Round 26 vs Storm Discussion & Voting

[GoTheBroncs]

Well here we are people...

A win will see us in the finals.

A loss and we will need both Eels and Warriors to lose (and the Warriors would have to lose by a certain amount depending on how much we lose by).

Here is the team:

BRONCOS NRL TEAM

1. Justin Hodges (c)
2. Daniel Vidot
3. Jack Reed
4. Dale Copley
5. Lachlan Maranta
6. Ben Barba
7. Ben Hunt
8. Josh McGuire
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Corey Parker (c)
11. Alex Glenn
12. Matt Gillett
13. Sam Thaiday

Interchange:

14. Jarrod Wallace
15. Martin Kennedy
16. Ben Hannant
17. Corey Oates

18. Todd Lowrie

Coach: Anthony Griffin

http://www.broncos.com.au/news/2014/09/02/broncos_ins_and_outs_round_26.html

Thaiday may be out depending on whether he successfully defends his charge at the judiciary. I don't think Thaiday would be a big loss in itself, but considering that Lowrie would come in in his place, I really hope Thaiday gets off.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

More game time for Oates would be nice.

If we miss the finals due to for and against, Cummins will look like an even bigger boob for his incompetence last week...

 

[Dazzat]

If we miss out on the finals, the loss against Cronulla will go down as the defining moment of the year.

I actually believe we will scrap in this week because a) Hunt b) a little more to play for than Melbourne c) because I have a gut feeling (mind you I'm coming around 112,383th in online tipping).

I also think Thaiday should get off which looks like a nothing tackle. If that's a crusher then just about everyone in the league should be suspended this week.

 

[user_nat]

Very low in confidence about this one.

Melbourne are a side that will exploit our back 3's inability to defend. Way more than the previous 2 teams did anyhow.

 

[Dazzat]

Very low in confidence about this one.

Melbourne are a side that will exploit our back 3's inability to defend. Way more than the previous 2 teams did anyhow.

Very true. It was Cronk who gave Maranta a bath a few weeks back. I think Vidot has only gone backwards taking bombs since then for whatever reason. And Hodges ... I guess he'll take bombs better than Barba but very much an unknown quantity there.

 

[Snappy]

Thaiday suspended.

Yet Matai does a blatant shoulder charge and doesnt even get charged. f**k the MRC

 

[Dazzat]

Absolute joke. The movement of Thaiday in that tackle happens many, many times throughout a game. The fact that the tackled player was in a certain position seems to have been lost to the clueless judiciary.

 

[AceAv]

I just think the refs from last game were absolutley clueless and should be the ones on 'report'

No Thaiday is a huge loss considering how he played last week. Worst thing is Lowrie comes in to replace him!!

Im also concerned about Oates fitness, he doesn't seem to last long out there..

I expect a big game, but Melb always find a way to beat us. Expecting us to be down by 2 points in the 68th minute before Slater charges onto a Cronk chip for a winning try and that's our season.

Been a turbulent season boys..

 

[Snappy]

Gotta be happy we're at least in contention with one round to go I spose. Not many (including me) expected that a few months ago. Not sure we have the effort to beat the Storm, but who knows, stranger things have happened this year.

 

[Bronco18]

Cronk's kicking game is the main problem. Even losing to the Roosters, him and Smith were relentless and managed to find space in the in goal time after time. The Roosters defended set after set on their own line, I don't think we that in us. Hodges lack of speed and positional play might get shown up here. It was that opening period against the Storm earlier when through his kicking game they blitzed us in the opening 20 mintues, and I think we only touched the ball twice.

I agree with Ace Avenue on Thaiday and Oates. Oates needs good game time but he does struggle with the pace of the game at times. Leaders like Thaiday have a knack of standing up in games like this.

 

[GoTheBroncs]

Very true. It was Cronk who gave Maranta a bath a few weeks back. I think Vidot has only gone backwards taking bombs since then for whatever reason. And Hodges ... I guess he'll take bombs better than Barba but very much an unknown quantity there.

Hodges has looked really suspect under the high ball, just doesn't look comfortable. He has been lucky on several occasions. The Storm will test him no worries.

I was wondering if Hoffman was any chance for this week? I'd be happy if he defended at fullback (better under the high ball and probably better kick returns given Hodges' aging body). Then Hodgy to fb for attack!

 

[GoTheBroncs]

Absolute joke. The movement of Thaiday in that tackle happens many, many times throughout a game. The fact that the tackled player was in a certain position seems to have been lost to the clueless judiciary.

Agreed.

I initially thought Thaiday wouldn't be a big loss (I don't think he has been playing the house down), but considering the replacement is Lowrie, it hurts...

 

[GoTheBroncs]

Gotta be happy we're at least in contention with one round to go I spose. Not many (including me) expected that a few months ago. Not sure we have the effort to beat the Storm, but who knows, stranger things have happened this year.

Agreed. There is still some hope but gee we usually struggle against the Storm, who typically bring their A game for Brisbane. If we miss the finals it will be because of the Sharks game, not this one.

Regardless I think 2014 has been much better than 2013, which is a positive.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

It's literally a tale of two results.

If we win, we go on to be a serious contender from outside the top 4.

We lose, and we either sneak in off the back of other results, or we go to mad monday. I don't want to be an also ran. We must win.

 

[renouf]

We won't win this, look what Melbourne did to us only a month ago, and his time it's in Melbourne.. Which is even worse! We need the warriors and parramatta to screw up.

 

[Dazzat]

Can we pick Scott Minto on the wing for this one and win in the dying minutes?

 

[Dazzat]

There were patches of that game where we looked like champions; and patches where we looked like a team on the bottom of the ladder of the Intrust Super Cup.

We started well, went to sleep, and then lifted in intensity when we realised the season was on the line.

Hodges became TOO involved at times and stifled the attack - an attack that continues to be too one dimensional.

3. McCullough
2. Hunt
1. McGuire.

 

[hellteam]

Felt sorry for Hunt. Everyone will say he went missing at the end but I say it's bloody hard to put anything on when your fullback is in dummy half the whole time and your five eight wanders around doing nothing.

 

[hellteam]

Plus no proper right centre. Although I guess as halfback he should have taken control of all that and directed Hodges out of the ruck but that could be hard to do, he will learn.

 

[THE CHAMP]

A superb game.
At least we went down swinging.
Maranta should not have contested that f**king bomb before the fonua try.
And the hunt intercept.........fmd.
Again Kennedy really showed some grunt when he came on but must have copped a knock because i didn't see him much in the second half if at all.
Thaiday would have been a big difference.
Too many f**king errors.
3. Macguire
2. Mccullough
1. Vidot
A f**king good effort all the same.