind me. I’ll just let myself out...

:biggrin:

 

[Number6]

It's times like this I'm very glad that Wayne doesn't listen to the fans.

Boyd is old and slow and has no work effort or urgency, so he'd be far better off playing in a position that is extremely technical defensively, requires split-second decision-making, ability to move laterally and turn either way instantly, and needs to cover for any weaknesses in the half who is next to them (centre). Genius.

Or move one of, if not, our shortest player to fullback, who hasn't played there since the 20's, has been completely exposed under the high ball the one time he was under them, and allegedly doesn't have any organisational ability.

Any criticism of Boyd coupled with Bennett being his father, and playing him at fullback for any reason other than being the best person for the job, just shows how compromised people's judgements are, and how quick they are to believe such inane bullshit.

I'll never give up on the Broncos but I can't say the same for the fanbase sometimes.

Your only argument is that Boyd shouldn’t be in the team as I can see it. You make no argument that he should be fullback only not a centre. And centre is no where as demanding as fullback physically just ask Inglis who is similarly nursing leg issues.

As for shortest player in team playing fullback please don’t tell Matt Bowen, Billy Slater, Ponga just to name a few that being shorter means you can’t play fullback. And that the same above players would be crap at halfback but still very good at the back. Btw I’m not a fan of KNik at fullback but arguing a negative doesn’t make the opposite positive true.

Why is it compromised judgement to suggest that Boyd hasn’t been up to fitness or form and therefore isn’t right for the job at least until he can fully stretch out?

As for Bennett favouritism arguments once again not unreasonable. Boyd has moved every club with Bennett. Very rare. Boyd was never the right buy for Broncs when he came back we needed a halfback (Hunt was always a five eight and still is in all bar number). Bennett has refused to entertain even possibility of an alternative option at fullback or a rest when Boyd clearly unfit. Boyd gets a long term contract which if reports are true is mind boggling bad decision making based on info available at the time of signing. Add in why on earth Boyd got captaincy when hardly a leader of men (and can’t talk to a ref or harden up to lead by example rather than whinge) a lot of fair questions. Why does whole Broncos defensive structure go to crap when he was out? He’s a good defensive organiser but no player should be that important to a defensive line unless coached that way. Either Boyd is a modern day legend on par with Locky or perhaps there is a pattern of him getting preferential treatment. Can’t prove it but pattern is concerning. He’s been a good player in the past and may or may not be again but just not one worth the cost (in opportunity costs for better players or players required to fill positions, likely future contract size, leadership vacuum) Broncs have paid for him. Foolish to build a team around him like Broncs have tried to.

Look at his state of origin record his best performances are being given a specific job to accomplish and let the better heads run the team. His combination with Inglis was largely because Inglis when fit is phenomenal. Boyd was good enough to do the job to finish what a real superstar started. Isn’t a slight on Boyd just that he isn’t the main man Bennett seems to make him out to be.

 

[Foordy]

Is that confirmed? I thought the 30k fine was only speculated at this stage

 

[Old Mate]

It's times like this I'm very glad that Wayne doesn't listen to the fans.

Boyd is old and slow and has no work effort or urgency, so he'd be far better off playing in a position that is extremely technical defensively, requires split-second decision-making, ability to move laterally and turn either way instantly, and needs to cover for any weaknesses in the half who is next to them (centre). Genius.

Unlike fullback were you can have a cruisy run, there’s no split second decisions covering grubbers or anything.