Round 1 vs Broncos

[Talanexor]

Teams are up.

Cowboys
1. Matt Bowen
2. Ty Williams
3. Ashley Graham
4. Willie Tonga
5. Ben Farrar
6. Travis Burns
7. Johnathan Thurston (c)
8. Carl Webb
9. Aaron Payne
10. Antonio Kaufusi
11. Manase Manuokafoa
12. Ben Harris
13. Luke O’Donnell

14. Clint Amos
15. Matthew Scott
16. Shane Tronc
17. Scott Bolton
18. James Tamou

Broncos
1. Karmichael Hunt
2. Antonio Winterstein
3. Alex Glenn
4. Israel Folau
5. Jharal Yow Yeh
6. Darren Lockyer (c)
7. Peter Wallace
8. Nick Kenny
9. Aaron Gorrell
10. Joel Clinton
11. Sam Thaiday
12. Ben Te’o
13. Corey Parker

14. Andrew McCullough
15. Lagi Setu
16. David Taylor
17. Steve Michaels
18. Ashton Sims


I've got a good feeling about this one, even though our trial form hasn't been spectacular. Broncos look weak around the middle - their forward pack sucks apart from Thaiday and Gorrell is crap. Their backline is full of rookies, though their halves are great.

I'm surprised that John Williams wasn't picked to be honest. I'm not convinced Ty Williams was a wiser selection, though I'm glad Farrar is getting plenty of game time.

I think the key to this match is just bulldozing their forwards. They seem to lack a bit of grunt up front and for once I think we're better off going through them than around them.

What does everyone else think?

 

[Ianc]

That's a good looking Cowboys side. A lot of names I've haven't seen before in the donkey side.
Hopefully we can play to our best, if we do we should take this one.

 

[elyod138]

Broncos look weak around the middle - their forward pack sucks apart from Thaiday and Gorrell is crap.

I'd have Kenny and Setu over most of our forwards.

 

[Charlie124]

Id have Setu (off the bench). Kenny can stay where he is.

I dont mind the look of this side, wheres Southern? im not convinced about Harris, i think its just that we were so rubbish last year i didnt get to see much good from anyone. Was hoping to see some Donald Malone early in the season but i guess theres plenty of time for that.

Ill be very annoyed if we lose to that broncos lineup, it f**king sucks.

 

[Talanexor]

I'd have Kenny and Setu over most of our forwards.

Setu's alright, but Kenny? Over Webb/Kaufusi? (Tronc maybe....)

Charlie, Southern is still injured. He flew with the team to NZ a couple of weeks ago for the trial, but never played. I guess its taking him a while to heal. More's the pity - he's got plenty of mongrel in him.

I'd like to point out that the Broncos are missing Hodges and Hunt is still carrying an injury. Mick DeVere is a great player but come on, he's an ancient warhorse back from retirement - well past his prime.

Thats gotta be the weakest Broncos lineup I've seen in a long time. We should definitely win this one. Otherwise we're in for another season as the also-rans.

 

[elyod138]

Kenny is underrated, I think he could go close to making the QLD team this year.

 

[beave]

I saw Bluey by himself riding up Castle Hill this morning with Billy, so he must be still injured.

 

[Phillips]

if Manuokafoa can get a starting jersey at the cowboys, Setu definatly would.

 

[Shorty]

LOL It's hilarious that the Broncos are even favourites with that pathetic line up.
Still Lockyer and Wallace are deadly.

We should win this,is anyone else hugely nervous? I'm going to be a wreck at the game.
I hope we f**king thump their *sses back to yesterday,with the team we're fielding and theirs it's definitely possible.

 

[Talanexor]

I suppose I'm a bit nervous because I was expecting our trial form to be so much better than it was. A draw against penrith, ferchrissakes....

This would have to be the weakest team the Broncos have fielded in a long long time. It doesn't matter how good their halves are, they have no forwards and no finishers - Hunt and Hodges are injured and they lost Boyd and Kemp to other clubs.

If we can't win this match then we're in for another VERY disappointing season.

 

[Talanexor]

Cowboys website had this to say about the team list.


Fullback Matthew Bowen has been named in the Toyota Cowboys side to play the Broncos this Friday night with an all-clear from coach Neil Henry.
While Henry is confident that Bowen is a start, he has a contingency in place if needed.
"Ben Farrar can go to fullback and Ben Harris can play in the centres so we can do a rotation if we need to, if we need to give Matty a bit of a rest."
"He's still got a bit of alternative training to do and that's going to be an ongoing management thing for his knee, probably for the rest of his career which has been talked about, it's been done with other players," Henry said.
Farrar has been named on the wing ahead of John Williams and Donald Malone after a solid pre-season.
"I think his attitude's excellent and his form in the trials has been pretty good," Henry said.
"He played well over there against the Warriors and had half a game at fullback for us when Matty Bowen played the first half, he deserves a spot there.
"John Williams is coming back from shoulder surgery and Don Malone has trained very well but he's certainly got to make the step up from Queensland Cup as well.
"Ben has proven at the moment with his training and work ethic that he deserves an opportunity to be there and he's got that."
The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys will kick-off their 2009 season against the Broncos on Friday 13 March, with kick-off at 7.35pm.


I was wrong - it was JOHN Williams who picked up the shoulder injury during the trials, not Ty. It's good to see that Farrar's attitude has been rewarded with a first-grade spot.

I'm also going to assume that if Matt Bowen comes off, Ben Harris will be pushed into the centres and Ash Graham will move to the wing. Really looking forward to the game now.

 

[elyod138]

You weren't wrong, it was Ty who was injured in the trials, John Williams had off season shoulder surgery.

 

[Shorty]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25175691-23214,00.html

March 12, 2009 Brisbane Broncos drafted centre Steve Michaels into their starting side for their NRL season-opening clash with the North Queensland Cowboys after he passed a fitness test.
Michaels, who had been battling a wrist fracture, will start alongside Israel Folau, with Alex Glenn dropping to the bench.

The Cowboys have also made a late change, with former Queensland Origin utility Shannon Hegarty coming on to the wing for Ashley Graham.

Broncos coach Ivan Henjak says his forwards will have to rise to the challenge and he is expecting a physical opening to the blockbuster.

A crowd of more than 40,000 is being tipped with Brisbane favourites to open the season on a winning note.

F**king Hegarty!
Why Henry WHYYYYY?!

So on the flanks we have the options of Ty Williams or Shannon Hegarty - Well that's just great.
Why couldn't he have moved Ben Harris back to the centres and bring in someone else for lock?

 

[elyod138]

lol

 

[Talanexor]

I'm sure there's a good reason for it - but I'm f*cked if I know what that reason is...

Trials are OVER Neil!!!! Or did you forget that???

 

[wally80]

What is wrong with Ash? Did he get injured?

 

[Shorty]

I guess the good thing is Hegarty is not defending on Folau's wing.

 

[Sugar]

I guess the good thing is Hegarty is not defending on Folau's wing.

The fear has already taken over
I feel for ya Shorty

 

[The Riddler]

F**king Hegarty!
Why Henry WHYYYYY?!

So on the flanks we have the options of Ty Williams or Shannon Hegarty - Well that's just great.

I know two pwople who will be very happy about this news

 

[Ianc]

What is wrong with Ash? Did he get injured?

Groin injury earlier in the week.