[RUMOUR] THREE significant signings in the pipeline

[Sproj]

I also see Reed becoming an excellent back rower.

 

[Alec]

I'm hoping Reed drops some kilos the way Thaiday has. He looked as slow as Maranta this year, both seem clearly uncomfortable with the extra pounds.

 

[rnabokov]

Yeah I agree that he does lack some speed but I really can't fault him otherwise. He has great heart, awareness, ball-playing, defence, try-line hunger, kick catching and even a nice attacking kick/grubber when it's needed. What we really need is hodges to turn into Benjamin Button and wind back a few years. Reed is fine if we have speed around him (see Hoffman, Barba, Milford, Vidot).

In the next couple of years, I can see Reed becoming a Luke Lewis style player. A good replacement for Parker, maybe, depending how his physique settles. Then we need to replace Hodges with a (young) Jamie Lyon or a Michael Jennings style player. Or a Blake ferguson with brains (see Inglis).

At the price we got Reed for, I love the bloke - shows that he wants to be a Bronco!

Agree totally, although I think he is a lot quicker than people believe.

Watching highlights of the tries he has scored and some of his defence, I have, and still rate him in the top tier of centres.

He has got a great understanding with his outside and inside support and his finishing is first class.

That is why I cannot understand people ignoring him in their team selections. For mine, Reed has earned his spot as 2nd choice centre behind Hodges.

It makes signing BOTH Mills and Vidot baffling. Seems to me we have turned into a team of outside backs and back rowers

 

[Manifesto]

I agree as well, Reed is grossly under-rated by both Broncos fans and also the general NRL public. He has pulled off some brilliant tries and I love his attitude and heart. I remember in his debut season he was scoring memorable tries, particularly ones where he jumped and stole the ball mid-air out of the opposing player's hands. His lack of passing to his unmarked winger this season was a bit irritating, but he did make up for this in other areas such as his defence.

I feel had he pledged allegiance to Australia (and QLD), he would have played origin by now. He is at least the same level, if not better, than Nielsen and better than the newer players in contention such as O'Niell etc. I think he would have been the front runner to take over from Hodges / Tate in the coming years. Alas its not to be.

 

[xratedrattice]

i also think reed would be a really good back rower. he played a pretty good game at lock against the raiders last year during origin, if we get milford and barring any injuries and just imagine for a minute that yow yeh and hodges were right for round one,, our possible starting 13 looks rather awesome. we can probably get by with inexperienced halves with that kind of team around them, much like the dogs of last year

 

[xratedrattice]

and all the dogs had was a bunch of big forwards that were decent ballplayers along with benny barba who we now have,, and josh morris to help finish things off,, which we have hodgo for,,
the team im imagining :
1 barba
2 hoffman / yow yeh
3 reed / hoffman
4 hodgo
5 vidot
6 milford
7 hunt
8 mcguire
9 mccullough
10 hannant
11 glenn
12 thaiday
13 parker

14 kennedy
15 lowrie
16 gillett
16 hala / dodds / molo / granville / stagg

haha we actually look to have a bit of depth

 

[Aldo]

I hate to be a doomsayer, but the issue I have with our team next year is essentially we will have the same pack that has been missing near record numbers of tackles for the last couple of years and has an extremely soft underbelly. Kennedy and Lowrie have been brought in (who both I've never been overly rapt in), although there hasn't been that much of a change in terms of the quality of playing personnel (i.e. I don't think the guys they have brought in are that much better then the guys they are replacing).

Our backline is coming along well (if we can get them all fit and on the paddock for extended periods of time), although our halves (assuming no Milford) have still got a big question mark over them. Unless Hook and Co. have some tricks up their sleeves, I fear that next season could be another disappointing one. I hope I'm wrong. All the talk and rumours that got everyone excited (including myself) of player signings for next year appears to be fizzling out to nothing.

 

[broncos4life]

I hate to be a doomsayer, but the issue I have with our team next year is essentially we will have the same pack that has been missing near record numbers of tackles for the last couple of years and has an extremely soft underbelly. Kennedy and Lowrie have been brought in (who both I've never been overly rapt in), although there hasn't been that much of a change in terms of the quality of playing personnel (i.e. I don't think the guys they have brought in are that much better then the guys they are replacing).

Our backline is coming along well (if we can get them all fit and on the paddock for extended periods of time), although our halves (assuming no Milford) have still got a big question mark over them. Unless Hook and Co. have some tricks up their sleeves, I fear that next season could be another disappointing one. I hope I'm wrong. All the talk and rumours that got everyone excited (including myself) of player signings for next year appears to be fizzling out to nothing.

The poor defensive is from lack of fitness and attitude, that's why they have bought in the changes in the coaching staff

 

[Aldo]

The poor defensive is from lack of fitness and attitude, that's why they have bought in the changes in the coaching staff

Hopefully it will be enough. Still makes me nervous though.

 

[jarro65]

I fully expect to see a different beast next year...with the team a bit leaner and with more linespeed.

 

[rhino]

I fully expect to see a different beast next year...with the team a bit leaner and with more linespeed.

Line speed now that's a word we haven't used at broncos hq for a while. It would be nice to see them defend in a straight line and confront the opposition offensive line. Mongrel and aggression wouldn't hurt either.

 

[broncos4life]

Hopefully it will be enough. Still makes me nervous though.

True. If you're not nervous about next season, you didn't watch this one lol

 

[Harry Sack]

Did they introduce a new defensive structure this year? I remember a few years ago when we had that crazy run at the start of the year where we hadn't conceded a point in a 2nd half of football for about 7 rounds(?). Anyway, I distinctly remember in the press conference after the game, Lockyer being quized on the reason behind it all (actually I think it was when Hook first took the reins). In his answer he said that they actually introduced this defensive structure the previous season, but it's taken a while to adjust. Something along those lines anyway.

Our defence this year was terrible in the middle, but I thought we slid really well. Extra fitness will help as will extra time with the new D structure (if we have a new one).

 

[jarro65]

Line speed now that's a word we haven't used at broncos hq for a while. It would be nice to see them defend in a straight line and confront the opposition offensive line. Mongrel and aggression wouldn't hurt either.

And not just for the first 10 minutes of each half either ....

... it MUST be an 80 minute effort !!

 

[Sproj]

The new strength and conditioning guys should address that but it doesn't help when your captain is probably the laziest player on the team.

 

[jarro65]

The new strength and conditioning guys should address that but it doesn't help when your captain is probably the laziest player on the team.

Well if reports that he's lost 4 kilos for the Kangaroo Tour are true, he might have realised that he was carrying a bit too much weight and is taking steps to address that ?

 

[Morkel]

Well if reports that he's lost 4 kilos for the Kangaroo Tour are true, he might have realised that he was carrying a bit too much weight and is taking steps to address that ?

He lost that weight for the sake of boxing. There's no indication he intends to keep it off for next year.

 

[jarro65]

He lost that weight for the sake of boxing. There's no indication he intends to keep it off for next year.

Really ?

I thought he used the boxing to keep fit and possibly help with weight loss ??

I must've misunderstood :hmmmm2: