Can anybody beat Brisbane for the premiership ?

[albi]

I thought Parramatta might be up there, but following their loss to the Raiders, I doubt that they'll win another game this year.

Melbourne can beat anyone, way too inconsistent though.

Roosters need a decent halves combo.

Answer is that no one can beat the Broncos this year.

 

[gregstar]

Message to gregstar, team of champions does not make a champion team
Biggest example ever: Real Madrid, need i say more?

oh real have been sucessful but nearly to the extent the player roster should provide.

request for bman - care to point out where i've called the dragons a champion team - or even a team of champions?

i'm arguing against the absurd notion that they don't have quality players

 

[gregstar]

I even posted the dictionary definition of "quality" because no-one here seems to understand what it means. And you'd still concur?

If the Dragons squad has "a high degree of excellence" the Broncos will get the wooden spoon this year without a salary cap scandal.

you're a dope!

you've argued that the dragons have no quality players on the basis that they haven't won a comp.
in other words you've argued that it doesn't matter if a player represents his country or state, unless he wins a title, he lacks quality.
after uppercutting yourself, maybe you can let us know if players such as ettingshausen, brasher, gary jack, wayne pearce, steve roach, paul sirronen, are quality.

hey - come to think of it, wally lewis didn't win an nrl title!
definately due to a lack of quality.

 

[Nickeel]

I thought Parramatta might be up there, but following their loss to the Raiders, I doubt that they'll win another game this year.

I may be royally taking the bait here, but WTF???

Unless you were referring to Canberra, I am confused.

Nick

 

[Kiwi]

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.

What club do you support? Take the first choice halfback out of your team ( Seymour ), along with first and second choice hookers ( Berrigan and Ryan ), one winger ( Frawley ), Centre ( Devere ), goal kicker ( Devere ) and have your five eigth play with a rib injury for the second half of the year and see if your team even makes the 8.

 

[Kiwi]

Nobody can stop you? Do you seriously think the Broncos can compete with a performance like the Dogs put on in the very first half of this year. I think it would be fairer to say that if the Dogs got their best team together in their best form then nobody will be able to stop them.

The Broncos deserve to be favourites, but they are not a dominant team like the Bulldogs and Roosters have been over the last couple of years. They are very beatable.

Ask the Eels

Only losing 3 games in 19 rounds is not dominating? Sitting 6 points clear is not dominating?

As for them being beatable, every team is beatable, the Dogs and Roosters of the last few years were beatable.

 

[Kiwi]

renouf - how much different is the Broncos pack now to the side that the Bulldogs destroyed at Suncorp last year? Not being facetious I just can't remember off the top of my head who was playing that day?

Both Hookers didn't play, 3 of our backline were out, there were others aswell, can't remember off the top of my head. We also lost players during the game, I think we dropped down to 1 or 2 on the bench at one stage.

EDIT

Just looked it up, this is the side....

1: Karmichael Hunt
2: Scott Minto
3: Brent Tate
4: Shaun Berrigan
5: Stuart Kelly
6: Darren Lockyer
7: Casey McGuire
8: Shane Webcke
9: Neville Costigan
10: Petero Civoniceva
11: Gorden Tallis (c)
12: Dane Carlaw
13: Tonie Carroll

INTERCHANGE:
14: Corey Parker
15: Brad Meyers
16: Carl Webb
17: Paul Green
18: Darren Mapp
19: Tom Learoyd

Missing is Frawley, Devere, Seymour, Berrigan, Ryan, Stagg. Lockyer played injured and we lost several during the match.

 

[eelandia]

Wait a second....isn't this meant to be the closest comp ever...?? If that's the case, perhaps any team currently in the top 12 are capable. Even the 12th team (warriors) have been extremely unlucky with some of their close losses (Sharks in Perth and Bulldogs 2 weeks ago come to mind).

I personally think the eels have the depth others don't - remember the flogging they gave the cowboys without most of the City / Country origin players and Hindmarsh..?? Probably the best bench in the comp too that includes Widders and Marsh.

 

[Mr Saab]

Wait a second....isn't this meant to be the closest comp ever...?? If that's the case, perhaps any team currently in the top 12 are capable. Even the 12th team (warriors) have been extremely unlucky with some of their close losses (Sharks in Perth and Bulldogs 2 weeks ago come to mind).

closest in terms of points on the ladder..but not in terms of talent and ability to win a comp. In terms of winning the comp in 2005.
Broncos...yes
Eels...yes
Sharks...no
Cowboys...maybe.
Tigers...no
Eagles...no
Raiders...no
Dogs...yes
Roosters...no
Warriors...no

Its a close comp on the ladder, but no way are there 12 contenders for october

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

closest in terms of points on the ladder..but not in terms of talent and ability to win a comp. In terms of winning the comp in 2005.
Broncos...yes
Eels...yes
Sharks...no
Cowboys...maybe.
Tigers...no
Eagles...no
Raiders...no
Dogs...yes
Roosters...no
Warriors...no

Its a close comp on the ladder, but no way are there 12 contenders for october

Charles, i'm not sure of your intentions, but there is one team missing from your list. Dragons. I agree with all of the above (even though the warriors have beaten Broncs twice this year), but Dragons are excluded.

