Where to From Here? Let's Plan for 2021...er...2025

[IceWorks]

I think best to keep the coach till off season at least, let the new CEO come in and provide their direction, how could it be any worse than what we currently have?

Slap the signing hand of anybody entering long term contracts with player options..

That would be a good start.

 

[Waynesaurus]

Chris Garry reckons that the Broncos are trying to get rid of both Milford and Bird for 2021, likely to have to pay a fair bit of each’s salary also.

Milford is a basically a passenger on the field, as is Boyd and well........ Bird through injury is a dead weight we have to carry on our backs.

I think we are stuck with Milford, I don't think he is going to want to go anywhere, Bird may be happy for a fresh start back in Sydney so I would definitely cut our losses and try to at least get some of his cost off our cap.

You would think with Fifita's money we can make some smart positional buys to at least get us moving forward in 2021 but it could still be a rough year. I expect any saving we made from Boyd retiring was going to Fifita anyway.

Cap wise i think we will be in a great position for 2022, that will be the turnaround.

 

[theshed]

I challenge anyone working a job to be offered 3 times their salary and and an extra 550, 000 more than they can earn in their prime per annum, and not take it.
The broncos have offloaded more players that have shown "loyalty" to, and I'm fine with that provided we're honest with the players.
When Bennet was here he'd ask them to play for less, in return for "loyalty". That was the cost. Those days are gone. Now we pay what we pay and if it is not written on legal paper it's worthless. Sometimes it's worthless anyway.
The most important thing is to be true to the people you rely on. I'm not sure that has been true of anyone in this organisation for a while now, and if a new CEO has one job that is more important than any other, it's rebuilding trust within the organisation. Trust between the club officials and coaching staff, the staff and players, and within the playing group. Not just in reward but accountability and a set standard that everyone abides by.
I think that has been lost along the way and is something the likes of Paul Morgan and others have alluded to.
One thing I respected was that in the old days Bennet would get his coaching commission with a handshake. Players would play for the team and the team was everything. If you were in the team senior players expected performance. Excuses were not allowed on the field. And the coach would talk about the team, not players (he'd usually say a load of rubbish but it wasn't to be accountable to some driven media story but to drive a result for the games to come). What he said in the dressing room stayed there however, and that's how it should be. At the end of the day he has to face them and have their respect. Not their love, not their fear but respect. I'm not sure that is the case right now.

Yeah, I’m too lazy to check but I hope there’s no overlap between the posters shouting about loyalty when it comes to Fifita but were happy to push out Macca, Kniko, Kahu, or joined in on encouraging the club to not re-sign Glenn not too long ago.

 

[Cult]

Who replaces Paul White?
I'm not going to lie, I don't know enough about the business side to care. Someone who wants us to be successful on the field instead of just off it.

Who is coach?
There are a few options. Kevin Walters, Paul Green, Brad Thorn, Stephen Kearney etc. I want someone who has a love for the club like Walters if he can surround himself with great staff. I've said it before but if QLD wants a strong Broncos team then let him do both jobs. Steal Michael Hagan away from his QLD duties for a year or two (His replacement should be Cam Smith), bring in some ex players (Hodges, Parker, Petero) and get that dorky Coach Whisperer bloke in.

Who are you bringing in ?
Apparently (According to a source that has given me some correct stuff that I've posted on here over the years) we are after Jesse Bromwich, Nathan Brown and Blake Green. I'd take Bromwich. Other options for people we should chase for a year are Cam Smith (with a coaching job on offer) and Brett Morris. We aren't getting any of these players. A new coach might be able to score some players that are contracted to other teams though.

1 Kotoni Staggs
2 Xavier Coates
3 Jack Bird
4 Herbie Farnworth
5 Jamayne Isaako
6 Blake Green
7 Thomas Dearden
8 Payne Haas
9 Jake Turpin
10 Jesse Bromwich
11 Alex Glenn
12 Tevita Pangai Jr
13 Patrick Carrigan

14 Anthony Milford
15 Thomas Flegler
16 Matt Lodge
17 Corey Oates

18 Tesi Niu
19 Joe Ofahengaue
20 Brodie Croft
21 Issac Luke
22 Keenan Palasia
23 Ben Te'o
24 Ethan Bullemore
25 Jordan Riki
26 Corey Paix
27
28
29
30

I honestly can't see any positive signings that will turn us around. We are fucked.

