The End of Empire: The Sharp Decline of the Brisbane Broncos

One off floggings like those are something every coach has dealt with (though if you compare the quality of those sides to the Raiders of 2009, you wouldn't be so quick to draw comparisons), but the consistent beatings we took last season was something we never experienced under Bennett. That's what worries me about Ivan.
 
Gingerballs said:
One off floggings like those are something every coach has dealt with (though if you compare the quality of those sides to the Raiders of 2009, you wouldn't be so quick to draw comparisons), but the consistent beatings we took last season was something we never experienced under Bennett. That's what worries me about Ivan.
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Exactly. Those other floggings were only occasional, and against quality sides. Most of them were also probably when we were decimated by injuries or recovering from Origin or the like. The Raiders of the late 80's/early 90's, the happy days for them (and me since they're my second team) were capable of legitimately doing that to us but never did. The Raiders of last year were not Stuart, Clyde, Walters, Meninga, Belcher, Daley, etc... We were consistently getting 30 and 40 put on us last season - embarrassing and un-Bronco-like. This is not completely Ivan's fault though, it's more to do with the erosion of playing talent and of the good culture at the club which would never have seen a bunch of guys so disrespect the Broncos jersey in years gone by. Bennett built that culture. Bruno tore it down.
 
To me something has changed to the feel or Broncos since Ivan has taken over, and it's not good. Surely everyone can agree to that?
 
wow Astroboy wont stand for a bad word said about Bennett will he? you and Jeb should be friends if youre not already lol.

Bennett was NOT the best coach post 2000. towards the end, he was up there with the worst. Astroboy, who was to blame for playing stagg at five-eighth and centre? carroll at five-eighth? trent waterhouse on the wing in a test match? was the Bruno Cullen as well? who was responsible for giving Berrick Barnes about 8 minutes of first grade time in the first 3/4 of the season that he had said he was going to see if he wanted to stay in league or not? who was the one who would give Taylor 1 match every 6+ weeks? who was the one who would have Sam Thaiday just running directly back at the markers every single run, instead of using him as a wide running forward where he is much more effective? Cullen?
 
Maybe those players were in those positions because we had no-one else, due to injuries perhaps? Can't remember Trent Waterhose on the wing but that does seem weird if true. However look at Bennett's record overall. Not saying he never stuffed up (he's human after all) but surely you'd have to agree that most Bennett-era Broncos teams would walk all over most post-Bennett era ones. And where is he now? Yeah that's right, coaching the competition leaders again. And don't tell me the end of season CHOKE last year was a Bennett thing - it is an ingrained part of Dragons culture [icon_lol1.
 
lol

lets look at Bennetts overall record. between 1992 and 2000, 9 years, we won 5 premierships. over the next 9 years, we won 1. post 2000 is when most of the 'game changer' rules and tactics have been brought in. Bennett did not adapt to ANY of these changes. he WAS the best coach, but that was a long time ago.

since then we got LUCKY once by winning in 2006, when all of the form teams that were comprehensively better than us all season just started turning in shockers, and we hit a purple patch and got some help from the ref in the final.

and if you want to use the dragons, look at the talent they have. Jamie Soward was the form player of last year and that wouldve happened with bennett or without. theyve got cooper, priddis, hornby, etc. all top players. and even then, did they win the premiership? no? who was the team that showed the rest how to beat them, and then also were the ones to knock the minor premiers out of the finals? i believe that was the POST-BENNETT BRONCOS.

its hilarious how you praise bennett for making the dragons the competition leaders, but blatantly disregard the fact that he could have something to do with them getting comprehensively outplayed when it came down to the nitty gritty................despite the fact that thats EXACTLY what had been happening to the broncos every year since 2000 lol. we made the finals every year and we failed to be a threat and were bundled out, usually without even winning a finals match. what happens to the dragons as soon as bennetts their coach? make the finals, fail to even put up a fight and lose in successive matches......just like the broncos under bennett. do you see a bit of a pattern here?
 
The dragons have long had a habit of being shit in the finals, I don't think that can be blamed on Bennett.
 
Emma said:
The dragons have long had a habit of being shit in the finals, I don't think that can be blamed on Bennett.
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Bingo.

You can't form a pattern based on 1 year at a new club.
 
who else has had a long habit of being poor in the finals? the broncos. we went like 7 or 8 finals matches - which was like 4 years - in a row without a win before 2006 didnt we?

dont you find it funny that he accredits the minor premiership to bennett, but not the subsequent early exit from the finals? i certainly do.

and also, the dragons record come finals time isnt too bad:

- 2008 they got knocked out by the eventual premiers in the first round.
- 2007 didnt make the finals.
- 2006 they actually smashed us - the eventual premiers - in round one, then hammered manly in round 2, then lost to melbourne.
- 2005 they won their first round, got the second week off, then lost to Wests - the eventual premiers.
- 2004 they lost by a single point in the first round of the finals, whereas the higher place broncos got beaten pretty comprehensively by melbourne in round 1, then got done 10-0 by the Cowboys in round 2 to be eliminated.

then in 2009 they finished the highest they had out of any of those years, yet lost both matches and were knocked out by the Broncos.

going by actual results, theyre hardly chokers. and they actually went worse come finals time with Bennett than without him.
 
I'll say it again - the dragons have long had a habit of being shit in the finals. Looooong before Bennett got there.
 
The Dragons also long had a habit of being inconsistent during the season and lose games they should win, resulting in lots of 6th place finishes.

That is until Bennett came along.

Bennett may not have fixed their finals choking problems yet, but he certainly brought consistency to them throughout the season.
 
I'm not sure how you can blame the coach when things are going bad, yet praise the players when things are going good. The Broncos play bad and it's Bennetts fault, yet the Dragons play well and it's the players doing.

I'm happy to accept that Bennett had a lot to do with the Broncos demise, but I think he also needs to be given credit for what he's done at the Dragons.
 
OXY-351 said:
I'm not sure how you can blame the coach when things are going bad, yet praise the players when things are going good. The Broncos play bad and it's Bennetts fault, yet the Dragons play well and it's the players doing.

I'm happy to accept that Bennett had a lot to do with the Broncos demise, but I think he also needs to be given credit for what he's done at the Dragons.
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Yep. What was wrong with Bennett's techniques at the Broncos was exactly what the Dragons needed! Bennett does have what it takes to find that something extra to win finals in the modern game. He showed that in 2006.

Let's see what the Dragons do at the business end of 2010-2011 before we start claiming Bennett's just a finals choker.

Should also note that the Broncos lost 5 finals games in a row in our glory days of the 90s too.

1994 vs Norths
1995 vs Canberra
1995 vs Canterbury
1996 vs Norths
1996 vs Cronulla
 
OXY-351 said:
I'm not sure how you can blame the coach when things are going bad, yet praise the players when things are going good. The Broncos play bad and it's Bennetts fault, yet the Dragons play well and it's the players doing.
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alternatively some people like to praise the coach when the team is going well, and blame the players when the team is going bad.

Bennetts gameplan works in regular season if the team has the best players running around. if they dont have the best players going around, they lose. come finals time, unless all the other teams fall away like they did in 06, Bennetts gameplan just falls flat.
 
Anonymous person said:
Bennetts gameplan works in regular season if the team has the best players running around. if they dont have the best players going around, they lose. come finals time, unless all the other teams fall away like they did in 06, Bennetts gameplan just falls flat.
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Who's gameplan works if they don't have the best players at finals time?
 
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