What can we say at the moment?

[GCBRONCO]

The problem Huge is fans can often be blind to what is really needed and where the problem truely lies, they often look to the coach as the scapegoat when a club is in a struggling season(and I'm not saying they aren't but they aren't solely) and often can miss where the real problems lie. John Ribot summed it up great when they sacked Wally Lewis as captain when he said we wanted to end up winning premierships we weren't just about individuals we wanted to build a champion team, the majority of fans didn't take that well and were calling for both Miles and Bennett to be sacked and the King(who was well and truely past his best) to be brought back, can you honestly say that sacking Bennett would have been in the clubs best interests in the longterm? No emotion clouds fans judgement, like they did then and it's doing right now, it's fustrating right now I know, it's fustrating as hell for me as well, but if we are really to get back on our feet we need to do more then make a scapegoat of the coach, we need the players to pull their finger out of their backside and give something for their coach to work with, attitudes such as oh I won't bother to put in because I'm not in first grade will do **** all to turn it around, and it shits me when people defend that attitude.

Bennett best summed it up when he was interviewed trying to point out to people that the players needed to lift at a time they were struggling when he said, I've got a team of coach killers here, they don't play to their potential, I end up getting the sack and they end up getting their contracts renewed. I'm not saying Henjak should be spared from any criticism but its hard not to see that his being made a scapegoat at a time when the players need to stand up and get behind him, because quite frankly no level of coaching will get the side out of its present situation without the players getting the basics on the field right and that starts with themselves.

 

[Burg]

Well said

 

[Huge]

I agree wholeheartedly with your post. Without exception. icon_thumbs_u My observation is not about blame but about the telltales ,the signs that the harmony, the joy at being a Bronco are missing. Bennett leaving was blow from which we have not recovered. It's like the very spirit of the joint has been whisked away. When I see St George it looks, feels and bristles with bronco like camaraderie and enthusiasm. St George look like they've been infused with spirit. It comes through on TV, in interviews and on footy show appearances, everywhere St George and it's fans are pumping. They look like they've been given purpose.

Henjak must persist and players owe their best effort.

 

[Big Pete]

The issue I have with the side is that the side seems to be divided, there doesn't seem to be that camaraderie between the players and there appears to be a class system between the players.

You have Lockyer who's in a class by himself.

Hodges is off injured.

Nobody wants to disturb Israel, he's like that gifted child from the Twilight Zone, don't think bad thoughts or he'll send you to the corn field.

Setu and Sims seem on the outer.

Then you have the rest of the squad with Parker and Thaiday taking full-time care of the kids and QCup players.

That's just how I see it and really I wish Henjak would sit them all down and tell them that it doesn't matter if they're Justin Hodges or Sam Thaiday each and every player has a say on this side and all of them have a job to perform on the weekend to the best of their ability. One player shouldn't control the side because they could, rather it should be delegated to those who should.

And to me, everything seems to be on Darren and really it's unfair to him. The forwards and dummy half should step up and realise that their job is just as important, if not more important than Darren's.

Once the basics are settled, then the side can experiment with players. Henjak has shown he's quite a creative thinker and he isn't afraid to let his boys play what's in front of them. That's good...when you've got a few wins on the board but really Henjak needs to help the side discover some belief before he can think of the boys engaging in any exciting play.

With that said, I wish he'd stop using that third man play. Surely, there's something else a fullback can do aside from playing another five eigth?

 

[lynx000]

I agree wholeheartedly with your post. Without exception. icon_thumbs_u My observation is not about blame but about the telltales ,the signs that the harmony, the joy at being a Bronco are missing. Bennett leaving was blow from which we have not recovered. It's like the very spirit of the joint has been whisked away. When I see St George it looks, feels and bristles with bronco like camaraderie and enthusiasm. St George look like they've been infused with spirit. It comes through on TV, in interviews and on footy show appearances, everywhere St George and it's fans are pumping. They look like they've been given purpose.

Henjak must persist and players owe their best effort.

I wonder though Huge, how much that is down to the difference in the two seasons that the clubs are experiencing. If you are experiencing a losing season, it may seem more like drudgery etc, whereas St George are at the top of the game, they are winning, there is a good feeling about the team, they are enjoying going to training etc. Perhaps we are reading too much into the demeanour factor?