 

[Cult]

Chris Garry reckons that the Broncos are trying to get rid of both Milford and Bird for 2021, likely to have to pay a fair bit of each’s salary also.
Imagine if we were able to have Milford, Boyd, Bird and Kahu off the books in 2021. Might even get extra lucky and get the Bulldogs to take on Macca..
Sounds like things may actually be moving behind the scenes, although there really is no outstanding talent on the market for us to go after.

My problem with this is the coach and board still have their hands on who is going to be the replacements. This is why we need to sort out the coaching situation as quick as possible

 

[Unbreakable]

The problem with signing a good middle forward is that we can't offer them a starting gig in 2021.

There's essentially no scenario that we don't trot this out for 2021:

8. Lodge
10. Haas
13. Carrigan

Haas & Carrigan are our best 2 players, they're starting 100%. Lodge is reportedly being paid somewhere between $600-700K a year and was arguably not far behind Haas last season in terms of positive contributions to the team. If he comes back fit in 2021 fully recovered from these knee dramas, he'll start.

Throw in Flegler & Ofahengaue who are both paid overs as well.. and TPJ who probably should be our lock.. there's no room for a forward signing unless it's someone who's purely at the club for depth and their experience at training, or a specialist edge back rower.

I'm fine with buying 1-2 minimum wage experienced middle forwards to provide some depth and show the boys how it's done at training, but I wouldn't be spending any significant salary cap on a J.Brom or N.Brown. We don't need them. The problem with our forwards losing the middle battle every week is that every other forward pack relies heavily on their outside backs to take strong runs out of trouble, ours don't do that.. and when they do, they're absolutely stoked if they make 4-5 metres.

What we do need is an elite Fullback... Bigger, better and stronger outside backs to help our forwards get metres out of our own end. And an elite 6, 7 or 9.

 

[Dazza 92]

The problem with signing a good middle forward is that we can't offer them a starting gig in 2021.

There's essentially no scenario that we don't trot this out for 2021:

8. Lodge
10. Haas
13. Carrigan

Haas & Carrigan are our best 2 players, they're starting 100%. Lodge is reportedly being paid somewhere between $600-700K a year and was arguably not far behind Haas last season in terms of positive contributions to the team. If he comes back fit in 2021 fully recovered from these knee dramas, he'll start.

Throw in Flegler & Ofahengaue who are both paid overs as well.. and TPJ who probably should be our lock.. there's no room for a forward signing unless it's someone who's purely at the club for depth and their experience at training, or a specialist edge back rower.

I'm fine with buying 1-2 minimum wage experienced middle forwards to provide some depth and show the boys how it's done at training, but I wouldn't be spending any significant salary cap on a J.Brom or N.Brown. We don't need them. The problem with our forwards losing the middle battle every week is that every other forward pack relies heavily on their outside backs to take strong runs out of trouble, ours don't do that.. and when they do, they're absolutely stoked if they make 4-5 metres.

What we do need is an elite Fullback... Bigger, better and stronger outside backs to help our forwards get metres out of our own end. And an elite 6, 7 or 9.

sounds like a new spine there...

I believe J Bromich is going to resign with Storm...

Im coming around to the thought that TPJs future is as a prop. Particularly if we decide to replicate the Roosters and the Storms of this world and produce/buy a ball playing lock

He attarcts so much attention at prop, and his party trick of getting his ball carrying arms free with 3-4-5 tacklers on him. We just havnt taken advantage of that ability whatsoever.

Maybe he should be the first prop off the bench, that way the less time he has on the field to do soemthing stupid and get frustrated or have a brain snap...?

If you follow that through, then you are realising we need to move on at least 2 middle frowards already here...

 

[Unbreakable]

Im coming around to the thought that TPJs future is as a prop. Particularly if we decide to replicate the Roosters and the Storms of this world and produce/buy a ball playing lock

He attarcts so much attention at prop, and his party trick of getting his ball carrying arms free with 3-4-5 tacklers on him. We just havnt taken advantage of that ability whatsoever.

Maybe he should be the first prop off the bench, that way the less time he has on the field to do soemthing stupid and get frustrated or have a brain snap...?

If you follow that through, then you are realising we need to move on at least 2 middle frowards already here...

I still believe his best position is lock, I also believe Carrigan's best position is prop. If I were picking the team they'd be my starting middles every week, with the minute distribution looking something like this:

8. Carrigan (55 mins) (25 minutes first half, 30 minutes second half)
10. Haas (65 mins) (40 minutes first half, come off after 10 mins in second half {when Carrigan comes back on}, come back on for final 15 mins)
13. TPJ (60 mins) (30 minutes first half, 30 minutes second half)

Instead of forcing one of them to play 80 minutes like Seibold has been, he should be ensuring that we have all 3 of them on for the final 15-20 minutes with a bit of rest in them.

