What would your eventual Broncos team look like?

Jedhead

Jedhead

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Jan 8, 2018
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I'm wondering if you were asked - like Kevvie, to go away and think about what you would like your Broncos team to eventually look like, what would you say was your priorities?


We've been talking this morning about the importance of coaching.

Another deciding factor with how our team performs is - player experience and stability.

As we all know, teams that have been together for a number of seasons not only learn combinations and each other’s game they also gain an advantage on teams that are at their own beginning of a re-build. So, a team full of rookies coming up against a team full of 50 plus regulars will always get flogged.

Siebold’s hairbrained ideas of getting rid of almost everyone connected in any way to Benny and replace them with brand new shiny rookies is a prime example. He thought he’d come up with a sound idea to manufacture loyalty, but it was at the expense of stability and experience and it backfired horribly. They were flogged on a weekly basis and the physical and mental scars were just too much for some to bear.

Our current crop of players are all fast approaching that point where they are no longer raw in-experienced pushovers and between now and the next couple of seasons the shoe will be on the other foot. They will be the ones bossing other teams who are made up more of rookies than experienced players. Furthermore, they are reaching this stage with a much brighter attitude than if we had persevered with the errant schoolteacher.

The big difference is Kev has brought in several ‘old’ hands to help nurture our younger brigade. All our roster is gaining irreplaceable levels of confidence by just being around players like Reyno, Capewell and to a lesser degree Jensen, Mead, Lee and James. Over the last month if I heard it once I heard it a dozen times from our youngsters saying their confidence had exploded from having calm heads like our skipper just talking to them and coaching them through the tough periods of games.

The good news is, very soon those players will be able to remain calm all on their own.

The big thing is though is that these guys need to realise that the good times are just around the corner. Herbie, for instance, plays his 50th game tonight and it is only now that he is starting to be regarded as a reliable weapon. We need to be able to keep guys like Herbie to recoup all the time and effort both he and the club have put in to get to this stage.

I hope these young guys realise that sure a GF ring is an ultimate goal, but a GF ring won through sticking by a team who has fought their way through adversity is much sweeter than a ring that is won by walking into a team that has already done all the heavy lifting.

Some of you might argue a GF ring is a GF ring, but I’d bet most players would get a bigger level of satisfaction winning a GF ring that was won through years of personal sacrifice.

Finally, when Kev went away for his sitdown to think about what he wanted his team to eventually look like I hope part of his vision was a team full of players who had sacrificed a great deal to win a GF ring as that my friends is a huge deciding factor during those 80 minutes of the big dance.

What would your 'vision' be?
 
I'm wondering if you were asked - like Kevvie, to go away and think about what you would like your Broncos team to eventually look like, what would you say was your priorities?


We've been talking this morning about the importance of coaching.

Another deciding factor with how our team performs is - player experience and stability.

As we all know, teams that have been together for a number of seasons not only learn combinations and each other’s game they also gain an advantage on teams that are at their own beginning of a re-build. So, a team full of rookies coming up against a team full of 50 plus regulars will always get flogged.

Siebold’s hairbrained ideas of getting rid of almost everyone connected in any way to Benny and replace them with brand new shiny rookies is a prime example. He thought he’d come up with a sound idea to manufacture loyalty, but it was at the expense of stability and experience and it backfired horribly. They were flogged on a weekly basis and the physical and mental scars were just too much for some to bear.

Our current crop of players are all fast approaching that point where they are no longer raw in-experienced pushovers and between now and the next couple of seasons the shoe will be on the other foot. They will be the ones bossing other teams who are made up more of rookies than experienced players. Furthermore, they are reaching this stage with a much brighter attitude than if we had persevered with the errant schoolteacher.

The big difference is Kev has brought in several ‘old’ hands to help nurture our younger brigade. All our roster is gaining irreplaceable levels of confidence by just being around players like Reyno, Capewell and to a lesser degree Jensen, Mead, Lee and James. Over the last month if I heard it once I heard it a dozen times from our youngsters saying their confidence had exploded from having calm heads like our skipper just talking to them and coaching them through the tough periods of games.

The good news is, very soon those players will be able to remain calm all on their own.

The big thing is though is that these guys need to realise that the good times are just around the corner. Herbie, for instance, plays his 50th game tonight and it is only now that he is starting to be regarded as a reliable weapon. We need to be able to keep guys like Herbie to recoup all the time and effort both he and the club have put in to get to this stage.

