Finals Week 1 vs. Parramatta Eels Discussion

[Big Pete]

NRL 2019 - Finals Week 1
Parramatta Eels v Brisbane Broncos
Bankwest Stadium, Parramatta (TICKETS)
Sunday 15 September 2019

1. Clint Gutherson
2. Maika Sivo
3. Michael Jennings
4. Waqa Blake
5. Blake Ferguson
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitchell Moses
8. Kane Evans
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Junior Paulo
11. Shaun Lane
12. Manu Ma'u
13. Nathan Brown

Interchange
14. Brad Takairangi
15. Daniel Alvaro
16. Ray Stone
17. Marata Niukore

Reserves
18. Tepai Moeroa
19. Will Smith
20. Peni Terepo
21. Josh Hoffman

1. Anthony Milford
2. Corey Oates
3. Kotoni Staggs
4. Alex Glenn
5. Jamayne Isaako
6. Darius Boyd
7. Jake Turpin
8. Matthew Lodge
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Payne Haas
11. David Fifita
12. Matt Gillett
13. Joe Ofahengaue

Interchange
14. James Segeyaro
15. Thomas Flegler
16. Gehamat Shibasaki
17. Patty Carrigan

Reserves
18. Rhys Kennedy
19. Izaia Perese
20. Shaun Fensom
21. Cory Paix​

 

[Big Pete]

Parramatta go into this game as deserved favourites. They produced one of their best efforts of the season to trounce Brisbane at Bankwest and only just fell short at Suncorp. With Brown back and Ferguson match-fit, the Eels go into the game stronger than in Round 24 and it's shaping up as a difficult task.

In general, I thought the Eels were the better side in Round 24. Their end of sets were more effective and they were moving the ball around better. The Broncos relied heavily on individual efforts and in this environment it isn't good enough.

The only hope Brisbane have is playing a patient brand of football and hoping the Eels wilt under the pressure of finals footy. They haven't won a finals game since that memorable 2009 Prelim against the Bulldogs which is a telling record. On the flip-side, the Broncos haven't won 'away' in the finals since that same finals series where they beat the Gold Coast Titans in a high scoring encounter.

I would be pleasantly surprised if the Broncos managed to go one step better than they did last year. I just think they're sitting ducks and until they can move some of the dead-weight on, I can't see them making a significant challenge for a couple of more years.

For their sake, I just hope it doesn't get too ugly.

 

[renouf]

Going to be ugly to watch, like a lot of our games this year

 

[gUt]

Quietly confident about this one for no good reason

 

[Big Pete]

Quietly confident about this one for no good reason

I wrote about it on the other site, but there's every chance that the Broncos put up a better fight here than they did against the Dragons. Last year's iteration of the Dragons were a battle hardened side who fought for every point and were at one point in time been competition front runners. Brisbane hit an early lead, thought how easy only to have the game taken off them by half time.

If the Broncos can take that experience from last year and go into this game with a take no prisoners attitude I think they can really push Parramatta. The Eels are an extremely talented side, but they're still learning how to win the big matches and if they're put off their game, they can lose it for themselves in a hurry. We've seen that time and time again and it's a cultural thing that's been with them since Cronin and Price retired.

There's certainly a chance, but it's long odds. Personally, I'd rather see them go down swinging and turn their attention towards 2020. For the Broncos to be any chance next season, they've got to start moving some players on and see what they can pick up in the market. If this is their lot in life, there's every possibility that Seibold is gone by 2021.

 

[GoTheBroncs]

I just can't see how attack wise or defence wise we can win this game. Only chance is to come in with an A++ attitude and effort, and hope the Eels are a bit off.

Our attitude and effort last week was horrible with a lot to play for, so I can't see that massively improving in one week.

To be honest, I think this could get ugly. Will keep my fingers crossed though.

 

[Nerd]

I'm worried which team will turn up. The bumbling Broncos or the one full of young guys having a crack. I think our lack of proper halves will cost us in the end and I just hope we go down swinging and don't get a touch up. I'm with Big Pete, our young forwards now have a seasons experience behind them and just need some dead wood cut away (Boyd and McCullough) and hopefully we can pick up a half decent half for next year.

 

[renouf]

This is pathetic, you have to wonder what is wrong with this club, Seibold took Souths to a prelim last year, Wayne is probably going to take them as well, yet neither of these coaches could get us beyond finishing 7/8

 

[DeeJ]

Terrible end to a terrible season. I think alot of blame has to go to the coach. We made no improvements to our attacking style compared to last season and regressed in this area and in defence.

He got lucky in the middle of the season thanks to outstanding individual talents - but we do not play as a team. There's no game plan besides one guy taking the ball up. No support, no decoys, no control.

Glenn was badly exposed in the first half for his lack of speed and Darius' poor defense didn't help. We were clueless on the 5th tackle as well. These are directly the coach's fault for continuing to pick players out of position.

 

[Nerd]

Well that sucked. Surely that is the last match McCullough and Boyd play for us. Moses and Brown just carved us up. The only positives I can see is that our young forwards got some finals experience and Siebold got to see what real halves play like. Turpin to hooker, Dearden back at 7, maybe Milford back to 6, Isaako to fullback and bring through some young backs. Our two most experienced players Boyd and McCullough offered nothing in attack and would appear to struggle in an Intrust cup side.

This was coming but I was hoping it wouldn't have been such a flogging. The wins in the last 6 weeks were from individual efforts from Haas and Fafita and covered up our lack of direction from the halves.

 

[LineBall]

The playing roster needs a clean out, especially Milford, Boyd, McCullough. Seibold needs to remake this team before it kills his coaching career.

 

[Nerd]

Who would you make captain next year? Gillett is a possibility? Maybe handing the captaincy to Paingai might calm him down a bit?

 

[gUt]

I think David Fifita looks like a captain but he's only 12.

 

[renouf]

Dearden is years away, get rid of McC and Boyd, maybe move Milford back into the halves. Wouldn't mind seeing Ash Taylor back

 

[icewind]

This was coming but I was hoping it wouldn't have been such a flogging.

Honestly, I think it was the best thing to happen. No false sense of where we are in relation to any other team in the NRL. No excuses left after that. Now we will really see what Seibold is made of.

 

[icewind]

Who would you make captain next year? Gillett is a possibility? Maybe handing the captaincy to Paingai might calm him down a bit?

Gillet for sure.

 

[League guru]

I don't think all the blame should be apportioned to Siebold. It was Wayne who signed Milford, Boyd, Bird, McCulloch, Gillett to rich long term contracts leaving no room to move under the salary cap. This is a team of highly overrated footballers.

 

[renouf]

Seibold is the one who dismantled the side, letting Nikorima go mid season was a mistake, moving Boyd to 5/8 etc. Persisting with McC, letting McGuire go (although this was done before he arrived apparently). He inherited some issues but made it worse as far as I can tell

 

[League guru]

Seibold is the one who dismantled the side, letting Nikorima go mid season was a mistake, moving Boyd to 5/8 etc. Persisting with McC, letting McGuire go (although this was done before he arrived apparently). He inherited some issues but made it worse as far as I can tell

So who was he supposed to put at 5/8. I also remember all the critics urging him to move Milford to fullback, to utilise his so called running game. So now Milford is a dud in 2 positions.

 

[renouf]

So who was he supposed to put at 5/8. I also remember all the critics urging him to move Milford to fullback, to utilise his so called running game. So now Milford is a dud in 2 positions.

Anyone who can tackle, Milford probably shouldn't have been moved, can't blame him