The Wayne Bennett Super thread!

[CaptainHook]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

Well, either Barba tears it up at 5/8 or he leaves at the end of the year. An 80 minute playing, marquee signing on the bench. Love it.

What? I better stop speculating or I'll go blind.

I'd be ok with that too. The only thing impressive about Barba this year has been the list of excuses BHQ posters have thought up to explain his indifferent form. Settling into Brisbane, the coach, confidence, poor game plan, lingering injury concerns and on and on. Not saying some of those don't have merit but sometimes a poor year is a poor year.

As for marquee players playing on the bench well we have one of those marquee signings playing in ISC so it could be worse.

 

[Unbreakable]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

He comes in and out of games like a bench player so why not?

 

[Alec]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

Barba is ordinary in attack when not in space, and hopeless under the high ball...

Just put him in the centres then. His defence at 5/8th hasn't been anywhere near as bad as people expected it to be.

 

[rnabokov]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

I'd be ok with that too. The only thing impressive about Barba this year has been the list of excuses BHQ posters have thought up to explain his indifferent form. Settling into Brisbane, the coach, confidence, poor game plan, lingering injury concerns and on and on. Not saying some of those don't have merit but sometimes a poor year is a poor year.

As for marquee players playing on the bench well we have one of those marquee signings playing in ISC so it could be worse.

I honestly think you are being too harsh on Barba, given all the accurate mitigating factors you cite. I reckon almost any class act coming to the Broncos from another club, provided it was well coached with a decent roster, would have trouble transitioning into this side within the first 6 months of starting.

Now that he is in his proper position at the Broncos, for mine, he looks like he is coming good. I would be really sad to see him go if that is on the cards, without at least seeing what he could achieve under Bennett.

 

[rnabokov]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

Barba is ordinary in attack when not in space, and hopeless under the high ball...

Just put him in the centres then. His defence at 5/8th hasn't been anywhere near as bad as people expected it to be.

Our entire attack is often so ordinary mainly because space and time are not coached into the structures.

 

[Porthoz]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

Our entire attack is often so ordinary mainly because space and time are not coached into the structures.

Well, it's not like the players are quantum scientists either... :wink:

 

[CaptainHook]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

I honestly think you are being too harsh on Barba, given all the accurate mitigating factors you cite. I reckon almost any class act coming to the Broncos from another club, provided it was well coached with a decent roster, would have trouble transitioning into this side within the first 6 months of starting.

Now that he is in his proper position at the Broncos, for mine, he looks like he is coming good. I would be really sad to see him go if that is on the cards, without at least seeing what he could achieve under Bennett.

Yeah for sure. Honestly I hope he does stay as I too would like to see how he goes under Bennett. Interesting times ahead. Bennett marches to the beat of his own drum and we're in for an exciting 2015.

I agree that his proper position is in the halves as well but has it really been as good as a lot are making out? I'm sure you rnabokov, as well as many here have noticed our points have dried up. Interesting that during the time Hoffman, who was almost universally despised in the position, was there we were scoring 20-30 points a game. Barba, who many rate as a much better option there, in 2 of his three games we have failed to crack double figures. Obviously with the off field stuff and Ben Hunt's sudden drop off in form have probably been the major factors but it's interesting nonetheless. We won't beat too many teams scoring only one or two tries.

 

[Anonymous person]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

I think Barbas best position is unquestionably fullback. his 2012 was up there with the best seasons ive ever seen by any player in 20+ years of watching footy.

At the Broncos with their current roster, skills and tactics though? not so sure. With Milford coming, who is basically a younger and faster version of Barba? definitely not. as much as i dont want to lose him, I'm not sure if 5/8th for the broncos with bennett coming is the best for his career, so while I'd hate to see him leave I wouldn't hold it against him. all things equal hes a better fullback, but we have a fullback coming who is equally brilliant and much younger. Bennetts not going to drastically change the way we play, despite what some think Bennett-ball is basically just Griffin-ball but with a better roster, so I can't really see a spot for barba in the team where he will be able to shine.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

For mine ......Boyd is a more reliable fullback than Ben Barba. Then there is Hoffman, plus, Anthony Milford on the way.
I don't like the idea of having Milford and Barba in the same team.

Bye-bye Benny.

1. Boyd
2. Hoffman
3. Copley
4. Hodges
5. Vidot

6. Milford
7. Hunt

There's a bit of attacking strike power in that backline.

 

[Steve Renouf]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

G'day Pearl, I meant that management obviously knew we couldn't keep going the way we were and made a change. Whether it's good or bad remains to be seen but at least we have something different to look forward to.

As for your second point, my answer is it's hard to say. There was a time when DARREN LOCKYER was just plain ol' darren lockyer plying his trade in Roma. Was he always destined for the dizzying heights he was meant to? I feel Bennett probably had a bit to do with it. They aren't born superstars.

Two separate scenarios there, Lockyer I believe had the natural talent along with mental toughness, you can't really coach that although you can tap into it and exploit it which I think Bennett did well, that along with the surrounding players and the culture at the club the time DL started coming through.

As far as something different to look forward to, do you guys remember when Bennett left? How he white anted the club and arranged ordinary players to be signed for the club while seeing a very good forward pack going out? We have never really recovered from that dilution of the playing ranks.

Now he is coming back.

For what?

Money?

Family?

Doubts about the future of Newcastle?

To do it all over again, or to just get a fat paycheck leading up to a retirement in Queensland?

