Round 15 vs. Cowboys Discussion + Voting

[JamesBrandy]

Great effort by the boys and jeez McGuire had a cracker! He'll take Petero spot in Qld side next year I reckon.

Is it just me or is Hoffman hopeless when it comes to creating an overlap on the edges? Everytime he gets the ball out there he is tackled when all he has to do is catch and pass......still hasn't got the timing that cutie had.

 

[beads6]

Hoffman is a gun but I think we would be a better attacking side with Beale at fullback. Hoffman offers very little when we are on attacking raids. He is very much all bash and barge. Not I am in no way suggesting we move Hoffman from fullback.

 

[user_nat]

Can't really disagree with that.
No reason Beale and Hoffman can't swap places when we are attacking the opponents line.

There was a game against the Titans in 2010 when Hoffman perfectly set up his outside men twice, not sure where that went.

 

[hellteam]

Agreed, I remember towards the end of last year, particularly in the finals, when we looked very good with Beale at fullback.

Hoffman is much better in defence, catching balls etc but isn't the best tryscorer/ballplayer.

 

[AceAv]

Yeah GG. I agree Hoffman hasn't been as sharp as usual on attack. He and our halves need to just work on a few different plays a lot more.

Was a pretty tense game and I wasn't disappointed with the boys effort at all. God Copley has started to make me eat my words *wood.

It really was a game of who could maintain the most pressure and unfortunately Cowboys got the edge in that 60 minute zone. We still dont have the best 5th tackle options and also are really missing Parker/thaidays offloads. Don't see the Broncs slowing down coming up to next week and its nice to start the Friday night run again. A pity we'll drop 2d place now though. We may lose a few places on this traffic jam ladder ;(

3.McGuire
2.Copley
1.Maranta

PS Im looking forward to see the bowen thurston combo comeback for game3!

 

[GoTheBroncs]

3. Copley
2. McGuire
1. Maranta

It was indeed a big effort from the boys, they tried hard. I just wonder why is it our team that gets tired first when Cows have more guys backing up. And Scott and Tamou both played massive minutes, we couldn't tackle Tamou to save our lives.

I've mentioned this before, our attack is still inept. With our 'spine' still available we should really be able to put on some points. No-one seems to know what anyone else is doing and there are basically no bodies in motion. I sometimes wonder what we get up to at training Not having anyone that can offload did hurt us tonight though (with Gillett MIA again).

Defence needs a bit of work too. Scramble defence is fine. But general just hitting guys hard and getting them on back foot, seems like only Dodds could do it.

Suffice to say that Bowen had a big say in the overall result. I would pick him ahead of Barba for origin, he has been there before, and connection with Thurston another reason.

Gillett looks completely disinterested. I'm not sure what is going on with him... Without Hodges the Broncos really lack any strike weapon that can change a game based on an individual effort. Gillett is one of those guys when on song. He really needs to get his sh!t sorted out.

 

[JamesBrandy]

Copley had a blinder....really coming well!

3. McGuire - what a machine!
2. Copley
1. Maranta

 

[beads6]

I am not really worried about our attack TBH. We can score points and made a few opportunities. I think it was just one of those games.

 

[Country Bronco]

Good performance. Didn't have the 80 minutes in us. Late in the 2nd half I remember Norman going to dummy half and there was noone to ruck it up. We had received possession from a kick and a ruck or two were made and our forwards were dead on their feet. Don't get me wrong, we were still trying but we were also tired. Cowboys knew to catch the lazy defender and this happened. It's not a excuse for losing as we had opportunities that we messed up but a indication that this young side can go with a top eight team and are expected to win. I think its devalueing their effort to say we would of won with all our players available as we retain them in our squad as nrl players. It's a bright future we have as long as we go the hard way and not make excuses.

1 McGuire
1 Copley
1 Maranta
1 Lui
1 Gibb
1 Dodds

Honorable mention the rest of the team.

 

[Bretto]

Great game of footy first and foremost. Both teams defended incredibly well. Our attack will get better, I just think we need more bodies in motion out wide, with outside and inside runners, but you put Hodges in the backline, and a lot more opportunities open up for us.

Really happy with the scrambling defence, but we really missed Petero, Thaiday and Parker for that muscle up the middle. McGuire was an absolute machine though - 60 tackles (1 missed tackle), 12 hitups for 94 meters and almost 80 mins (minute stats aren't available yet).

Copley and Maranta were excellent, it's gonna be a real shame to have to drop Maranta next week as I think he's a much better and safer winger, than Beale.

Disappointed we lost, but happy with the performance. I think the best thing about this game, was the form Matt Bowen showed. He is something else, and combined with Thurston, I think we will actually gain with him at the back for QLD come game 3.

3. McGuire
2. Copley
1. Maranta

 

[IBA]

Have to agree with what has been said mostly. The defence front both teams was outstanding, a real battle of a game. Too many errors in our own half and too many penalties in theirs was the difference. We didn't have a lot of good attacking possession stemming from the fact didn't complete enough sets.

Copley has been a machine in the last month or two. He was exceptional last night in both attack and defence. I can't remember us having a winger who can bend the line like a second rower every hit up like he has been doing lately. Just purely a confidence thing I'm guessing.

Tough to lose, but I'm not too worried. Bowen was f**king excellent...

Really wanting Hoffman and Norman to pick up their attack.

3. McGuire - huge effort
2. Copley - never thought I'd do that...
1. Hannant - Big effort 2 days after a brutal origin game. Shame he dropped that ball though...

