What Role Should Adam Blair Play In The Team?

[Porthoz]

Re: Round 3 - Broncos vs Cowboys

FTR, I never brought Bennett into the argument, nor am I going to.

My comments stemmed from our lack of go forward, especially facing another great forward pack. Then I replied to BP's statement that we have no issues with our go forward, or something of that ilk, and everything escalated from there...

The Bennett lovers as well as the Bennett haters have as much blame in this shit fight, because it's become close to impossible to discuss the Broncos and how they play, without it being pushed one way or another. It's fucking ridiculous!

P.S. I will never be ok to have a prop doing next to no hit-ups because otherwise he can't keep up his defense.

 

[coreyh88]

I'd like to see him benched and coming on with a metre eater like wallace or gavet that has less defensive ability. (the other can partner moose). It will give our team a better balance.

 

[Morkel]

Re: Round 3 - Broncos vs Cowboys

FTR, I never brought Bennett into the argument, nor am I going to.

My comments stemmed from our lack of go forward, especially facing another great forward pack. Then I replied to BP's statement that we have no issues with our go forward, or something of that ilk, and everything escalated from there...

The Bennett lovers as well as the Bennett haters have as much blame in this shit fight, because it's become close to impossible to discuss the Broncos and how they play, without it being pushed one way or another. It's fucking ridiculous!

P.S. I will never be ok to have a prop doing next to no hit-ups because otherwise he can't keep up his defense.

That's your right to have that opinion. Like I said, I'm genuinely interested to see if Blair's defence can help fix one of our longest-standing problems, because preventing the opposition's momentum through our defence is just as important as creating momentum through attack, right? Like saving a try is as good as scoring a try? The question is whether Blair's lack of running at the moment can be covered by others. It's not like defence, trying to hide a poor defender is hard because the opposition chooses where they run. In attack, you can choose who runs, and if we have enough runners to account for the 5 or 6 runs we miss out on having Blair instead of another prop, then what's the problem? Because regardless of who's doing the running, we still made more metres per run than the Sharks. That says to me that our go-forward isn't doing too bad, we're just not getting enough opportunities to do so. IMO, we should therefore be concentrating on fewer errors, fewer penalties, preventing repeat sets, etc, and therefore having more runs, as opposed to trying to get more metres per run.

 

[Porthoz]

That's your right to have that opinion. Like I said, I'm genuinely interested to see if Blair's defence can help fix one of our longest-standing problems, because preventing the opposition's momentum through our defence is just as important as creating momentum through attack, right? Like saving a try is as good as scoring a try? The question is whether Blair's lack of running at the moment can be covered by others. It's not like defence, trying to hide a poor defender is hard because the opposition chooses where they run. In attack, you can choose who runs, and if we have enough runners to account for the 5 or 6 runs we miss out on having Blair instead of another prop, then what's the problem? Because regardless of who's doing the running, we still made more metres per run than the Sharks. That says to me that our go-forward isn't doing too bad, we're just not getting enough opportunities to do so. IMO, we should therefore be concentrating on fewer errors, fewer penalties, preventing repeat sets, etc, and therefore having more runs, as opposed to trying to get more metres per run.

I completely disagree with that. We need our backs to help with kick returns and another 1 or 2 runs to allow the forwards back onside, but we can't rely on them to make the hard meters though.
Having a Vidot and a Oates helps because they will give you more meters, but they still need to be fresh enough to finalise sets and defend well.


If we're willing to let Blair take next to no hit-up to make sure he has the energy to defend, what do you think will happen to our backline players if our go forward is at their expense? Not only will they be spent by the time we attack the opponent's line, they will be found out in defense as well.


My point about moving Blair away from prop, is not about shunning him, because he does a good job of shoring up the ruck, but if that is the case, let him be the Shaun Fensom or Elijah Taylor of the Broncos, and put people next to him that will make up for his lack of punch in attack. The problem is that we have Corey Parker where Blair would suit best... but given he now only plays 50+ minutes anyway, might as well put Parker in the 10.


We lack punch in the front row, and Blair isn't the solution the way he's playing.

 

[Unbreakable]

Wasn't Sam Burgess a Broncos fan as a kid? Rumour is that he's not enjoying Union and wants to come back to the NRL.

R.I.P Salary Cap

8. McGuire
10. Burgess
11. Glenn
12. Blair
13. Parker

14. Gillett
15. Oates
16. Gavet
17. Ofahengaue

 

[lynx000]

Now that is a good forward rotation.