He has nothing left to prove in the game and is considered a legend of a coach by many, I think he WAS a great coach in his day but he had the majority of the talent of Queensland to work with and since then apart from the StGeorge Premiership he has hardly set the world on fire and imo he is too old now and would have even less motivation to win than when he left a few years ago.

I would rather see a younger hungry coach rather than a former legend of the club who left on bad terms returning for a fat paycheck.


He also has a habit of letting everyone know he is in charge by sacking a player who is going okay and it would not surprise me to see him end a career shortly after his arrival, just to let everyone know that he "makes tough decisions".

Time will tell.

 

[rnabokov]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

Well, it's not like the players are quantum scientists either... :wink:

True P, but then next year, all will change when the God Particle arrives.

Can't wait for the Bennett Boson, quark quark

 

[Morkel]

I have a glimmer of hope that Bennett has a soft spot for the Broncos, didn't enjoy watching us go downhill in the years after he left, and has come back to rebuild and implement a long term strategy. I might sound naive, but I'd rather have hope for my club than death-ride them for doing something I don't agree with.

 

[CaptainHook]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

Two separate scenarios there, Lockyer I believe had the natural talent along with mental toughness, you can't really coach that although you can tap into it and exploit it which I think Bennett did well, that along with the surrounding players and the culture at the club the time DL started coming through.

As far as something different to look forward to, do you guys remember when Bennett left? How he white anted the club and arranged ordinary players to be signed for the club while seeing a very good forward pack going out? We have never really recovered from that dilution of the playing ranks.

Now he is coming back.

For what?

Money?

Family?

Doubts about the future of Newcastle?

To do it all over again, or to just get a fat paycheck leading up to a retirement in Queensland?

He has nothing left to prove in the game and is considered a legend of a coach by many, I think he WAS a great coach in his day but he had the majority of the talent of Queensland to work with and since then apart from the StGeorge Premiership he has hardly set the world on fire and imo he is too old now and would have even less motivation to win than when he left a few years ago.

I would rather see a younger hungry coach rather than a former legend of the club who left on bad terms returning for a fat paycheck.


He also has a habit of letting everyone know he is in charge by sacking a player who is going okay and it would not surprise me to see him end a career shortly after his arrival, just to let everyone know that he "makes tough decisions".

Time will tell.

Awesome post, mate. A lot of great points that are tough to argue with. A couple of things I have highlighted. I'm not sure who the ordinary players are you're referring to he left us with. At a pinch I'd say guys like Clinton, Sims and Wallace (but he had a good year in 2008) and all of them played under Bennett. I could be remembering it wrong but Bennett deciding to leave was on short notice. Even though he saw out the season and you could say the writing was on the wall for a while it still wasn't in he or the Broncos plans to leave at the end of that year. He still had a few years to run on his deal. It leads me to believe he must've rated those players.

I do agree that a younger, hungrier coach could probably offer more. . . as long as they're not rookies. We need to learn from the Henjak-Griffin era and not do what the Cowboys do.

As for "making tough decisions" - well, that's kinda what he's been hired for, I think. One of the big criticisms of Griffin is that he's unwilling or unable to make those same decisions until it's too little, too late. I hope it's not players who are going ok obviously, but he will most likely be looking to put his own stamp on the team.

 

[Anonymous person]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

Bennett signed wallace to us, then extended his contract til 2012 as a nice parting gift before leaving. he doomed us from before the time he even left.

 

[Ari Gold]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

I have a glimmer of hope that Bennett has a soft spot for the Broncos, didn't enjoy watching us go downhill in the years after he left, and has come back to rebuild and implement a long term strategy. I might sound naive, but I'd rather have hope for my club than death-ride them for doing something I don't agree with.

That's my hope too. Though, in my mind, he's a bit like Tywin Lannister, and he just really cares about his legacy, which has suffered from his time at Newie and can be ensured by a hero's return to triumph at Suncorp.

Maybe that's going too far. But what can I say. I miss GoT :(

 

[Jeba]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

Bennett signed wallace to us, then extended his contract til 2012 as a nice parting gift before leaving. he doomed us from before the time he even left.

If you could please show me your post from 2008 where you said that was a bad move that'd be much appreciated.

Wallace at the time was pinned as a long-term NSW halfback. Carved up in game one but unfortunately for him had his nuts carved up in game 2. Regardless of that, he was showing plenty of promise that year, and wasn't too far off the pace in Dally M voting if I recall correctly. Nobody at that time predicted his form would drop the way it did (and like I said AP, I will stand corrected if you find your post in the archives that predicts otherwise). I remember Gus Gould saying during one of our games that Panthers fans were livid that they lost him.

In saying that, he showed more of his 2008 form for the Panthers this year before he got injured, which leads me to believe he is capable of better than what he has shown since 2010ish.

 

[Anonymous person]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

If I could go back to 2008 on here I could. I didn't think he was any good back then and said it on here multiple times. I was against resigning him for so long as well.

 

[Big Pete]

Re: Wayne Bennet's 2015 Team Line Up

You can.

The forum was relaunched just in time to discuss the 2008 season.

EDIT: Unless of course you took a sabbatical with your previous account around that time.

Regardless, Bennett had little to do with the Broncos recruitment around this time. He was let go at the start of the season, remember? Any decision to sign the likes of Folau, Te'o, Setu, Michaels, Gorrell etc. etc. were made by the club and Henjak.

Wayne was busy helping the Bulldogs secure Hannant & Ennis.