I hope these young guys realise that sure a GF ring is an ultimate goal, but a GF ring won through sticking by a team who has fought their way through adversity is much sweeter than a ring that is won by walking into a team that has already done all the heavy lifting.

Some of you might argue a GF ring is a GF ring, but I’d bet most players would get a bigger level of satisfaction winning a GF ring that was won through years of personal sacrifice.

Finally, when Kev went away for his sitdown to think about what he wanted his team to eventually look like I hope part of his vision was a team full of players who had sacrificed a great deal to win a GF ring as that my friends is a huge deciding factor during those 80 minutes of the big dance.

What would your 'vision' be?
My visions is this Broncos teams winning the premiership this year, and then going for the hatrick in 2023 and 2024. The team is perfect the way it is, and we shouldn't shange a thing.
 
Interesting question.

Honestly, I think we are in a pretty good place with the forward pack and the outside backs. The issue is in the spine.

Over the next two years I'd like us to get a marquee spine signing, ideally someone about 3-5 years younger than Reyno, who can transition into the leader figure when Reyno retires (not necessarily the captain, but the steering wheel) Hynes would have been perfect, but there are other options out there.

Apart from that it'll be about managing transitions. Good players will leave & young players will mature into good players, just got to make the right decisions. I firmly believe we will be a top 4 team again the next few years , and it'll just be about how we aim to stay there.
 
Not directly answering your question but I have a bit of a theory (maybe more of an observation)..

I believe part of Kev’s answer is a mentally tough team that build success based on defence. I assume this because Kev has carried on about defence nonstop since this meeting apparently occurred. Which is great. Part of the intention of this meeting was for Ikin and DD to fire up the old Storm money ball system and use it to find hidden gems that contribute toward the team Kev described.

If my time lines from memory are correct it would’ve been shortly after this meeting that Jensen was signed. A guy who has one of the games most impressive tackle efficiencies and the text book definition of a money ball player - statistically great but for one reason or another never really got a decent crack at first grade.
 
Not directly answering your question but I have a bit of a theory (maybe more of an observation)..

I believe part of Kev’s answer is a mentally tough team that build success based on defence. I assume this because Kev has carried on about defence nonstop since this meeting apparently occurred. Which is great. Part of the intention of this meeting was for Ikin and DD to fire up the old Storm money ball system and use it to find hidden gems that contribute toward the team Kev described.

If my time lines from memory are correct it would’ve been shortly after this meeting that Jensen was signed. A guy who has one of the games most impressive tackle efficiencies and the text book definition of a money ball player - statistically great but for one reason or another never really got a decent crack at first grade.
Agreed. I think our team needs to start from a baseline of solid structured defence that everyone knows off by heart. It's the only way the 'next man up' strategy works to any sort of effectiveness.
 
Interesting question.

Honestly, I think we are in a pretty good place with the forward pack and the outside backs. The issue is in the spine.

Over the next two years I'd like us to get a marquee spine signing, ideally someone about 3-5 years younger than Reyno, who can transition into the leader figure when Reyno retires (not necessarily the captain, but the steering wheel) Hynes would have been perfect, but there are other options out there.

Apart from that it'll be about managing transitions. Good players will leave & young players will mature into good players, just got to make the right decisions. I firmly believe we will be a top 4 team again the next few years , and it'll just be about how we aim to stay there.
If TMM continues to improve at FB and we can get Ezra Mam to find form we might be able to fill that position from within. But if we were able to get in a Shuster or Burton I'd be happy too.
 
Not directly answering your question but I have a bit of a theory (maybe more of an observation)..

I believe part of Kev’s answer is a mentally tough team that build success based on defence. I assume this because Kev has carried on about defence nonstop since this meeting apparently occurred. Which is great. Part of the intention of this meeting was for Ikin and DD to fire up the old Storm money ball system and use it to find hidden gems that contribute toward the team Kev described.

If my time lines from memory are correct it would’ve been shortly after this meeting that Jensen was signed. A guy who has one of the games most impressive tackle efficiencies and the text book definition of a money ball player - statistically great but for one reason or another never really got a decent crack at first grade.
Sounds like someone I know does Jensen.
 
I think we are a 6 and 9 away from being premiership level with what we have.

Martin has been massive for us and even though he hasn't been like Teddy or Turbo special he is incredibly solid at what he does and has good positioning in attack, similar to Dylan Edwards.

