Foordy
International Captain
Contributor
- Mar 4, 2008
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Write off the Broncos at your peril, they can still take the title
By Phil Gould
April 13, 2019 — 4.28pm
Be warned: do not write off the Brisbane Broncos.
I’m predicting they will still make the top eight. They will be a premiership force come September.
That’s just a free tip from an old bloke who has seen a bit of this stuff down through the years.
I know that one win from the opening five rounds of the competition doesn’t read that well. However, it’s nowhere near as bad as some would have us believe.
I see positives.
Things would be a lot worse if they didn’t have talent. This Broncos team boasts some of the most outstanding young players in the game today.
Remember, too, Tevita Pangai jnr and James Roberts were missing on Thursday night when they lost to the Tigers, and Matt Gillett left the scene early with concussion. They will make a huge difference when fit.
This Broncos squad is young, fit, strong and fast. They have skills. They look enthusiastic and committed.
Things would be a lot different if they weren’t as physically well prepared, or they were ageing and uninterested. This team is a team of the future. They are still at the lower point of the learning curve.
So what’s missing right at the moment?
In round one, they played the Storm away from home and were highly competitive. The Storm were just a little too polished and clinical for them on the night. Not many teams will leave Melbourne with two premiership points this year.
In round two, they were far too strong for the Cowboys and should’ve won by a bigger margin. Following this match many touted them as premiership material. Hold that thought.
In round three, they were beaten by a point by a desperate Dragons team. It was a game they could’ve easily won by a dozen points or more. Their errors were very costly that night.
In round four, they ran into the defending premiers on a wet and greasy SCG pitch. The Roosters had an exceptional night. The Broncos got off on the wrong foot and just couldn’t steady the ship. Mind you, they won’t be the only team this year to suffer such a fate.
On Thursday night, I thought the Broncos were very good for most of the match. They bombed two certain tries, had another disallowed and looked certain to score on several more occasions. Taking nothing at all away from a gutsy Wests Tigers outfit, but that final scoreline could’ve been completely different.
Experts are pointing to the poor set of six the Broncos put together late in the game when trying to manoeuvre into position to take a shot at a field goal. It was a shocker. There’s no sugar-coating that bitter pill. But experiences like that are all part of a learning process. It was one set of six in an 80-minute performance. It doesn’t mean the whole night was terrible.
Now, just read through those last five game descriptions again. Go on, I’ll wait.
You back?
Good.
Now, what’s the common theme?
I say it’s inexperience. There are a lot of youngsters in this team. So many of these Bronco players are still learning the game. Some are real rookies. They just need more time out there in the middle.
Be prepared, too, they are going to make plenty more mistakes before the messages sink in.
People are saying the Broncos are not playing up to their ability. I disagree. I think the Broncos are guilty of trying to play beyond their ability. I think they expect too much of themselves with the way they play. Mentally they are not coping with disappointments and near misses. They are making unforced errors in attack and defence. They are not responding to these challenges.
Their game awareness is not as keen as it needs to be. They are not recognising potential dangers from their opponents or certain situations.
Case in point here would be the three Wests Tigers tries, all on last tackle, all of which should’ve been closed down by a more alert and responsible defensive line.
A few sessions in front of the video replay might cause plenty of embarrassment to a few individuals right now, but the tough lesson is what makes you stronger down the track.
I think for a while they just need to take some baby steps in their game and build up their repertoire over a period of time.
Halves Kodi Nikorima and Anthony Milford are not natural game managers; it doesn’t come easily to them. But this doesn’t mean they can’t be successful. The game can be managed through other means. This is where the coach really comes into play. It’s challenging, but far from impossible.
New coach Anthony Seibold will openly admit there are a few parts of their game that need to be developed. He also knows the only way to achieve this improvement is through hard work on the training paddock and the squad of players pulling together as a unit. This is the part of coaching you should enjoy, because you know there is some real upside and enjoyment coming your way when the pieces finally come together.
However, the one thing they need most can only be attained by playing games and learning to deal with close scorelines and pressure situations. The answers are found out there in the middle. It’s called experience. Good experience, or bad experience, it doesn’t matter. It’s all experience.
Answers are also found underneath your jersey. Improvement comes from your heart and your courage. It’s your desire.
I’m confident these young Broncos have plenty.
Trust me, the Broncos are not that far away from putting together a few big wins.
