Can anybody beat Brisbane for the premiership ?

[Mr Saab]

Seymour is not a proven pressure performer for Brisbane, that's why they are very very beatable.

that might be the case in terms of semi final football, but he has played twice without Lockyer and stepped up. When Lockyer copped a high shot vs the cowboys in the 23-6 win it was Seymour who stepped up and took control.
As for the semis they have Lockyer in the halves who has "been there done that".

Webcke...TC...S Berrigan....Petero...Carlaw....Hodges (chooks)....Thorn....Lockyer.

All these players have GF experience.Thats over half the team (not including Darren Smith). Plus a coach who has won 5 Comps.
Brisbane will be just fine

 

[Mr Saab]

The dogs actually found their feet in the last couple of rounds before the semis. First their defence starting holding firm, and their form culminated in a 60 point thrashing of the Gold Coast(?) in the last preliminary round. It was that thrashing that enabled their attack to get going, so they actually had momentum going into the finals.

Someone asked me in '95 with about 4 rounds to go what I'd do if the dogs won the comp.

That grand final win cost me a nuddy run around the Campus East dining room at the Uni of Gong

yeah last couple of rounds. Not the whole season. It was a 66-4 thrashing of the cowboys at belmore. I dont know for sure if it was the return to belmore for the last game (played at parra stadium all yr) that helped them, but something clicked.

 

[jimmythehand]

2 games doesn't make a proven performer under pressure. Seymour has had a number of pretty ordinary years. He's in great form now, but will he be able to maintain it?

 

[Kiwi]

Brisbane doesn't even come close to comparing with the Bulldogs and Roosters at their best in the last couple of years.

That's what the salary cap does - it promotes mediocrity. Teams can no longer have the depth to be as dominant as they once were.

If Seymour keeps firing for Brisbane in the semis they will be hard to beat. But if as I expect he folds then the Broncos will be a walk in the park for the Doggies (provided sherwin doesn't lose it again) and the Eels would beat them if tim smith maintained his form. And of course the Dragons could too only they probably won't make the 8 because they don't have enough quality players (*snigger*).

Yes it's the half backs that will control the semi finals, and the performances of the forwards will go a long way to deciding how well the half backs perform.

Seymour is not a proven pressure performer for Brisbane, that's why they are very very beatable.

I reckon Lockyer has more of an influence on the Broncos ability to win the title than Seymour. Just because pretty much all the other teams that will make the finals, apart from the Dragons, rely on their halfback doesn't mean the Broncos do. Fortunately Seymour has been great this year, and it has relieved alot of pressure off Locky, can't see that changing unless Seymour gets hurt.

Tim Smith is in the same boat as Seymour, not a "pressure" proven player, guess that makes the eels very very beatable.

 

[Mr Saab]

2 games doesn't make a proven performer under pressure. Seymour has had a number of pretty ordinary years. He's in great form now, but will he be able to maintain it?

what are you talking about?????????
ordinary yrs? he has played 40 games in his career...almost half of those are from 2005.
Last yr he was injured most of the yr (knee)...and he made his debut as a 17 yr old in 2002 for a few games.
This is his 1st FULL season in first grade.
The only "ordinary" thing is your knowledge

 

[Kiwi]

2 games doesn't make a proven performer under pressure. Seymour has had a number of pretty ordinary years. He's in great form now, but will he be able to maintain it?

Seymour was going great last year till he got hurt in round 9 I think it was, and an injury cost him alot of game time in 2003. Dude get your facts right before saying something. Seymour has played most of his footy this year in FG thanks to injuries. He has been great when ever he has played.

 

[Rammo]

well i can't argue with that -
but saying the team is lacking quality is pure sh*t

The bottom line is that the Dragons have an enormous amount of talent and quality in their lineup, but they continuously fail to gel as a team and struggle to put good performances in week in week out.

 

[jimmythehand]

oh i don't think so. Even when he was not injured i did not rate him at all.

Of course you might have a different opinion, but I was never scared when I saw a B Seymour in a Broncos lineup ... until this year.

 

[Mr Saab]

well i am sure plenty of teams were not scared of P Sterling in 1978-79-80. It was only after that did he really shine (and NOOOOOOO i am not comparing sterling with seymour...just pointing out an eg)
Give seymour time and he will stand up for himself. I dont know many superstar halfbacks of the past 15 yrs we have had with only 40 games under their belt.

 

[jimmythehand]

Tim Smith is in the same boat as Seymour, not a "pressure" proven player, guess that makes the eels very very beatable.

You betchya! Much more beatable than the broncs.

 

[jimmythehand]

The bottom line is that the Dragons have an enormous amount of talent and quality in their lineup, but they continuously fail to gel as a team and struggle to put good performances in week in week out.

see now that's what I call a contradiction. How can a team have an enormous amount of quality in their lineup if they struggle to put good performances in week in week out? Talent yes, but quality - obviously not.

Quality adj.
Having a high degree of excellence: the importance of quality health careDragons have a high degree of excellence? I think not.

 

[Big Pete]

Broncos arn't certanties just favourites.

So just wait till the competition ends and the finals start before posting predictions.

 

[jimmythehand]

why not a fan of andrew johns big pete?

 

[ozboy]

People seem to forget the problems the Broncos have had in the finals series over the past few years.

Their forwards have been shown up to be too slow and un-agile around the ruck, and nothing that I have seen this year suggests that this may change this year, while if Darren Lockyer fails to fire the, like he has not in the past finals series, they would have no chance anyway.

I for one do not even think they will make the GF this year.

 

[Mr Saab]

ozboy...

brisbane of the past have had alot of injury problems leading into the back end of the season. This yr they dont. Thats the difference.
Lockyer didnt "fire" 2004 as he was playing with a rib injury. They had no hooker last yr and no halfback. (both injured). Those are key positions and not even the broncos can overcome that. This yr they have alot more depth and are injury free (apart from baz berrigan)

 

[aussies1st]

Broncos in the last 2 years haven't been at their best come finals time. 03 they had a shocking losing streak and 04 as Charlie Saab lockyer was playing injuried

 

[Big Pete]

why not a fan of andrew johns big pete?

Why should I be a fan of a player that cost his team depth?

 

[Big Pete]

Also during 03 most of our players were coming back from injuries and we had little to none strike power out wide.

Now this season we have Hunt, Hodges, Berrigan and to a lesser extent Bott, it's a completly different team filled with confidence.

The only think that can cost the Broncos is a lack of form coming into the finals or a horrid run with injuries.

 

[ozboy]

Excuses, excuses, the fact is that Brisbane has struggled in the finals over the past few years and their forwards have been shown up to be too slow and un-agile.

The likes of Webcke, Civoniceva, Thorn, Carroll, Carlaw and Smith all fall into this category, though the inclusions of a couple of youngsters has helped but will not solve the problem.

 

[Mr Saab]

we shall see who gets the last laugh ozboy