NEWS The Lockyer legacy Milford wants to emulate

[theshed]

I know the "in" thing to do is to give milf crap but I re-watched the game last night and milford was the starting point for most of our tries. He had a quiet game but not a bad one, particularly for only his 2nd game back.

Also, I'm not sure people saying isaako played poorly even watched the game at all. He was off with his goal kicking but he was great in attack. He knocked on 1 bomb but he nearly broke the line a 3 or 4 times, set up that 90 metre play off a kick return and got us out of a drop out once.

And pangais game was great, but on review it wasnt some once in a season level game by a prop. It was just a bit of intimidation and energy, which is what we needed though

Completely agree. Milf directed a lot of our play. If you seen the video of Matty johns demonstrating his game control philosophy with that measuring tape, it looked like Milf was doing exactly that, and it lead to points. Not to mention, as you said, he was directly involved in a few tries.


I also agree with Isaako. I thought he had a brilliant game. His kick returns were phenomenal. I think most of those criticising him are doing so based on his abysmal goal kicking. His in game performance was impressive.


I disagree about TPJ though. He dragged defender every run, he set the tone for intensity in defence, he landed some massive shots, he scored a try, and his powerful running and quick play the balls near the line directly resulted in 2 other tries. He was immense.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Completely agree. Milf directed a lot of our play. If you seen the video of Matty johns demonstrating his game control philosophy with that measuring tape, it looked like Milf was doing exactly that, and it lead to points. Not to mention, as you said, he was directly involved in a few tries.


I also agree with Isaako. I thought he had a brilliant game. His kick returns were phenomenal. I think most of those criticising him are doing so based on his abysmal goal kicking. His in game performance was impressive.


I disagree about TPJ though. He dragged defender every run, he set the tone for intensity in defence, he landed some massive shots, he scored a try, and his powerful running and quick play the balls near the line directly resulted in 2 other tries. He was immense.

I agree, he was immense and it was EXACTLY what we want and NEED from a forward. But the media went on like it was a 10/10 performance. Lolos game the week before was much stronger.

 

[broncos4life]

I don't think a lot of people know what they want.

"we need someone to organise the attack"

*Milford moves into that role and has games where he is doing all the organising and nearly every try starts at him, however doesn't score through individual brilliance*

"Milford sucks"

 

[theshed]

I agree, he was immense and it was EXACTLY what we want and NEED from a forward. But the media went on like it was a 10/10 performance. Lolos game the week before was much stronger.

Yeah but Lolo’s effort last week was super human. TPJ wasn’t far off. If that’s what we expect from our forwards on a weekly basis than our expectations are extremely high.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Yeah but Lolo’s effort last week was super human. TPJ wasn’t far off. If that’s what we expect from our forwards on a weekly basis than our expectations are extremely high.

That's not my weekly expectations at all....

 

[theshed]

That's not my weekly expectations at all....

Sorry, I was going off your comment “it’s exactly what we want and need from a forward”. Just seemed redundant to say “exactly what we want and need from a forward” when he was the stand out best forward on the field.
Yes, obviously everyone needs and wants their forwards to completely dominate their opponents.

 

[broncsgoat]

I don't think a lot of people know what they want.

"we need someone to organise the attack"

*Milford moves into that role and has games where he is doing all the organising and nearly every try starts at him, however doesn't score through individual brilliance*

"Milford sucks"

Does my head in.

 

[Alec]

So what are people's thoughts about Milford developing as an organiser? I know a lot of posters were saying that he was coming along well, but I'm not convinced at all. His kicking has developed pretty damn well, and he's definitely trying to be the organising type, but it just doesn't seem to be really be going anywhere and he looks extremely uncomfortable sometimes.

I said in the match thread how Munster and Keary were also in the same position as him in the past - gun ball runners with not much in the way of structure. Both have progressed a lot further in this area than Milford has though and even though both have some help, you can definitely tell they are more comfortable with it, especially Keary. Maybe it's because of that help? So that's the thing, I think it has to be natural, not manufactured - if he has the skill set for it.

There's no doubt that Milford has a lot of talent in other areas, but right now we really need someone who can do this job instead of him. Then we can see if Milford develops that skill naturally himself without the pressure or being forced to before his time.

 

[Super Freak]

To be fair, both Munster and Keary have had a lot of help. More help than what Milford has got. They also haven't had a complete overhaul in their structures.

 

[Battler]

Niko is a good player, but he is far from being a good half back. His kicking game this year has been shocking and he is subsequently putting extreme amounts of pressure on Milford which teams exploit big time. Niko would be good in a team like Manly where he's playing 2nd fiddle 100% of the time next to a proper half back (probably why he went well for NZ), but he can't do that at the Broncos because Milford isn't a HB either: he is, or was at least, a deadly running half with a very good kicking game. We look like headless chooks in attack because we don't have a half back, we have two 5/8s; even though Milford has a really good kicking game now he's still a 5/8.

Milf and Hunt were deadly because Hunt, before that faithful night in 2015, was, the question marks over his kicking game aside, a player worthy of wearing the 7 and steered the team around while Milford could actually play his natural game and not have to do absolutely everything required from a half.

Munster has Smith to basically coach the team on field and steer them around. Keary has Cronk and had Reynolds. Munster is still a Milford type player, I doubt if you replaced Milf with him for the Broncos that much would change. Keary seems to have evolved, but he's in a system with a bottomless cap and still has a quality spine around him compared to what Milf has.

TL;DR: Milf isn't the problem.

 

[Sproj]

Morgan also came on in leaps and bounds. All of Munster, Keary, Morgan and Cronk have manufactured themselves into good to great halves but they've all had excellent help as mentioned before.

Munster had Cronk and Smith. Keary has Cronk. Morgan had JT.

Milf has...Macca...and KNik. No surprise he actually looked a million dollars with Hunt there.

 

[big k]

I hate to say it but we need to swap one out of the halves. The experiment is not working. It hasn't worked since Hunt left, now it is starting to go backwards. I would be all for Sullivan partnering one of these guys in the halves with the other dropping back to the bench. If they sulk and leave seeya fucking later.

 

[mitch222]

From what I saw in the trials, O'Sullivan kicked more on the third tackle than what Niko and Milf did combined throughout the first 4 rounds especially in the attacking 20. Something has to change but I don't think he is the saviour we are hoping he is

 

[big k]

From what I saw in the trials, O'Sullivan kicked more on the third tackle than what Niko and Milf did combined throughout the first 4 rounds especially in the attacking 20. Something has to change but I don't think he is the saviour we are hoping he is

That's fine then pick the best performing young half we have out of Dearden and Dargan.

 

[Renegade]

Milf is not and will never be an organising half. He is a Benji style half, off the cuff. We need to stop trying to put into a role he frankly isn't good enough to play.

 

[mkram23]

O'Sullivan looked pretty average in his 1 cup appearance, head scratching decisions/errors. Bit hard to judge. But comparing to Deardens debut in Cup. ?????

I would like to see Dearden's body develop more, he's a go'er/competitive/confident little bugger, but would hate to bring him and a big injury occurs.

Our spine is massively flawed, definitely needs some changes. It is only round 4 though

 

[Nashy]

If Kodi isn't already dropped, the coach is an idiot. Training music won't fix that.

 

[teampjta]

99% of us here recognise that milf is a weapon at 6. We probably also agree that Niko is also a 6/9 type player, who like milf has next to zero organising skills

We don’t need 2 flashy 6s, we need a standard 7, that’s it. If sos can do the basic things right and relive the organising pressures, he needs to be parachuted in ASAP