Could it happen again?

[Mr Saab]

Tigers next week.."winnable"

If this slide happens again then it is goodbye Wayne Bennett.
I guess the time off given to the club wasa very poor move in hindsight.
The broncos looked very tired all game and lacked match fitness which is bizarre i know.

 

[parra pete]

When the form tumbles down in July..,.The tread is "Could it happen again?"

It's on its way!!!!!!. Look at history...Yes, it's happening.....

 

[Mr Saab]

Parra pete, were you even alive when the eels last won a comp?
Enjoy Brett Finch for 2007

 

[Leagueguy]

I actually like the fact they played poorly and lost last night. It will give them something to prove next week. My ideal Run to finals for them would be, win the next 3, then lose won, then win 2 going into the finals. You need those loses to keep you hungry and alert.

 

[Nevcost]

http://www.foxsports.com.au
Come the crunch, this will be a cracker


By Gorden Tallis
Former Australia captain

July 18, 2006

NORTH Queensland will spend this week saying Saturday night's clash with Brisbane in Townsville isn't a crunch match, but don't believe a word of it - that's just "coach talk".

Whenever a coach wants to keep the pressure off his players, he will talk down the importance of a game and trot out the old lines "it's just another game" and "we're just playing for two points".

But there's no such thing as "just another" Cowboys-Broncos game, especially in Townsville, where the fans can't wait to see their side taking on the city slickers.

I've always reckoned that when the Cowboys turn up for the first pre-season training session after the Christmas break they've already circled two games in the NRL draw: the Broncos away and the Broncos at home.

Except for a couple of blowouts a few years ago, the clashes have always been rugged affairs, regardless of where the two clubs have been on the ladder.

I can remember playing them when we were sailing along at the top of the ladder and they were struggling, but we came home as bruised and sore as after an Origin match or a grand final.

They hold nothing back and I don't expect any different on Saturday night.

I know the Cowboys have been out of sorts recently but they've turned things around in the past and can do it again.

Two years ago, Graham Murray's side looked to be limping towards an early Mad Monday before they got on a roll, scraped into the finals and beat the Bulldogs and Broncos before unluckily losing to Sydney Roosters.


Advertisement:
Last year, they got thumped by the Wests Tigers in the first week of the finals before bouncing back to beat Melbourne and Parramatta on the way to their first grand final. So we know this isn't a mob of quitters.

I'm not saying this game is a must-win for either team but I reckon we'll know a lot more about both by a little after 9 o'clock on Saturday night.

A lot of people will be watching what the Broncos do over the next few weeks very, very closely because it's been at this stage of the season that they have struggled in the past few years.

Sending the whole team away for a break was an interesting way to combat the post-State of Origin blues and there is a danger the Broncos could be a little flat football-wise this week. I still think the rewards will come later rather than sooner.

Hopeully gordies right

 

[parra pete]

Parra pete, were you even alive when the eels last won a comp?
Enjoy Brett Finch for 2007

Mate, I'd probably give you twenty years start....
I wished I wasn't born then. Oh, to be able to turn back the clock and be a kid again...:lol:
BTW , If Finch turns around his form like the last two maligned discards at the Roosters i.e Justin Hodges and Mick Crocker..I will be more than happy.
Is it Finch, Hodges and Crocker who were the problem?? OR Ricky Stuart and the aroma at the Roosters? (how's the form of Anasta and Harrison??)

 

[parra pete]

Parra pete, were you even alive when the eels last won a comp?
Enjoy Brett Finch for 2007
__________________
PREDICTIONS FOR 2006

* Manly will make the top 4
* Melbourne will make the 8 CORRECT
* Sharks will be bottom 3 WRONG
* NZ will win the spoon WRONG
* Inglis will be a QLD player CORRECT
* Qld win origin 2-1 CORRECT...@#$% YEAH
* Parramatta vs Brisbane in the GF WRONG

You obviously think the Broncos are Gooooone judging by your last prediction...and your answer...

 

[Rastus_in_Melbourne]

Has to be close to the worst Brisbane performance I've ever seen. Just bad. Complete meat tray team, no heart, no guts.

Bennett ? Idiot. Leave in Stagg but dump Hannatt and Thaiday who have shown plenty to heart and energy.

Sign Craig Belamy now for 2010 or whenever he's available. And tell Bennett to enjoy the next 3 seasons cause they are his last. Hell, just drop him and sign up anyone.

 

[Mr Saab]

BTW , If Finch turns around his form like the last two maligned discards at the Roosters i.e Justin Hodges and Mick Crocker..I will be more than happy.
Is it Finch, Hodges and Crocker who were the problem?? OR Ricky Stuart and the aroma at the Roosters? (how's the form of Anasta and Harrison??)

Thing is Hodges had talent to begin with. Finch is not mentally fit to be a 1st grade halfback.
Finch and Smith in the halves????? Be a realist and really look at that combo. Has disaster written all over it.

