Game of the year - Broncos or Knights???

[Cronulla_Mania]

Grrrr......what a tough contest this shapes up as on paper! Both sides have game breakers that all but cancel each other out. The greatness of Johns v Langer, The great running of Tallis up against the fierce Kennedy, The unpredictable O'Davis up against the superstar Lockyer and the new mad dog Walker up against the talented Gidley. I cannot wait. Big Webcke up against Parso. The contests go on! I for one cannot pick a winner at this stage.....Seeing its at ANZ ill lean towards Brisbane but i really cannot split them. The crowd will be interesting as well. It deserves 30-35k, i dont think the Lions or Reds are at home this weekend, and the Strikers just got kicked out of the NSL finals, so its all Broncos this week! Any predictions??

Cheers,
Moffo.

 

[legend]

On current form, the Knights by 12. Brisbane have been patchy at best and face a side in form with no glaring weaknesses at this stage. Newcastles much maligned forward pack have silenced their biggest critics, me included.

Brisbane will lift but i'm not sure if that will be enough to get them home. Mystery Mans theory may very well come into play here as the Broncos are no certainties to win this and so comes the underdog status which should see the crowd swell to something in excess of 35k.

Definitely the game of the year so far.

 

[imported_JoeD]

Definitely the game of the year so far. Hopefully both teams play to their potential and make it a great spectacle rather than the sorry site of the 3 games I watched last week.
Sharks-Knights, boring whitewash
Storm-Drags, one of the more forgettable games i've ever seen.
Warriors-Dogs, one team played solid, if unspectacular, football the other couldn't hold the ball. Game only came to life in the last 10 min.

I think this game could raise to great heights and could well be a preview of the grand final. My prediction Knights by 4.

 

[imported_bronco]

Can't see the Broncos taking this one out. They've really been walking a thin line in the last three games. Injuries hit them hard against the Sharks, they were flat without Lockyer against the Raiders and clocked off at halftime against the Panthers. They will need to lift considerably against the Knights. While the Broncos have that uncanny nack of being able to win when playing badly, they won't get away with it against the Knights. Also going into this game you've got to worry about their defence letting 22 points in against the Panthers yesterday. Add to the fact that theres some serious questions about Walker. Since hes returned hes been the obvious target of every teams attack and we look very fragile down that side. I'll have my heart in my mouth for 80 mins on Friday because Newcastles attacking power will put a serious strain on that side of the park. If the Knights turn up to play I'd say Knights by 12. I don't know if its just me but the Broncos backline has become very boring and unimaginative in recent years, can't see them outscoring the Knights.

 

[ozbash]

broncs to win. they havnt had to lift themselves yet, they havnt played anyone and have so far been in cruise control.
it will be a beaut tho.

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

Im only leaning towards the Broncos because lets face it, who have really tested the knights?? An understrength Roosters?? No. And the sharks were terrible. The broncos will not capitulate like that. Broncos have played harder teams. They will fire up, Bennett came out in the press and said that 'they have no chance'. Good ol media build up, broncs sound good...

And...the article on www.foxsports.com.au was suggesting a crowd of 40,000 on friday night. Well i hope so, it would be good to see....This combined with a large crowd on Thursday for the ANZAC match between the Dragons and Roosters and it will be a great start for rd7 NRL!

Bring it on!

Moffo.

 

[pepe]

i'm tipping the knights,they have the form on the board so are entitled to start favourites,johns is the best half back i have seen since kimmorley was at melbourne, he'll be the difference,knights 12+

pepe

 

[roostergirl]

This will be a hard one......mainly due to the home ground advantage to Brisbane.

I would have tipped Newcastle easily, due to broncos close games against Raiders & Panthers.....but.....Brisbane often put on something extra at ANZ.