 

[big k]

He definitely needs to lift in terms of hit ups, I'd be happy with him doing 8 - 9 solid hit ups a game and to keep doing what he is doing with the ball before the line stuff and the aggression in defence. He isn't McGuire in terms of hit ups, never will be. If I was to make changes it would be this ( I know I'm going to get shot down but here goes )

8 - McGuire ( A given )
9 - McCullough
10 - Parker ( He was great here last year, he plays up the middle anyway and he made a tonne of metres, plenty of offloads and had one of his best years in 2014 )
11 - Glenn
12 - Blair ( Get him running more and his offloads and passing before the line will create space for out centres and wingers )
13 - Gillett ( He played some of his best football here at the start of 2014 before numbnuts Griffin moving him from 13 when Thaiday came back from injury )

 

[Nashy]

blair isn't very popular with some of the senior guys in the squad, so depending on who you ask on blairs current performance you may get mixed responses.

You have nothing to back this up, so don't say it.

 

[1910]

blair isn't very popular with some of the senior guys in the squad, so depending on who you ask on blairs current performance you may get mixed responses.

Should I ask the same person that told you Bennett hates Joe and will have him gone and never play NRL?

 

[broncos4life]

I completely disagree with that. We need our backs to help with kick returns and another 1 or 2 runs to allow the forwards back onside, but we can't rely on them to make the hard meters though.
Having a Vidot and a Oates helps because they will give you more meters, but they still need to be fresh enough to finalise sets and defend well.


If we're willing to let Blair take next to no hit-up to make sure he has the energy to defend, what do you think will happen to our backline players if our go forward is at their expense? Not only will they be spent by the time we attack the opponent's line, they will be found out in defense as well.


My point about moving Blair away from prop, is not about shunning him, because he does a good job of shoring up the ruck, but if that is the case, let him be the Shaun Fensom or Elijah Taylor of the Broncos, and put people next to him that will make up for his lack of punch in attack. The problem is that we have Corey Parker where Blair would suit best... but given he now only plays 50+ minutes anyway, might as well put Parker in the 10.


We lack punch in the front row, and Blair isn't the solution the way he's playing.

So where would you fit him into the team then? Bearing in mind lock is clearly his best position?

 

[1910]

Who are you guys even arguing with? Yeah Adam Blair hasn't been good but nobody else is kicking the door down so until then, his role is starting prop forward.

Rod Griffin would make more ground than that by three hitups and then make another 20 hit ups.

 

[broncos4life]

Rod Griffin would make more ground than that by three hitups and then make another 20 hit ups.

Would love to see griffin in the side personally

 

[Porthoz]

So where would you fit him into the team then? Bearing in mind lock is clearly his best position?

At this moment, probably lock playing a similar role to Fensom at the Faders or Taylor at Penrith, with Parker starting at prop, given he doesn't play more than 50 odd minutes a game nowadays anyway.

 

[Nashy]

Parker isn't a prop, and shouldn't be placed in the position. He hasn't set the world on fire there.

I don't see why we don't just shutup and see how we go. We won, lets give all of them another crack after further training this week to sure up the problems each player had.

 

[mitch222]

Blair was bought in to stiffen up our defence around the ruck which I feel he is doing a good job. I'm not expecting him to run 150+ metres a game but I do agree he needs to be doing more than 1 hitup a game.

 

[theshed]

You can checky old posts. I Was a big fan of Bennetts return and met the news of blairs signing with optimism but for the first time I think AP is actually the voice of reason in this thread.

Judging off of only 2 games it is fair to say that so fair Blair has disappointed and is playing dangerously similar to his highly criticised stint at the Tigers.

There's no excuse for how little effort he put in attack, his defence was good last game but so was every bodies. He barely stood out.

 

[Porthoz]

Parker isn't a prop, and shouldn't be placed in the position. He hasn't set the world on fire there.

I don't see why we don't just shutup and see how we go. We won, lets give all of them another crack after further training this week to sure up the problems each player had.

I'm not expecting miracles and I am more than willing to give the team time to gel and get better, but this is the type of stuff fans should be able to argue, albeit without going to the extremes we've seen of late...

Parker is a much better prop than Blair, and he is an even better lock, but like last season, it's the way to go until we have someone capable starting next to Moose.
The biggest criticism of him playing prop, was him playing less minutes, because he was still making the metres and the tackles in the front row. He's playing less minutes anyway now.

 

[subsbligh]

Here's a conspiracy theory - Bennett's given him a specific instruction not to do dumb hit ups and just wants him intimidating in defence and giving us some mongrel. In attack, picking his moments on a soft defence and getting the paw free to Milford or Kahu or passing before the line or being the link in the second man play to Hunt/Milford.

Much like Kasiano - fat shit of a prop but could find Barba (RIP 2012) a line break pretty frequently.

So far, in two grinding games, those moments haven't arisen.

Or he's just not demanding the ball or McCullough is going to his tried and tested routes.

When you've got quasi-prop Parker and McGuire demanding 2.5 hitups between them a set and quasi-prop Thaiday playing second row, I don't think it is that big of a deal.

Basically he's playing lock and Parker is playing 10 at the moment in the opening exchanges.

IMO Blair has shown enough committment so far that this isn't a retirement paycheck signing and that he wants to be here. Which suprised me as I was his biggest critic when I saw the signing.