For mine, Dragons - yes.

 

[kickback]

I think the comp is the closest we have had in years, but that closeness is 24 points down to 20 with nine teams fitting in there. Clearly Brisbane and Parra have been the stand out teams so far this season, and the table shows this. Brisbane have beaten every team in the comp except Auckland, which if is not dominating the comp i dont know what is.

Bring on tomorrow night, i know the Broncos are very fired up and will not give the puppys an inch. Hazzam playing at fullback can expect a very long night, he will have to be ready to put his body on the line, otherwise we will have a field day.

Bring it on!!!!

 

[Mr Saab]

Charles, i'm not sure of your intentions, but there is one team missing from your list. Dragons. I agree with all of the above (even though the warriors have beaten Broncs twice this year), but Dragons are excluded.

For mine, Dragons - yes.

damn...sorry...yes the dragons should be on that list and they also have a YES next to their name.
apologies

I put no next to the warriors as they are not even guaranteed to make the 8 and their mental capabilities leave alot to be desired.
Playing "hot potato" football only works for sooooo long.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

damn...sorry...yes the dragons should be on that list and they also have a YES next to their name.
apologies

I put no next to the warriors as they are not even guaranteed to make the 8 and their mental capabilities leave alot to be desired.
Playing "hot potato" football only works for sooooo long.

True.

Hmmm, mental capabilities. Thats the difference in turning "Can" into "will".

Dragons can, I wish I could say "will" with the same amount of confidence.

 

[The Engineers Room]

The Eels have lost one match in the past how many games against a side that was desperate to keep in touch with the top 8. No one is saying Brisbane is gone after losing to the Warriors.

 

[m0j0]

Fortunately for everyone else, if memory serves me well, the GF has never been won in July.

Wrong. Two GFs have been won in July:
26-Jul-1916: Balmain def. Souths 5-3
29-Jul-1924: Balmain def. Souths 3-0

Yes, I know I'm a smartarse, but I couldn't resist.

 

[m0j0]

I have definitive "evidence" that Parramatta will win this year:

In 1980, Canterbury beat Easts in the Grand Final. Then in 1981, the
Pope
died, Prince Charles got married and Liverpool were crowned Champions of
Europe and Parramatta won the Grand Final.


Last year, Canterbury beat Easts in the Grand Final and so far this
year,
the Pope has died, Prince Charles got married and Liverpool were crowned
Champions of Europe. It's a no brainer.

 

[renouf]

renouf - how much different is the Broncos pack now to the side that the Bulldogs destroyed at Suncorp last year? Not being facetious I just can't remember off the top of my head who was playing that day?

Brad Thorn is the key difference, he makes a HUGE impact and Webcke is fresh this time of the year for a change

Not to mention we have a halfback this year, as apposed to last year... relying on Lockyer for everything. I still remember when we played the dogs earlier in 2004 at Telstra stadium.. we were all over them until Lockyer got injured.

 

[jimmythehand]

you're a dope!

you've argued that the dragons have no quality players on the basis that they haven't won a comp.
in other words you've argued that it doesn't matter if a player represents his country or state, unless he wins a title, he lacks quality.
after uppercutting yourself, maybe you can let us know if players such as ettingshausen, brasher, gary jack, wayne pearce, steve roach, paul sirronen, are quality.

hey - come to think of it, wally lewis didn't win an nrl title!
definately due to a lack of quality.

gregstar gregstar gregstar. I love how you have conveniently left out what doesn't suit and exaggerated everything else.

"On the basis they haven't won the comp"? Try on the basis they haven't even made the semi finals. In 4 years of trying.

I did not say they "lack quality", I said they are not quality players. The definition of quality is "having a high degree of excellence". If you think that making a test side a couple of times or showing brilliant form in patches makes a quality player then I'm sorry but I don't agree.

In my view a player that has a "high degree of excellence" has a lot of talent and will show what talent he has on a consistent basis - which the Dragons generally do not, neither as inviduals nor as a team.

I'm not sure I could argue against any of those players being quality players.

Grow your own dope - plant a gregstar.

 

[abdogg_85]

I have definitive "evidence" that Parramatta will win this year:

In 1980, Canterbury beat Easts in the Grand Final. Then in 1981, the
Pope
died, Prince Charles got married and Liverpool were crowned Champions of
Europe and Parramatta won the Grand Final.


Last year, Canterbury beat Easts in the Grand Final and so far this
year,
the Pope has died, Prince Charles got married and Liverpool were crowned
Champions of Europe. It's a no brainer.

WOW good research, Broncos are gonna win but nice work