 

[tkday]

I'm sure losing all the time has gotta make you a little depressed, but surely it would give you fire and passion to do better and improve your game? I don't see that at the moment. I see players with their back to the ball, running back slowly, tackling softly and just all round tired. Last game we were up by 10 points. How the frigging hell do you come out at half time with that lead and look like you don't want to be there. There's big problems if we look lethargic and uninterested when leading by 10 going into 2nd half.

 

[lynx000]

True TK, valid point.

 

[Huge]

lynx000.....I was thinking about the two seasons as a whole. St George have been enthused for that period it seems. At the start of last year it was an unknown but St George hit the ground running and have looked a happy camp ever since. Maybe I am reading to much into the signs but being observant has helped me all my life and I still trust what I see in the players demeanour. Losing, at least at the Broncos, is never welcome but back in the day when we did lose Kevvy Walters would look at an interviewer and remark, 'it's on again next week mate and we'll give it a red hot crack'. It was just the attitude we had and it feels different these days.

 

[Anonymous person]

its funny that people seem to think that the Broncos as a club have only been looking broken/lacking passion/not looking like a team since Bennett left. they looked like long before Bennett left.

 

[Aeetee]

In your opinion they have. In mine no. They might not have been up to our standard but it was there. This team is a shell of its former self....IMO.

 

[lynx000]

I would love to be on the inside and know what was really happening in the club.

 

[Jeba]

its funny that people seem to think that the Broncos as a club have only been looking broken/lacking passion/not looking like a team since Bennett left. they looked like long before Bennett left.

Won a Premiership though.

 

[Coxy]

its funny that people seem to think that the Broncos as a club have only been looking broken/lacking passion/not looking like a team since Bennett left. they looked like long before Bennett left.

Won a Premiership though.

Pffft...as if that has any reflection on whether or not a team is any good.

 

[Anonymous person]

iirc there have been talks about divisions in the team since at LEAST 2008, while bennett was the coach. there was the whole Hunt and Hodges and the other darker skinned guys being one little posse thing.

we won the premiership in 2006. there were 2 more seasons with Bennett after that, remember?

 

[Coxy]

iirc there have been talks about divisions in the team since at LEAST 2008, while bennett was the coach. there was the whole Hunt and Hodges and the other darker skinned guys being one little posse thing.

we won the premiership in 2006. there were 2 more seasons with Bennett after that, remember?

That posse existed long before 2008. The Hunt and Hodges duo in particular was causing constenation with management as early as 2005.

So again, despite being less than a lovey dovey team, they still managed to be successful in 2006.

The difference between now and then can be summed up in 4 words: Webcke, Civoniceva, Thorn, Carroll.
Those 4 guys in the pack bled for their team, whoever it was. Losing wasn't an option, and no matter how bad things got they would still be fighting for every centimetre, tackling anything that moved.

The only two at the club that still have that attitude are Lockyer, Thaiday and Hodges (yes, I just gave Hodgo a rap :P ), and to a lesser extent Parker.

The rest fly while the going is good, and when it gets tough they look around waiting for someone else to fix it.

Sure, there were times - a lot of times - in the last decade where things have got tough and the method messrs Webcke, Civoniceva, Thorn and Carroll tried to use was next to useless (ie, one out rucks over and over then give it to Locky to kick it), but they got in there and did it. Had a go.

The Broncos are filled with too many soft ***** who simply don't want to work their way out of trouble. Or simply don't have the ability to. Our pack is full of powderpuffs. The excuse for many is youth and inexperience, but by god they better realise this isn't under 20s or Q Cup anymore, this is the real deal and they have to find something in themselves to go that extra effort now.

Is it the coach's responsibility to do it? No. But he does have a huge influence on motivation. He has to be able to inspire the players to lift.

But there's another critical element to it. The senior players, particularly the skipper. Locky isn't typically a big talker. But from what I hear, because of that, when Locky talks, the players listen. I hope he's getting out there at training or behind closed doors and imploring a change in attitude.

At the moment it just looks like too many of the players just toss in the towel and make excuses - injuries, refereeing, whatever.

Time for the Broncos players to harden the **** up.

 

[lynx000]

Another good post Coxy, I agree with you.

 

[SSS]

Time for the Broncos players to harden the **** up.

Time for the Broncos Fans to harden the **** up.

 

[Coxy]

Time for the Broncos players to harden the **** up.

Time for the Broncos Fans to harden the **** up.

:roll:

I forgot, because we're fans we're not allowed to criticise....