 

[Dazza 92]

that would work well i think....

 

[Organix]

Yeah, I’m too lazy to check but I hope there’s no overlap between the posters shouting about loyalty when it comes to Fifita but were happy to push out Macca, Kniko, Kahu, or joined in on encouraging the club to not re-sign Glenn not too long ago.

I think loyalty to the team is also about knowing when you are not going well and accepting being dropped. A healthy competition for positions should push players to be better and do better. That being said, with today's media we get a very unhealthy dose of competition e.g. Seibold's competition for a job coming from someone who works in the media.

 

[Organix]

This is a great post. Siebs is in the fight of his life, yeah the club has gone down hill but like you point out there is so much more to it then Siebs bad. The media have gone full throttle, they said on 360 early in the year how it was personal and the media should not be put offside because they can do this to you. They literally said that Seibs had burnt bridges and put them offside and it was a dangerous game. What if the guy necks himself, or a player. It's not social media it's the clowns talking on panels that are going over the edge in my opinion.

Our senior group is a joke. Our million dollar player is an unfit, unprofessional joke and a peaheart to boot. He came out with a thigh sleeve for an excuse and now has a "knee injury" he is overcoming apparently. What his excuse for the condition he came back in post Covid. He is perhaps my biggest disappointment in all of this.

Cheers, mate. IMO we parrot a lot of what the media says here and on Reddit. It's easy to get caught up in it all. The media themselves get caught up in their own BS. They quote themselves to push an alleged rumour that can be completely false. It's actually pretty funny but also a bit scary. I really don't know why any of the team use Twitter or whatever. It's just asking for trouble.

 

[Broncapz]

Going forward in this thread Paul Green is NOT an option for coach. The only reason he has a premiership is because of the single greatest choke by a professional sports player, else he'd have 2 GF losses and a tonne of not even making the finals.

Again... Paul Green is NOT an option.

 

[The True King]

1 Kotoni Staggs
2 Xavier Coates
3 Jack Bird
4 Herbie Farnworth
5 Jamayne Isaako
6 Blake Green
7 Thomas Dearden
8 Payne Haas
9 Jake Turpin
10 Jesse Bromwich
11 Alex Glenn
12 Tevita Pangai Jr
13 Patrick Carrigan

14 Anthony Milford
15 Thomas Flegler
16 Matt Lodge
17 Corey Oates

If we can't get JBrom I would have no issue going after Tamou either. We need experience in our pack and badly. I noticed you didn't list Jo Ofa, was that intentional? (If he's not in our 17 as a QLD rep then he should probably be shopped around)

Side note, but I wouldn't trust our medical team to keep NBrown fit. Additionally, we'd have all sorts of discipline issues already. The thought of him and TPJ on the field is scary.

Otherwise I would prefer Staggs stay at centre and Farnworth out to the wing instead of Isaako. I have a bad feeling that he just isn't going to be the player we thought he was (I actually think it might be in the interests of both parties that he moves on). Agree with other posts that we need a back 3 that return the ball with intent and purpose - Isaako isn't that player imo.

It's been mentioned in another thread but I wouldn't mind if we made enquiries about Drinkwater and played him FB. I don't know what the Cowboys are paying him but we have the cap space to take him on loan for a season and then re-assess the market. At worst he's pretty versatile.

 

[Cult]

The problem with signing a good middle forward is that we can't offer them a starting gig in 2021.

There's essentially no scenario that we don't trot this out for 2021:

8. Lodge
10. Haas
13. Carrigan

Haas & Carrigan are our best 2 players, they're starting 100%. Lodge is reportedly being paid somewhere between $600-700K a year and was arguably not far behind Haas last season in terms of positive contributions to the team. If he comes back fit in 2021 fully recovered from these knee dramas, he'll start.

Throw in Flegler & Ofahengaue who are both paid overs as well.. and TPJ who probably should be our lock.. there's no room for a forward signing unless it's someone who's purely at the club for depth and their experience at training, or a specialist edge back rower.

I'm fine with buying 1-2 minimum wage experienced middle forwards to provide some depth and show the boys how it's done at training, but I wouldn't be spending any significant salary cap on a J.Brom or N.Brown. We don't need them. The problem with our forwards losing the middle battle every week is that every other forward pack relies heavily on their outside backs to take strong runs out of trouble, ours don't do that.. and when they do, they're absolutely stoked if they make 4-5 metres.