I think even though our choices in hooker are improving we probably need a signing to be the main player but looking at the market I don't really see any option there.

For 6 if Gamble can get a hang of the Shane Perry role he did last game it can work but otherwise we will need to look elsewhere he seems to work much better as a dominant half atleast in 1st grade, but for now we can see how it goes, I don't think we need a flashy 6 though Reynolds is playing better being the Half with his hands in everything compared to at Souths where they had a really good 6 and Reynolds strategy was based around getting him ball, I think it limits him and what he can provide to the team, he only needs a ship settler next to him like Perry with Locky in 06.

I do want to see how mam handles a few games this season though because we don't have for ever for this window due to Reynolds age.
 
I think we are a 6 and 9 away from being premiership level with what we have.

Martin has been massive for us and even though he hasn't been like Teddy or Turbo special he is incredibly solid at what he does and has good positioning in attack, similar to Dylan Edwards.

I think even though our choices in hooker are improving we probably need a signing to be the main player but looking at the market I don't really see any option there.

For 6 if Gamble can get a hang of the Shane Perry role he did last game it can work but otherwise we will need to look elsewhere he seems to work much better as a dominant half atleast in 1st grade, but for now we can see how it goes, I don't think we need a flashy 6 though Reynolds is playing better being the Half with his hands in everything compared to at Souths where they had a really good 6 and Reynolds strategy was based around getting him ball, I think it limits him and what he can provide to the team, he only needs a ship settler next to him like Perry with Locky in 06.

I do want to see how mam handles a few games this season though because we don't have for ever for this window due to Reynolds age.
Agreed. the six and nine are areas we can improve immeasurably. Paix is coming along nicely, but his smaller bod (89Kg I think) makes him a target for the opposition. I don't wish to start up the Turps argument again, but I think Paix is an upgrade and with 30 or so more games may well be the answer.
 
Agreed. the six and nine are areas we can improve immeasurably. Paix is coming along nicely, but his smaller bod (89Kg I think) makes him a target for the opposition. I don't wish to start up the Turps argument again, but I think Paix is an upgrade and with 30 or so more games may well be the answer.
I would say 1 is our biggest weakness. Second to that is our back up hooker.

Paix should be our main guy for now and Billy has been fine but I wouldn’t mind another solid experienced option sharing the role with Paix.

Martin has been good but I would still prefer an elite 1. Martin would make a good 6, as may Ezra, or Gamble can keep doing what he is.

If I could sign 1 semi realistic (kinda) fullback it would be RTS.

1. RTS
6. Martin / Mam
7. Reynolds
9. Paix
 
I would say 1 is our biggest weakness. Second to that is our back up hooker.

Paix should be our main guy for now and Billy has been fine but I wouldn’t mind another solid experienced option sharing the role with Paix.

Martin has been good but I would still prefer an elite 1. Martin would make a good 6, as may Ezra, or Gamble can keep doing what he is.

If I could sign 1 semi realistic (kinda) fullback it would be RTS.

1. RTS
6. Martin / Mam
7. Reynolds
9. Paix
Jeez, put Roger in there and we overnight become a threat to even the Riff and the Storm. All we'll be lacking is time together to solidify combinations.
Do you think Walsh would be as effective?
 
If Reynolds maintains his current form and stays healthy for the duration of his current contract, I see us building into serious contenders over the next couple of years, and I don't even think we need that many pieces. Honestly, if we could just get one more excellent-to-elite player into the spine to complement Reynolds, I think we have enough elsewhere that can do a job and make us very competitive. Some mix of Martin, Gamble and Paix across two of the 1/6/9, if not asked to do too much, could be enough. And that's not considering the potential of Cobbo or Mam to slot into the spine within the next year or so.

So priority one - get the spine sorted and settled and consistent. My second priority would be to make sure we have some explosive options in the backline - oh, hello, Staggs and Cobbo - and one or two really top quality cornerstone forwards - hmmm, seems like we have a few of those as well. Then, fill in the gaps with solid, hard working players who know their roles and do their jobs consistently, with a nice balance of experience and potential.

I'd want to build a team where accountability and trust is key, where hard work is rewarded, mistakes are learnt from, and mediocrity is not tolerated. Focus on defense, instil an attitude where any amount points scored against is too many, but also introduce structures in attack, and ensure everyone knows where they should be and what they should be doing at any given point and in any given scenario.