Newcastle by 2

 

[imported_Roopy4246]

The Knights have a lot to prove in this game. Brisbane always play very well at home, and have the biggest home town advantage of any team, with the Knights running them a close second. If this game were in Newcastle the Knights would win easily.
The biggest danger for both teams is the forward packs battering each other and putting both sides back in their campaigns to win the title. There won't be many winners if Parso and Webke take each other out for instance.
The effort put in by Daniel Abraham will be interesting. He is very quickly becoming the man at the Knights who marks the guys who might break the line up the middle. He has Preston Campbell and Brad Drew worked out, let's see how he handles Langer.
Parsons and Perry are both a good chance to play, although they are injured. Kennedy is some chance, but he should come off the bench as he is not match fit.
The Knights backs are starting to look a bit slow, which might be a problem against Walker. Last time we played we had Albert who easily ran down Walker, but Quinn, the Gidley brothers and O'Davis are all a yard or two short of pace really. Hughes is alright and Tahu is quick, but overall the Knights backline is a bit slow.
Johns v Langer will be a behind the lines contest, I can't see them coming together too often. Langer won't run at Johns, and he won't be keen to tackle him either. Langer will put in lots of good work, but he'll be doing it where Johns aint, which is the smart thing to do.
I hope there arn't too many injuries in the Knights forwards. O'Brien and Esatheo are definately out. The good news is that Julian Bailey has had two games in first div and could be back.
I hope to see a good game with the Knights turning on a dazzling backline display. The worst outcome for me is probably what supporters of every other team is hoping for, that is, the two forward packs battering each other senceless. That would be good in the grandfinal, but not in round seven

 

[imported_JoeD]

Civonociva looks likely to miss the game having been charged with a grade 3 offense. It won't make me change my prediction but it makes me feel a little more relaxed about it.

 

[El Duque]

Broncos by 12

They'll know how to get Johns all shitty and throw him off his game.Maybe a bit of sleding by Tallis?

 

[El Duque]

sledging even

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

If a side has forwards that will test the Steel of the Knights (apart from the Eels and Dogs forwards packs) it will be the Broncos. The big man Tallis will definitely put the fear into some of the younger Knights forwards. Parso and Peden and Kennedy will need to stand up and lead the way for the younger dudes like Simpson and Perry.

Moffo.

 

[imported_Roopy4246]

Sledging Johns must go down in history as the worst strategy ever devised.
If Johns is playing well and beating you, he will laugh at anything you have to say.
If he is playing bad and losing, sledging him is pointless because he gets the shits all by himself.
As Phil Gould said about sledging Johns, 'why would you give the best player in the world a reason to want to beat you?'
A few teams tried to niggle Johns in last years final series and a few just tried to take his head off. They are the teams that lost.

 

[El Duque]

Oh it works Roopy.

Don't believe the crap that you read.

 

[imported_footy2k]

On current form, the Knights should come out on top by about 6-12 points. I actually thought the Sharks might get up and end their winning streak last week, but no they were beaten by 50 points. So much for being a super tipper. The Knights won't play a more imposing pack than the Broncos, if the Broncos pack recaptures some of last years form. The Knights look more impressive as a team, they've gelled quickly and are gaining confidence by playing alongside each other. In terms of backlines, the Knights have attacking class of their own, but I say they are a better defending unit. However the Broncos backline has the potential to put on 100 points, against the Knight's im not so sure , but Lockyer, Tuqiri, Walker are the Broncos main points of attack and if in full flight will run over you. All the talk so far is Johns, Johns, and rightfully so, he is a man in top form, but so is Alfie Langer, and Alfie being the competitor he is, will be playing to topple Johns, not to just stand and admire him. Alfie has the class to do that without doubt. The Broncos havent set the world on fire in their last few matches, but I believe the hard work has been done for the Broncos, and look for the likes of Tallis, Webcke, Civiniceva to press claims for Qld positions. The Knights will be the Broncos sternest test yet, and likewise for the Knights, but I can just see Newcastle getting up by 4 points.

GO THE BRONCOS.

 

[El Duque]

What happened to Joey??

He seemed to go M.I.A.

 

[imported_justme]

Does that stand for Masquerading Injury Again? Whenever it gets too tough for the big sook or he doesn't get his own way he starts bunging on the biginjury act. Good player but a lousy sportsman and human being.

 

[imported_footy2k]

What do you expect if you take a queensland No.7 hero too lightly? All the talk was Joey, Joey, christ people, rugby league is played with a team of 13. There's 15 teams in the competition, so that's 15 x 13. You do the maths, and then tell me, out of that sum, why is Andrew Johns the only Rugby League player in the comp? That was the obvious standout for me.

 

[imported_justme]

I must admit Langer has surprised me so far this season, I really didn't think he could perform as well as he has. His game has changed a fair bit from what it once was but no one can deny his organisational and leadership skills. Still have lingering doubts about him seeing out the full seasonbut must admit the old coot is playing exceptional football for a 36 year old.