 

[Steve_oneskie]

WOW. What a game. Even though we lost I was really really pleased with the performance, much happier with this performance than the Newcastle one much like Hook. Great defense from both teams made for a really great spectacle, never a dull moment in the first half even though there were no tries scored.

Great wing play from both Maranta and Copley to constantly defuse the kicks for such young guys it was really impressive. Im really really pleased that Copley is proving all the haters wrong, this is a lesson for the future, TRUST HOOK'S DECISIONS.

One thing that did concern me was when Norman was forced to go into dummy half in the second half looked for someone to pass it to and there was no one there looking to take the ball so Norman was forced to surrender basically and he got up not looking happy. Can't blame McGuire for not being there but surely Reed, Beale, Hoffman, Maranta could have been there to take a hit up.

Gillett is really starting to concern me, although he wasn't helped in the first half i think he fell over about 4 - 5 times in both defense and attack, his defense is till pretty solid its just his attack that is really starting to worry me he seems to stop before the line most of the time and try to step around it, very odd tactic and one i hope Hook sorts out.

4 - McGuire - Can't look past him as the Man of the Match this week, his performance was just outstanding, so many minutes for such a big bloke, so many tackles, and plenty of hit ups also.

1 - Copley - Boy has he come on in leaps and bounds since he came in to the team. Loved his takes and pick ups at the back, especially his first leap which was Folauesque as well as his pick up at full pace and he almost managed to outrun the defense and get out. Really really happy that he is playing well and proving all the haters wrong.

1 - Maranta - Good solid performance from him and has shown that he is not out of place in First Grade very reliable backup to have.

 

[Big Pete]

Don't know if I'll get around to watching a replay so I'll just lay my votes down now.

3. Josh McGuire
2. Josh Hoffman
1. Dale Copley

 

[00digger00]

3 McGuire another huge game from the big fella.
2 Copley was pretty awesome under the high ball and the ones along the deck. Made good meters out of dummy half too
1 Hannant big effort from the polar bear especially after backing up from origin. Made some good cover tackles
I think the boys will take a fair bit out of that. Defensively you could see them putting in for each other which is what makes our D so good. It took a pretty special pass from JT to open us up. Looking forward to putting the full team out in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Big Pete]

Hannant would have been up there for me too but those mistakes really stuck in my craw. He bombed a try that would have changed the whole complexion of the match. Hard to forgive that in isolation.

Was disappointed in every other forward that wasn't Show, Hannant or Glenn actually. Tamou & Taumalolo did just as well if not better than the starting pair yet we just couldn't match them at all. Particularly disappointed in Te'o & Gillett who can perform A LOT better.

 

[Steve_oneskie]

Was disappointed in every other forward that wasn't Show, Hannant or Glenn actually. Tamou & Taumalolo did just as well if not better than the starting pair yet we just couldn't match them at all. Particularly disappointed in Te'o & Gillett who can perform A LOT better.

That pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. Gillett needs to improve.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Tough defensive game....both sides were fairly equal until the win was up for grabs.

A strike player was needed.

Cowboys had JT and Bowen firing on all cylinders

We had no-one.

Don't know how some of you can keep saying "oh, I'm not worried about our attack" when last night was a perfect example of this chief deficiency in our game. Our once reliable defence has lost us games this year, I don't think we should be relying on it to win them for us anymore either.

One point that is really pleasing in some ways but down right scary in another, is we covered the missing players really easily.

Beale for Hodges...we may have missed Hodgo's defence but in attack Beale still has some moves. Young Maranta out on the wing for Beale is going great guns. Reminds me a little of Willie Carne. Copley as I said he would, is improving 10% each week's last performance. Still tipping a blinder from him is imminent. Dodds is playing out of his skin......Lui still has young, dumb moments but is really putting in. Liking what I have seen from Gibb.....

I'm not sure if either Hodges, Petero or Thaiday would/could have made any difference.

That's the scary part.

The way we are going currently, even with a full strength team I don't think we have what will be needed in the back half of the season when the other better teams are all starting to click. We'll make the 8, but unless something happens to our attack, I don't see the finals lasting too long for us.

Forget about Peter Wallace being the answer. It simply will never happen. He just doesn't have it in him.

Corey Norman is the one that needs to stand up.

Norman, McCullough, Teo, Hoffman, Gillett .......all these guys need to lift to the next level, if all the potential that's pouring out of our ears is going to be fulfilled.

3. Mcguire
2. Copley
1. Hannant

 

[beads6]

Why should we be worried about our attack?? We scored 90 points in 2 games prior to last night. We also were over the line several times last night. Hannant drops it over the line and the Wallace no try. I think people thinking our attack was bad need to give some credit to the Cowboys defence. If you actually think Hodges makes no difference I feel sorry for you.

 

[IBA]

Agree beads. That defensive effort was absolutely huge from the cows. Missed Thaiday/Parker offloading in the middle and T'eo and Gillett both had relative shockers. We turned over a few too many times in our half and after 60 odd minutes of hard hitting football, we looked out on our feet - no surprise Bowen started to slip through.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Agree beads. That defensive effort was absolutely huge from the cows. Missed Thaiday/Parker offloading in the middle and T'eo and Gillett both had relative shockers. We turned over a few too many times in our half and after 60 odd minutes of hard hitting football, we looked out on our feet - no surprise Bowen started to slip through.

Both teams had huge defensive efforts

Both teams looked out on their feet

One team had the attacking plays / players to take advantage of the tired opposition........

That team won.