Wayne's World No Longer Relevant

[Huge]

Well, I think the season starts at the halfway point and I'm optimistic that WB and the boys will click. We've played poorly and still stand in the middle. A 5-10% improvement will make us dangerous and we've got it in us. I think a good season still awaits us.

 

[WASSHHH]

All of that stems from confidence (or lack of), and inexperience.

He can't do much about the inexperience right now, especially with injuries.

With the confidence, you don't think publicly backing Nikorima and Bird, as well as looking to accommodate the latter by moving him in to more familiar positions, are evidence that not only is Bennett on to it, but has been since well before anyone on here thought of the possibility? There is no better coach to drag our team out of this, and it's the same coach that knows that knee-jerk reactions and wilting under pressure is not going to help anyone, long or short term.

I agree.

Confidence plays a big part and right now I don’t think the players have a lot of confidence in the structures that they’re being made to play. That is showing in how unhappy they all look and how clunky our attack is.

We looked our best the other night when Milf and Niko started interplaying between themselves. Similarly in 2015 when Milf and Hunt did likewise. But Bennett simply won’t allow that for whatever reason.

If he was fair dinkum about supporting the players he has, he’d let them play to their strengths, not try and pidgeon hole them into a style that doesn’t work for them. And sure, it may not work, but it may too. But we’ll never know, because it’ll never happen.

Regardless of all that, I do agree that Niko isn’t the answer to our halfback problems and truly do believe we give someone else a go.

But if we simply must continue down the current path, at least let them play the footy that works for them. They’ll enjoy it and it might actually work (think the ‘05 Tigers and their very simple ‘win by scoring more points than the opposition’ mantra).

Just on your point about moving Bird to better accommodate his needs - well that whole notion goes against pretty much everything Bennett has ever stood for as a coach. If he was “on to it well before anyone on here” he would never have signed off on the recruitment of someone that didn’t play any of the positions in our roster that actually needed filling.

FWIW, I still think Bird can be a success for us, but it’s at what cost that most concerns me.

 

[Reyter]

Because every time we try something else the players drop the ball. They aren't good enough to do anything else often enough to bother.

But you can 't use this as a defence of WBs coaching because this is the team he has put together. As the original poster in this thread stated, 2015 was the team Griffin built. Personally I doubt Griffin could have done as good a job with it but that is hypothetical. What isn't hypothetical is that this is WBs team so if they are rubbish, the buck stops with him.

 

[rnabokov]

It's not about a poor technique. We've seen with Su'a, TPJ, in fact just about all our young forwards, that they can hit and they can hit hard. Maybe I should clarify in saying it's not soft physically, but mentally.

It's more about poor positioning and awareness. Coaching will help that - over time - but not as much as experience. It's why Su'a hasn't been spotted much in the top grade - even when he's been thrown in and looked good in making 30 or 40 tackles, it hasn't shown the ones that he's missed or the ones that he's lost the ruck in and allowed a quick PTB. Or the ones that have gone straight past him. But he's what, 20 years old? Of course that's going to happen. Same with the others - they can muscle up for a period and look really strong (Cowboys game for example), but they can't sustain it for long and can too easily have the tables turned on them.

While we're on that too, in regards to Isaako, people may forget that in his early few years, JYY was similarly flaky with his defence. He was also criticised heavily for coming in too often, or getting stranded in no-man's-land, and general poor decision making. His ability under the high ball was even suspect. Even when he was first picked for Origin there were concerns about whether he was up for it. But with time, and by sticking with Hodges, he improved out of sight. I can't see why Isaako can't either.

I am not saying our forwards have poor technique. What I am trying to figure out is why we are using a compressed defensive structure when (a) I see very little reason for it - and I mean I do not think our forwards are soft or have poor technique, and (b) it is clearly counterproductive given the way smart coaching has brutally exposed our defensive structures.

For mine, it's time to go back to the swarming defence we have already used this year when we have had a few good wins, and trust our young pack to get the job done as I am confident they can.

What is abundantly clear is that our defence is crap because it is structured to be crap, is set up to fail, and does.

 

[Aldo]

Well, I think the season starts at the halfway point and I'm optimistic that WB and the boys will click. We've played poorly and still stand in the middle. A 5-10% improvement will make us dangerous and we've got it in us. I think a good season still awaits us.