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

Good forbid I seriously hope is doesn't happen again...ever. Period but I still have this odd nagging feeling that it might and I'm not really liking the idea and nor would I want to see it happening. This is too good a side to go down again.
While I've never had anything too personal towards Bennett I think it's just about high time he gets the shuffle going. Brisbane have to look to find some one with some newer direction otherwise this whole trend of starting the season well but finishing poorly will continue to haunt them.
I ain't saying it's all just the coach's fault because players do have to take some of the accountability, but nothing wrong with having some one new at the head of the pack

 

[broncoman]

it doesnt look good and we certainly dont have an easy run...

 

[Smiley]

Does anyone know how Ennis is going? is he any chance for the finals?

 

[Mr Saab]

Ennis is gone for 06.

Brisbane have the Tigers this week minus a number of their stars. If they dont win this game then it is over for 2006.

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

Thing is Hodges had talent to begin with. Finch is not mentally fit to be a 1st grade halfback.
Finch and Smith in the halves????? Be a realist and really look at that combo. Has disaster written all over it.

There is lot wrong with the Roosters; both players and coaching staff!

 

[salivor]

Bennett ? Idiot. Leave in Stagg but dump Hannatt and Thaiday who have shown plenty to heart and energy.

Sign Craig Belamy now for 2010 or whenever he's available. And tell Bennett to enjoy the next 3 seasons cause they are his last. Hell, just drop him and sign up anyone.

I've joined the drop Bennett club in the past but to be fair to the man, he's brought us great consistancy and 5 premierships and built a culture at the Broncos which is second to no amongst the Rugby League world, don't underestimate that. Bennett's problem is football has changed and he's not a great technical coach compared to the likes of Sheens to keep adapting himself.

Personally it is time for a new head coach but I wouldn't like to see Bennett completely leave the club. I wouldn't mind seeing him move into a coaching directors role ala Phil Gould to gently hand the reins over to a new coach as I think to just right out dump him would do a lot of damage to the club when he is held in such high regard around the place, particularly amongst the players.

The big question though is who do you replace him with? It's all well and good dumping your head coach but you need a decent one to step into the void, most coaches are signed on at a club for the next couple of years currently and since the departure of Bellamy, Bennett hasn't been able to groom an assistant to take over.

 

[salivor]

Ennis is gone for 06.

Brisbane have the Tigers this week minus a number of their stars. If they dont win this game then it is over for 2006.

I think your being a little premature. I'm going to be optomistic for the first time in my life so bare with me. I think we're understimating the loss of Hunt, while I was out and didn't get to see Saturday's game, from what I've heard Lockyer had to take on the same workload as the Melbourne match. Hunt has done a great job of taking the pressure off Lockyer this season and then when you factor in the loss of Perry it makes it very easy for the opposition's defence to shut us down.

If we can dig in, in the next few weeks and not lose too much ground in terms of our position on the table then we've got a good chance of building a bit of momentum in those last 3 games before the finals when we'll have Hunt back on board and Perry should be back as well.

Then again we could just fall flat on our arses as usual.

 

[Mr Saab]

Hunt has been a big loss, but i am not going to use that as an excuse for sat night.
They played a team that lost its play maker early on, had their other play maker (bowen) limping throughout the whole game...they had one interchange for half the game and they tore us apart.
Brisbane looked very tired and had no go forward. It was as though they lost match fitness over the space of 14 days with their time off. Bizarre.
They did conceed 3 tries from kicks which sometimes cant be helped...it happens.
Hodges looked very good and had was dangerous on almost every run.
The rest of the team (apart from webcke) were a flat 5/10.
I will forgive them for that bad game as most teams coming off a bye do struggle (but not that bad), but they better show something vs the Tigers because if the lose that then the teams confidence will be sapped and they will free fall.

 

[Rastus_in_Melbourne]

I've joined the drop Bennett club in the past but to be fair to the man, he's brought us great consistancy and 5 premierships and built a culture at the Broncos which is second to no amongst the Rugby League world, don't underestimate that. Bennett's problem is football has changed and he's not a great technical coach compared to the likes of Sheens to keep adapting himself.

Personally it is time for a new head coach but I wouldn't like to see Bennett completely leave the club. I wouldn't mind seeing him move into a coaching directors role ala Phil Gould to gently hand the reins over to a new coach as I think to just right out dump him would do a lot of damage to the club when he is held in such high regard around the place, particularly amongst the players.

The big question though is who do you replace him with? It's all well and good dumping your head coach but you need a decent one to step into the void, most coaches are signed on at a club for the next couple of years currently and since the departure of Bellamy, Bennett hasn't been able to groom an assistant to take over.

I respect the premierships and things he did for the game in trends, like using wingers as forwards etc. He still has the rest of the year to go, but some of his selections I can't grasp.

Hannatt and Thaiday are 2 of the best young Broncos, they should be there. Stagg is a tireless worker, but no impact. Carlaw, he should be our Ben Kennedy, big, mobile, can offload, but no he just hasn't developed.