Lastly, I want to make sure that there is always a next-man-up that can fill a spot, and a succession plan for Reynolds so that there's just a smooth transition after he retires following the inevitable grand final win in his last season.
 
If Reynolds maintains his current form and stays healthy for the duration of his current contract, I see us building into serious contenders over the next couple of years, and I don't even think we need that many pieces. Honestly, if we could just get one more excellent-to-elite player into the spine to complement Reynolds, I think we have enough elsewhere that can do a job and make us very competitive. Some mix of Martin, Gamble and Paix across two of the 1/6/9, if not asked to do too much, could be enough. And that's not considering the potential of Cobbo or Mam to slot into the spine within the next year or so.

So priority one - get the spine sorted and settled and consistent. My second priority would be to make sure we have some explosive options in the backline - oh, hello, Staggs and Cobbo - and one or two really top quality cornerstone forwards - hmmm, seems like we have a few of those as well. Then, fill in the gaps with solid, hard working players who know their roles and do their jobs consistently, with a nice balance of experience and potential.

I'd want to build a team where accountability and trust is key, where hard work is rewarded, mistakes are learnt from, and mediocrity is not tolerated. Focus on defense, instil an attitude where any amount points scored against is too many, but also introduce structures in attack, and ensure everyone knows where they should be and what they should be doing at any given point and in any given scenario.

Lastly, I want to make sure that there is always a next-man-up that can fill a spot, and a succession plan for Reynolds so that there's just a smooth transition after he retires following the inevitable grand final win in his last season.
Hope Kevvie is reading your post.
 
Jeez, put Roger in there and we overnight become a threat to even the Riff and the Storm. All we'll be lacking is time together to solidify combinations.
Do you think Walsh would be as effective?
I think Roge instantly improves our team, especially off the paddock. He’s one of the games (ex)best leaders and a really good bloke too. Walsh isn’t in the same league as far as experience, leadership or expertise.

Walsh has a longer career in front of him though and who knows how high his ceiling is. That being said, RTS has won Dally M winger of the year, 2 x Dally M fullback of the year, and Dally M player of the year, so Walsh will be doing very well to reach the heights of Roger.
 
Tough question ... before I answer it though, I'd like to say that I'm glad we have a coach that's prepared to listen to advice and act accordingly. Unlike our previous coach (whose name should never be mentioned on here ever again)

Now:

I honesty don't think we are too far away from contender status.

We need a 6 IMO. He doesn't need to be the best 6 to ever play the game, but he should have a strong running game. I don't mind the moneyball approach here either, despite it being a spine position. The question is, can Mam be that player, or should we hit the market?

TMM can be our version of Dylan Edwards IMO, only a better play makers. Give him the rest of this season, followed by a full pre-season getting mentored by Boyd and we have the fullback we need moving forward.

I'd cap any extension to Haas at 800k, if he loves the club and is motivated by premierships he'll stay, if not he'll leave, but that wouldn't be the end of the world. Carrigan is good enough to br our main prop, and we could use the moneyball strategy to get another prop like Hensen and have a couple of hundred K left over to get a better 6.

A Paix/Walters hooker tag team will work until Mozer is ready, they just need a bit of time to develop in the roles.

The only back line change I would make would be to swap Cobbo and Herbie. IMO, center should be Cobbos long term position. If Herbie leaves, then Pereira will do a fine job on the wing. Oates should be offered a new contract, slight less than his current one. I feel a 350k -400k a season is fair and one he would accept.

My final team.

1. TMM
2. Oates
3. Cobbo
4. Staggs
5. Herbie
6. New signing / Mam
7. Reynolds
8. Jensen
9. Paix
10. Haas
11. Capewell
12. Riki (I think Piakura will eventually claim this spot
13. Carrigan

14. Billy
15. Flegler
16. Hethrington
17. Palasia
 
@Huge's vision:

1. William Kennedy
2. Jamayne Isaako
3. Izack Tago
4. Reece Hoffman
5. Rhys Wesser
6. Reece Walsh
7. Brett Kenn(ed)y
8. Rhys Kennedy
9. Reece Robson
10. Martin Kennedy
11. David Royce Ayliffe
12. Rhyse Martin
13. Ben Kennedy

14. Issac Luke
15. Isaac Liu
16. J'maine Hopgood
17. Rusiate Isaac Lumelume
 

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