Feb 19th Trial vs. Cowboys

[GoTheBroncs]

Team to play NQ Cowboys at Traegar Park, Alice Springs, Saturday February 19 at 7.30pm:
1. Josh Hoffman
2. Jack Reed
3. Gerard Beale
4. Justin Hodges
5. Jordan Kahu
6. Ben Hunt
7. Peter Wallace
8. Shane Tronc
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Scott Anderson
11. Alex Glenn
12. Matt Gillett
13. Corey Parker (c)
Reserves:
14. Kurt Baptiste
15. Corey Norman
16. Josh McGuire
17. Ben Te'o
18. Dane Carlaw
19. Dale Copley

http://www.broncos.com.au/default.aspx?s=article-display&id=33527&three-comebacks-for-alice

Wish Hodges all the best.

Biggest surprise there has to 5. Jordan Kahu. Also a bit surprised that Beale is starting ahead of Copley. Baptiste must do doing very well. Surprised that Carlaw is there, I thought he was pretty hopeless in the trial last week and would prefer to see someone like Lui or Hala. Ben Hunt gets the nod over Norman for the starting side. I'd imagine though that Ben would start at halfback and Wallace at 5-8. Is Nick Kenny injured, out of favour or a certainty?

Shame that Gagai is no longer up for selection. Still haven't seen any media report on what he did.

Missing certainties: Lockyer, Hannant, Yow Yeh and Thaiday.

 

[user_nat]

Did Kemp get injured again?

Good to see Glenn get a run in the forwards.

 

[ethos]

Did Kemp get injured again?

Withdrew from the previous trial with a groin injury - poor chap can't take a trick.

And yes, it is good to see Glenn in the backrow, that's where his future lies.

 

[Smiley]

Cowboys are trapped in Darwin because of the incoming cyclone.

Talk about being unlucky, first Yasi now this.

 

[Seagullsrock]

Te'o may be rested. Landed awkwardly on his arm. No major long term consequences though. Dodds also has a broken hand.

 

[Big Pete]

Cowboys Team

1. Shannon Gallant
2. Ashley Graham
3. Will Tupou
4. Antonio Winterstein
5. Michael Bani
6. Ben Jones
7. Ray Thompson
8. Matthew Scott
9. Aaron Payne
10. James Tamou
11. Scott Bolton
12. Gavin Cooper
13. Dallas Johnson
Interchange
14. Kalifa Faifailoa
15. Ashton Sims
16. Tariq Sims
17. Leeson Ah Mau
18. Joel Reithmuller
19. Blake Leary
20. Ricky Thorby
21. Glenn Hall
22. Moses Pangai
23. Clint Amos

 

[Talanexor]

Man that's a weak Cowboys side. Considering we haven't trained all week, your mob should win pretty comfortably.

I heard that Hodges will most likely be playing off the bench. Who takes his place in the run-on side? Copley?

 

[Big Pete]

Aye, more than likely.

Cows backline/halves look weak but the forward pack looks at full strength coming up against a pack missing two international players.

Results don't tend to matter in these games, performances are much more important and I hope both teams enjoy some stand-out performances.

 

[GoTheBroncs]

Man that's a weak Cowboys side. Considering we haven't trained all week, your mob should win pretty comfortably.

Thats a pretty good forward pack though. Your props run over the top of ours. So who are the certainties missing from your side apart from Thurston, Tonga and Bowen?

Bit surprised that Kalifa Faifailoa is not starting over your other two wingers.

 

[siamsam]

Cant wait I will be listening to this via the audio link it will be interesting to see how some of the Cowboys go but to be honest I'm with Talanexor the Broncos should win this one.

 

[GoTheBroncs]

This sounds very promising. For Hodges and the team.

http://www.broncos.com.au/default.aspx?s=article-display&id=33654&title=hodges-returns-in-style

Anyone have any more info on how the trial went?

 

[beads6]

Glade Hodges got through the game unharmed..

 

[renouf]

Good to hear Hodges had a successful return.. I just hope some of these players who are showing good trial form actually transfer it into the real games.

 

[Didgi]

Not meaning to sound sour, but by the radio commentary (which was atrocious BTW) I think you guys should have won by a bit more. We were dropping the ball 2/3 sets and gifting you good field position, and apparently our wide defence on both sides was poor. That said it's only a trial, and there were negatives for both sides. From what I gathered Parker had a good game as did Reed and Kahu I think.

 

[Talanexor]

I think I remember hearing something about Hoffman breaking the line a few times, and Hunt playing very well.

Cowboys came away with a few injuries though. We're going to have a lot of players on the sidelines for Round 1.

Brent Tate, Gavin Cooper, James Segeyaro, Clint Amos, Antonio Winterstein all out injured, Dane Hogan still suspended. 6 of our top 25.

I'd be very surprised if the Broncs weren't strong favourites leading into that match.

 

[Big Pete]

Aye it's been another unfortunate off-season for the Cows but at least with Amos it's only a broken nose - he should be right to play by round 1 and at least none of your topliners are out.

Sounds like Moses Pangai is really impressing this off-season, I went with Kalifa in the LU preview but he could be a shock selection come round 1.

Either way I wouldn't be too discouraged with the result, without Bowen and Thurston the team was always going to struggle for points and trials have never been condusive for handling.

As for us Broncos, it really seems as if Jack Reed will play Round 1. Having only watched a bit of him, he reminds me a bit like Steve Michaels before his injury how he carries himself on the field, a real solid outside back which is good to see because we're going to need as much depth as possible.

Good to hear Hunt had a decent game, I heard we forced a lot of repeat sets which is going to be important in the upcoming season.

Heard Te'o went down, any word on him?

Also wish we could've heard more about our forwards.

 

[Seagullsrock]

Aye it's been another unfortunate off-season for the Cows but at least with Amos it's only a broken nose - he should be right to play by round 1 and at least none of your topliners are out.

Sounds like Moses Pangai is really impressing this off-season, I went with Kalifa in the LU preview but he could be a shock selection come round 1.

Either way I wouldn't be too discouraged with the result, without Bowen and Thurston the team was always going to struggle for points and trials have never been condusive for handling.

As for us Broncos, it really seems as if Jack Reed will play Round 1. Having only watched a bit of him, he reminds me a bit like Steve Michaels before his injury how he carries himself on the field, a real solid outside back which is good to see because we're going to need as much depth as possible.

Good to hear Hunt had a decent game, I heard we forced a lot of repeat sets which is going to be important in the upcoming season.

Heard Te'o went down, any word on him?

Also wish we could've heard more about our forwards.

Likening Reed to Michaels isn't a wrap! Reed can read in defence and can tackle, 2 things Michaels can't do. Copley is still the front runner for the left centre position.

 

[Big Pete]

It wasn't meant as a wrap, just an observation and I was merely talking about him having the ball in hand.

 

[Seagullsrock]

The only thing they've got in common is they're both rangas.

 

[GoTheBroncs]

Either way I wouldn't be too discouraged with the result, without Bowen and Thurston the team was always going to struggle for points

tbh I dont understand why the Broncos should have been "strong favourites" going into the game. Yes the Cowboys didn't have Thurston, but the Broncos did not have Lockyer. The Broncs are notorious for not being able to score points without Locky. In fact, we generally cannot win a game without him there!

Our wingers were rookies. Hodges our main strike players hadn't played a game in over a year. Our starting props were Tronc and Anderson ffs. Slight favourites I could have understood.