And Seymour, FFS, he's so out of form yet gets picked, drills kicks out over the touch in goal, brings nothing to the team. For Christ's sake we traded away Scott Prince and Berrick Barnes to keep Seymour. Hell even Luke Priddis got the cut back in his time, yet now Seymour stays ? I could follow Bennett in the past cause there was method in his madness, but now his selections, keeping some players, offloading others is just madness with no method.

The players are to blame too on Saturday of course. Knock ons and forward passes were pathetic, and the 'boys were down to 14 men yet we looked more tired. But IMO this club needs a fresh broom. I appreciate the question of just who do you pick, very good question which I'd need to consider more. But whomever they pick, it would be a step away from the rot that has set in.

 

[Leagueguy]

The only things I care about during the next few weeks -

- We continue to run from dummy half a lot. Its just something you have to do to get a good start to your set. We have guys like Tate, Hodges and Topou that do it very well too. For some reason we did it less than other teams last year. This year their doing it more and lets hope they continue it in the finals.

- We have to slow down the play the ball. Last year other teams got too much of a roll on and carved us up around the ruck. This year Bennett seems more aware of it and Peter Ryan's tackling sessions seem to be helping us in this area. We have a little more mobility this year through some of our forwards dropping weight, but its still a fairly big pack. Unless we slow down teams in the play the ball our defence around the ruck is vulnerable.

- We have to get quick play the balls near the line. This is as important for our attack as Seymour or Perry stepping up. The easiest way to score tries is to give the other team little time to get set. You then give to someone like Lockyer who gets it wide where you'll find overlaps. Its a simple concept and so effective, but Brisbane don't seem to do it very well. Slow play the balls are the biggest threat to our attack.

- From next week we choose a half/hooker combination and stick with it until the finals. We just have to bite the bullet on this. I'd say Perry and Berrigan will be there for the rest of the season, but I'd hate to see one of the dropped or moved a couple of weeks before the finals. We need continuity.

- Hunt needs to become more involved and mix things up. The second man play he's been running off Lockyer has been really effective but I have a bad feeling its going to come unstuck. I just hope if we go out in the finals we're not saying things like "our attack was poor, we just ran that second man play we've doing all season and they handled it easily". I want to see some new stuff from Lockyer and Hunt before the finals.

- We also need to keep offloading. We seemed to be improving on this every week and in the game against St George we were awesome in this area. Its a really effective tactic for Brisbane because it creates broken play which players like Lockyer , Hodges and Hunt love. If we don't have a dominant half back then the team needs to throw the ball round more to produce variety. Its not as risky as it seems either. Even if the ball hits the ground when its thrown back its highly unlikely the other team will fall on it. Its a high percentage play even in your own half.

We don't have to execute perfectly in all these areas to avoid a massive slide, or even to win the competition. But we certainly can't be poor in any of these components of our game.

 

[Leagueguy]

Hanant and Thaiday are 2 of the best young Broncos, they should be there. Stagg is a tireless worker, but no impact. Carlaw, he should be our Ben Kennedy, big, mobile, can offload, but no he just hasn't developed.

I think Thaiday will return before the finals finish. Bennett actually said he would have been dropped him had he not played well in Origin 2. His recent form for the Broncos hasn't been great and I think Bennett just wants to keep him hungry. I was surprised that Hannant was dropped. He's been very good us this season. However he's competing against Thorn and Carlaw who have been in very good form and have more experience. Hannant will come back into the team if Thorn or Carlaw faulter. Don't forget Thorn and Paker started the year in Qld Cup, so Bennett does have the courage to drop them.

I agree Carlaw isn't all he could have been, but that doesn't mean Bennett is entirely to blame though. As for Stagg, he's there to tighten up our ruck defence. Because we have a big pack, we need guys like him to work hard defensively. However a by product of having a big pack is that your going to get yards and can afford to have a player like that who doesn't offer much go forward.

And Seymour, FFS, he's so out of form yet gets picked, drills kicks out over the touch in goal, brings nothing to the team. For Christ's sake we traded away Scott Prince and Berrick Barnes to keep Seymour. Hell even Luke Priddis got the cut back in his time, yet now Seymour stays ? I could follow Bennett in the past cause there was method in his madness, but now his selections, keeping some players, offloading others is just madness with no method.

Yeah it would appear now that Bennett may have made a mistake, however at the time, especially with the Prince call, I'd have agreed with him. Scott Prince had a good chance at Brisbane , but he never really stood up and took control. I think Brisbane wanted a superstar halfback at the time and they didn't think Prince could live up to this. In a way they've been proved right because Prince hasn't stood up in Origin , Test matches or without Marshall. They took a risk on Seymour being a superstar and it hasn't paid off, but at the time I thought he looked the goods so I can't blame them. As for Barnes, he's yet to prove himself in league so I don't know what to say about that.