Round 6 vs. Titans Discussion + Voting

[Bronco18]

I thought Reed showed some good efforts tonight. As with Hoffman, even though he isn't a 5/8th. At least he has some spirit, something Barba doesn't have.

I'd seriously consider switching Barba to 5/8th and Hoffman to fullback. Barba can't be dropped from first grade, that'll do nothing for his confidence, but maybe he'll find some form when he isn't under pressure from the high balls. He's just targeted set after set now.

While Hunt showed some impressive touches, that was all he did. Sometimes run it on 5th or kick it. We were one off the ruck the whole night and he went missing. The Titans defence was compressed and, despite some handy efforts from the forwards, the Titans could be up quick in our face and with big numbers. Hunt should've played first receiver so many more times tonight, our attack had 0 creativity coming out of our own half. Suddenly when were behind in the last 7 minutes, we decide to shift it in our own half and we start making breaks. Where the hell was this the whole game? We've played our best when Hunt is in the thick of it and spreading it/running it, but he was pigeoned out on a corridor the whole night. I'm not sure if he just went missing or if it was a botched game plan.

3. McCullough
2. Gillette
1. McGuire

 

[Nightward]

Bit harsh on Copley when it was hunt who put the ill directed grubber in and of course meads brilliance and speed to score a sensational try.

Not harsh at all, really. Copely has played a lot better this year, but last night's game was very poor, with his effort on Meade being the stand-out. He's serviceable as a centre but is more of a back-rower, and we've got way too many of those as it is; he doesn't have the speed or positioning to make a good winger.

When Meade made his break, Copely turned, took a few steps, and gave up the chase. McGuire and Thaiday demonstrated more pace in pursuing Meade than Copely did all night, and wingers need to be able to pour on the speed. Copely, even without the corked thigh, doesn't have that.

He's out of position at best, a mediocre first-grade player at worst. Maranta is far more solid on the wing and a lot faster.

Griffin needs to get rid of some of the back-rowers and bring in positional specialists. Along with some decent props.

@ Frank: Walters could be a good solution, but we'd still probably be stuck with a caretaker coach until the end of the year in order to get him.

Griffin looked the goods early when Henjak was given the flick. We did need to bring in some new blood and Griffin was willing to do that. Unfortunately he's been sticking with his pet projects even when they consistently fail to deliver and allowing more promising players to leave the club instead of giving them a real go. We could and should have had Baptiste alongside Hunt in the halves, but we let him go. Hala should be on the bench at least, but he's in Queensland Cup and will either never make the NRL grade (massive waste) or will be forced to leave to get a chance. And I can't say the players we retain and use are doing the job.

If he was willing to cut players who weren't performing we wouldn't be here now. There is something to be said for showing faith in a player to let them reach their potential, but there's also a point at which that credit runs out.

 

[u4er]

Honestly, is Griffin geniused? Is he terminally ill or something and Make A Wish foundation got him a gig as coach of the Broncos? Why does he have an obsession with only using 16 players? Why does Hoffman keep getting selected in 6 when he has never shown any promise in any position except wing? I'll admit I've tried to hold back with the Griffin bashing and have faith in our coach, but I been racking my brains and I cannot fathom any possible explanation for his actions except complete and utter ineptitude (or actual mental geniusation). Griffin has to go. Give Walters the gig, or see if Locky is interested yet.

 

[Nightward]

Lockyer is not the solution yet either. Great players don't necessarily make great coaches; it's more the mediocre players who have to work hard and maximise every last part of their potential who do rather than those for whom it's all natural. Lockyer also has the problem Walters had back in '05 in terms of being too close to the players; coaches need to have the ability to connect with players, but being too friendly with them doesn't work. Possibly in another 3-5 years when most of the players he took the field with are gone it would be a good time to start his apprenticeship (preferably with a lot of mentoring from Bennett) but right now or next season as head coach would just be more of the same.

 

[Big Pete]

Ugly performance.

The most disappointing aspect of last night is that we should have been celebrating that defensive effort. To have to defend the amount of sets they did in the context they had to defend them in was very commendable and a big improvement over last week. I thought there were some individual efforts out there that really helped the cause - in particular from Thaiday, Gillett & Reed.

Unfortunately, it was all undone in offence. From what I saw, it just seemed like the Broncos predictible one out style put them under too much pressure and forced the likes of Hodges, Reed & Hoffman to try and come up with miracle plays that weren't on.