This difficult period will represent just another brick in the wall of their overall development as individuals and as a team.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
By Phil Gould
April 13, 2019 — 4.28pm
Be warned: do not write off the Brisbane Broncos.
I’m predicting they will still make the top eight. They will be a premiership force come September.
That’s just a free tip from an old bloke who has seen a bit of this stuff down through the years.
I know that one win from the opening five rounds of the competition doesn’t read that well. However, it’s nowhere near as bad as some would have us believe.
I see positives.
Things would be a lot worse if they didn’t have talent. This Broncos team boasts some of the most outstanding young players in the game today.
Remember, too, Tevita Pangai jnr and James Roberts were missing on Thursday night when they lost to the Tigers, and Matt Gillett left the scene early with concussion. They will make a huge difference when fit.
This Broncos squad is young, fit, strong and fast. They have skills. They look enthusiastic and committed.
Things would be a lot different if they weren’t as physically well prepared, or they were ageing and uninterested. This team is a team of the future. They are still at the lower point of the learning curve.
So what’s missing right at the moment?
In round one, they played the Storm away from home and were highly competitive. The Storm were just a little too polished and clinical for them on the night. Not many teams will leave Melbourne with two premiership points this year.
In round two, they were far too strong for the Cowboys and should’ve won by a bigger margin. Following this match many touted them as premiership material. Hold that thought.
In round three, they were beaten by a point by a desperate Dragons team. It was a game they could’ve easily won by a dozen points or more. Their errors were very costly that night.
In round four, they ran into the defending premiers on a wet and greasy SCG pitch. The Roosters had an exceptional night. The Broncos got off on the wrong foot and just couldn’t steady the ship. Mind you, they won’t be the only team this year to suffer such a fate.
On Thursday night, I thought the Broncos were very good for most of the match. They bombed two certain tries, had another disallowed and looked certain to score on several more occasions. Taking nothing at all away from a gutsy Wests Tigers outfit, but that final scoreline could’ve been completely different.
Experts are pointing to the poor set of six the Broncos put together late in the game when trying to manoeuvre into position to take a shot at a field goal. It was a shocker. There’s no sugar-coating that bitter pill. But experiences like that are all part of a learning process. It was one set of six in an 80-minute performance. It doesn’t mean the whole night was terrible.
Now, just read through those last five game descriptions again. Go on, I’ll wait.
You back?
Good.
Now, what’s the common theme?
I say it’s inexperience. There are a lot of youngsters in this team. So many of these Bronco players are still learning the game. Some are real rookies. They just need more time out there in the middle.
Be prepared, too, they are going to make plenty more mistakes before the messages sink in.
People are saying the Broncos are not playing up to their ability. I disagree. I think the Broncos are guilty of trying to play beyond their ability. I think they expect too much of themselves with the way they play. Mentally they are not coping with disappointments and near misses. They are making unforced errors in attack and defence. They are not responding to these challenges.
Their game awareness is not as keen as it needs to be. They are not recognising potential dangers from their opponents or certain situations.
Case in point here would be the three Wests Tigers tries, all on last tackle, all of which should’ve been closed down by a more alert and responsible defensive line.
A few sessions in front of the video replay might cause plenty of embarrassment to a few individuals right now, but the tough lesson is what makes you stronger down the track.
I think for a while they just need to take some baby steps in their game and build up their repertoire over a period of time.
Halves Kodi Nikorima and Anthony Milford are not natural game managers; it doesn’t come easily to them. But this doesn’t mean they can’t be successful. The game can be managed through other means. This is where the coach really comes into play. It’s challenging, but far from impossible.
New coach Anthony Seibold will openly admit there are a few parts of their game that need to be developed. He also knows the only way to achieve this improvement is through hard work on the training paddock and the squad of players pulling together as a unit. This is the part of coaching you should enjoy, because you know there is some real upside and enjoyment coming your way when the pieces finally come together.
However, the one thing they need most can only be attained by playing games and learning to deal with close scorelines and pressure situations. The answers are found out there in the middle. It’s called experience. Good experience, or bad experience, it doesn’t matter. It’s all experience.
Answers are also found underneath your jersey. Improvement comes from your heart and your courage. It’s your desire.
I’m confident these young Broncos have plenty.
Trust me, the Broncos are not that far away from putting together a few big wins.
This difficult period will represent just another brick in the wall of their overall development as individuals and as a team.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