This is what keeps me coming back. We are playing like shit but somehow still within striking distance. As mentioned, it will only take a play here or there to kick-start us.

 

[broncos4life]

At what stage though does Bennett’s history become simply that, history?

The realists understand that we simply can’t keep assuming he will turn it around just because he has in the past. That should not be misread as saying he can’t do it, but we can’t just blindly trust that he can.

10 rounds in and we look utterly awful and completely rudderless. Poor Milford is busting his gut, being forced to play a role unfamiliar to him (and that considered, quite well I might add) whilst getting absolutely no support from anyone else in the spine. What’s worse though, and you can see it written all over his face, he’s not enjoying himself.

Our young forwards are more than pulling their weight. Our backs are doing their best to work with the massive disconnect between them and our forwards. But it’s just not working. Everyone can see that.

When I watch this team, I can’t help but think I’ve never watched a team that makes more fundamental errors than this one. It’s like they don’t train together. The excuse about no pre-season, no combinations etc. just doesn’t fly anymore. Why? For starters, 10 weeks is enough to at least start to move in the right direction. And constantly chopping and changing positions, mid game FFS, is counterintuitive.

I don’t want to be all doom-and-gloom, but I also can’t bring myself to polish the turd that is season 2018 like some (not pointing the finger at you) on here seem to keep doing.

When do we start seeing some improvement? Any improvement?

The realists = Negative Nancy's

 

[animal eater]

I think he is showing too many signs of not being up to the standard. Just like an athlete can lose a step, so can a coach. The combination of poor tactics, no innovation, placating certain players and a general arrogance has run its course. Question...have you ever heard Bennett say " I got it wrong"? I haven't and I think when anyone has the attitude of I am always right and how dare you question me, you are well and truly running into a negative outcome.

Give him to the end of the year and let him go. In the meantime, club brass must show him some direction. If someone is not producing regardless of their salary, then you sit them. Simple as that. This constant moving of Bird just because he is on big money has proven detrimental to the club. Wayne should have enough sense to say get confidence and conditioning in the QLD cup and then and only then will you have a bench spot.

Anyways, I could go on and on but I think it's beating a dead horse and in this case not Buck.

 

[john1420]

There is nothing like experience

The young forwards need it

A halves combination needs time together to gel

The stupid mistakes and handling errors the rookies make lessen over time

I'm hoping that WB is building us towards a genuine crack at the title in the next 2 years

If he is doing that, then I can understand and accept MOST of what's happening right now, except the lack of consistency in the halves

We all know you can't win every year, and it's fair to say that a coach could look at his roster and other factors and conclude that the team won't win this year, but we need to do this, that and the other, to build towards a genuine title shot in the next 3 years

There's no doubt in my mind that many or even all coaches do this, but the paying public would never accept a coach saying "We are not trying to win this year, we are trying to prepare to win next year"

 

[Nashy]

For those who want him gone, cool, whatever. What is the indicator of success? At what point does the coach of this club become a good coach? Winning every game is not doable, so you need to think of something else.

Deadset, he could have 3 grand finals for the last few years, and still people would be on here saying he's lost it.

Fire:
- Boyd
- Sims
- Milford
- Bird
- Thaiday

Promote:
- Young nothing halves
- Young nothing forwards

Yeah. Fucking excellent plan /s

 

[WASSHHH]

The realists = Negative Nancy's

Was Bennett a realist or a “negative Nancy”, as you put it, when he unceremoniously shoved Wally out the door?

Just about every Broncos supporter (and most of the administration too) was livid at Bennett and hated that decision, but hindsight will prove that Bennett could see it was best for the team.

Now let me be clear, I’m not saying flicking Bennett is the right decision, but you simply cannot deny that everyone slows. Nor can he simply rest on his laurels like some would be happy for him to do.

Every Broncos player has always been answerable to Bennett (during his reign) but I ask you this: is there anyone at the Broncos with the balls to give Wayne the tap, like he has to so many of his players, if things continue the way they are?

After all, some of those very same players had dedicated their entire career to the Broncos, sacrificing so much through injury and smaller contracts, but were either no longer valuable when their performances started to decline or simply didn’t suit the plan and/or salary cap moving forward.