What we do need is an elite Fullback... Bigger, better and stronger outside backs to help our forwards get metres out of our own end. And an elite 6, 7 or 9.

The problem is that there aren’t any fullbacks available. Nobody worthwhile is available in almost every position. We are fucked for the next two seasons unless the new coach can bring someone worthwhile in. And I don’t trust the club to bring in someone like Green, Bromwich or Brown on anything that isn’t overs.

 

[Dazza 92]

After watching the Bird experiment blow up in our face....id try and stay away from noted injury risk playrs like Brown personally, plus ive a question mark or two on his attitude.

You want to bring in guys who are in the age group we are lacking which would be 25-29 year old. They need to be guys who can play in our weak positions, be good trainers with good off/on field attitudes and be vocal both during training and on the field.

In all seriousness if you cant find those types next season then we wait. 2022 is looking like the perfect combo of players we would need coming off contract + quite a few of our guys will be due contract renegotiations...

Guys like Joseph Manu (centre), RTS & Gutherson (fullback), Mitchell Moses (half back), Butcher & Taukeiaho (Lock), apart from Manu these are all spine players all potentially up for grabs...

 

[Fitzy]

I am no salary cap expert and the shit state ours is in currently makes it a headache to figure out but assuming McCullough doesn’t come back and bird leaves we have a bit of money to attract some on contract talent. (Keep in mind hamiso is a bit unrealistic)
1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
2. Herbie Farbworth
3. Kotoni Staggs
4. Tesi Niu
5. Xavier Coates
6. Anthony Milford
7. Tom Dearden
8. Lodge
9. Cameron Smith (C)
10. Payne Haas
11. Alex Glenn (C)
12. Tevita Pangai Jnr
13. Pat Carrigan
14. Jake Turpin
15. Aidan Guerra / Bullemor / Piakura
16. Joe Ofehangue
17. Thomas Flegler

Obviously this isn’t overly realistic definitely potential with Guerra and Smith whilst Hamiso would have to be a case of money and the fullback position attracting him... Obviously Smith and Guerra bring much needed experience... Smith can lead from the front bring a winning culture and definitely make Dearden and Turpin much better for when Smith retires... This will also take pressure off Milford and hopefully if he can get in shape and get a bit of confidence and support he can get close to justifying that large contract of his... Hamiso is just a case of he is stuck on the wing behind Val for what is most likely the long term... The fullback position and a much larger contract could entice him to come... in saying that am not holding my breath... if not since there is not to many realistic and good options I would consider Tristan sailor who reportedly wants out (also can move to 5/8 when Milf is gone) and Nicho hynes who has so much talent and potential, they could both come in and provide that spark and composure at the fullback position until someone like a Tuivasa-Sheck hits the market

 

[whykickamoocow]

Going forward in this thread Paul Green is NOT an option for coach. The only reason he has a premiership is because of the single greatest choke by a professional sports player, else he'd have 2 GF losses and a tonne of not even making the finals.

Again... Paul Green is NOT an option.

I think you should watch Greg Norman's last round at the 96 Masters.

 

[Thelmus]

I think you should watch Greg Norman's last round at the 96 Masters.

Why talk about 2nd as a failure when we are running 2nd last. I'm not advocating for green as I think he had an all time great in his team for a number of years that should have led to greater success over the long run, but I'd take a a couple of top four finishes (let alone grand finalists) any day of the week. Coaches get stuck with injuries and suspensions that mean they miss out on the big prize despite being excellent at their job.
I'd look to consistency first with the way the team performs. Of course that can mean different things depending on resources at their disposal. Look at holbrook at the titans, or toovey at manly and tell me they are bad because their teams were mediocre. I'd take either of them in a heartbeat.
You just know with a bit of luck and a better roster they could take their team places. Despite what people say, I think there is the core of a very good side with what we have got.
It's not there yet but it's not as far away as people think. Some direction and a sense of purpose can make seemingly ordinary players look very good.
The thing that puzzles about siebolds is how he unlocked cook at South's as classy hooker but has been so dreadful so far here. I wonder if he would have been better as a long term assistant coach, left with a distinct, important part of the picture rather than given the whole show.
It sad to think about, because as much as I want him gone, they may the kernel of a good coach (perhaps as an assistant only) in there that has been overwhelmed, much in the same way a great captain like marshal Ney, made a terrible general for napoleon. Sometimes strategy is lost to micromanaging tactics.