If it’s good for the goose, it’s good for the gander. After all, in 2018, it’s not rugby league anymore, it’s a business. Businesses demand success, plain and simple.

Honestly, some people’s unabashed defence of Bennett as though he simply cannot put a foot wrong or that he is beyond even the slightest criticism is laughable.

@Porthoz said it best: if you don’t unequivocally support Bennett it somehow makes you less of a supporter.

 

[Morepudding]

Wayne's downfall was putting his trust in Hunt. He flicked Taylor and told Ben that he was our HB for the foreseeable future only for him to play like rubbish and then run off to a huge contract. Hindsight is 20/20, but he should have cut Hunt instantly after 2015 and gone with Taylor.

It also doesn't help that Taylor virtually lied to us about coming back only to sign a kamikaze deal with the GC. I say kamikaze because it not only fucked our future up, but it also guaranteed that the tits will be outside of the 8 for the duration of Taylor's contract.

Edit: On the dragons. They have this year to win the comp. With Hunt on 1.2 mil and their pack playing like men possessed their squad is going to get torn apart after this season. They aren't really setting themselves up for a Storm like legacy IMO.



What I want to know is how clubs like the Dragons, Titans, and Knights can pay extreme overs for blokes and still sign players/ have decent squads? At least with the Roosters and Storm they pay big for a core group of good players and then use jrs/ journeymen.

We are paying extreme overs for Boyd... And i'd say overs for Bird and Gillett too. Gillett is good, but I don't know if he's worth the 700k to be honest.

 

[Morepudding]

For those who want him gone, cool, whatever. What is the indicator of success? At what point does the coach of this club become a good coach? Winning every game is not doable, so you need to think of something else.

Deadset, he could have 3 grand finals for the last few years, and still people would be on here saying he's lost it.

Fire:
- Boyd
- Sims
- Milford
- Bird
- Thaiday

Promote:
- Young nothing halves
- Young nothing forwards

Yeah. Fucking excellent plan /s

I wouldn't be getting rid of Milford. I was at the game on the weekend, and at all home games and he actually does try to fire the boys up. The rest of the list, I agree. Sims is fine if hes not on big money though.

 

[Dee]

EDIT: Stick to the topic. Do NOT discuss posters.

 

[Morepudding]

So he should have cut the halfback who lead the team to within 5 seconds of the premiership for a rookie that had done literally nothing (and FTR has still done nothing 2 years later) ...

are you fucking serious

I mean he's always been one of the top try assist players since he started. His team has done nothing, to say he has done nothing is pretty ignorant to be honest. He's in his second season with his second coach and is on his third fullback, his second or third hooker and 4th or 5th halves partner. For someone of his age, to have as many try assists as he does, in a team as poor as the titans is extremely impressive.

 

[TonyTheJugoslav]

EDIT: Quotes deleted post

 

[pagey]

I think he is showing too many signs of not being up to the standard. Just like an athlete can lose a step, so can a coach. The combination of poor tactics, no innovation, placating certain players and a general arrogance has run its course. Question...have you ever heard Bennett say " I got it wrong"? I haven't and I think when anyone has the attitude of I am always right and how dare you question me, you are well and truly running into a negative outcome.

Give him to the end of the year and let him go. In the meantime, club brass must show him some direction. If someone is not producing regardless of their salary, then you sit them. Simple as that. This constant moving of Bird just because he is on big money has proven detrimental to the club. Wayne should have enough sense to say get confidence and conditioning in the QLD cup and then and only then will you have a bench spot.

Anyways, I could go on and on but I think it's beating a dead horse and in this case not Buck.

Game 1 " i made a mistake with sam " referring to playing him at hooker. Shortmemories some people. I'll reserve judgment until the end of the year .

 

[Nashy]

I wouldn't be getting rid of Milford. I was at the game on the weekend, and at all home games and he actually does try to fire the boys up. The rest of the list, I agree. Sims is fine if hes not on big money though.

That's one bit of it. Who would you replace them with. Come on, a coach couldn't do that. "Get rid of them all, actually, Milford you can stay, Sims you can too, the rest, cut"

What's next coach? Complete it. No one seems to want to put forward who would play for the 'bad' players beyond playing players who aren't ready for NRL yet.

What's the solution?

 

[Dee]

EDIT: Quotes deleted post