Unsure if it was necessarily the gameplan either or whether it was the product of fatigue and confidence. It's pretty difficult to launch a counter-attack when you're constantly having to defend your own try line because your back three can't do their job and defuse kicks. For mine, that's what hurt the Broncos in the end more than anything else.

3. Hunt
2. Thaiday
1. McCullough

 

[Dazzat]

I was corrected last week when I suggested Barba should go back to Queensland Cup. But this game only made it more obvious. Barba has to be sent back to Queensland Cup. He has offered nothing this year, and last night was Mr Invisible until it came to make a mistake.

I also suggested that Hodges should have had some time in Queensland Cup. Last night's performance also makes this suggestion more reasonable.

We were playing dumb football because nothing was coming from the halves. Hoffman's time at No. 6 is surely at an end. A No. 6 who has limited passing and kicking skills is handicapping the entire team.

Alex Glenn needs time in the Queensland Cup at some stage, or at least start on the bench. He is offering zero in attack, and like Barba, has done nothing all year.

Bring in some youth into the side for goodness sake! We need Oates starting. We need some young guys threatening the old guys for positions. Kennedy needs to take angry pills or feel the breath of a young player on the back of his neck.

Oh ... and Parker needs to go back to No. 13 and Griffin just needs to go.

3. Hunt
2. Gillett
1. McCullough

 

[u4er]

I agree that it would probably not be ideal for Lockyer to coach players he is too friendly with, I think he is smart enough to put the personal stuff aside. In Wayne Bennett's books he mentions several times the Locky would make a great coach, even going as far as saying that before things went pear shaped at the Broncs that his retirement plan was for Lockyer to spend a season as his assistant coach before taking the main job the year after. IMHO the biggest mistake we ever made was letting Bennett go.

I agree Pete, our back 3 lost us the game last night. Instead of getting a good kick return and finishing our set within attacking range, we were botching most of the kick returns and spending the whole set fighting for field position.

 

[Titanic]

Both our clubs are facing a similar problem. Our coaches aren't much chop and the recruitment policy has some rough edges. In our case we have finally got out of the second row for every position Cartwright mentality but we have a long long way to go.

Last night's game was there for both teams to win and that's just what happened ... a lucky bounce, a good strike and the rest is in the papers. From an outsiders point of view your best were:

3. Hunt (looked the one most likely)
2. Thaiday (I wish people would stop mentioning his demise as captain [I know I'm doing it too] because he is a great player in his own right).
1. McGuire

 

[Nightward]

IMHO the biggest mistake we ever made was letting Bennett go.

Bruno Cullen has a lot to answer for in that.

I do feel for Henjak and Griffin. Trying to follow the best coach the game's ever seen (possibly will ever see) means you're on a hiding to nothing. But by now we should be seeing some better succession planning.

Maybe we can make a play for Bennett in 2016 with Walters as his understudy to take over in or after 2017.

 

[Nerd]

Not harsh at all, really. Copely has played a lot better this year, but last night's game was very poor, with his effort on Meade being the stand-out. He's serviceable as a centre but is more of a back-rower, and we've got way too many of those as it is; he doesn't have the speed or positioning to make a good winger.

When Meade made his break, Copely turned, took a few steps, and gave up the chase. McGuire and Thaiday demonstrated more pace in pursuing Meade than Copely did all night, and wingers need to be able to pour on the speed. Copely, even without the corked thigh, doesn't have that.

He's out of position at best, a mediocre first-grade player at worst. Maranta is far more solid on the wing and a lot faster.

Griffin needs to get rid of some of the back-rowers and bring in positional specialists. Along with some decent props.

@ Frank: Walters could be a good solution, but we'd still probably be stuck with a caretaker coach until the end of the year in order to get him.

Griffin looked the goods early when Henjak was given the flick. We did need to bring in some new blood and Griffin was willing to do that. Unfortunately he's been sticking with his pet projects even when they consistently fail to deliver and allowing more promising players to leave the club instead of giving them a real go. We could and should have had Baptiste alongside Hunt in the halves, but we let him go. Hala should be on the bench at least, but he's in Queensland Cup and will either never make the NRL grade (massive waste) or will be forced to leave to get a chance. And I can't say the players we retain and use are doing the job.

If he was willing to cut players who weren't performing we wouldn't be here now. There is something to be said for showing faith in a player to let them reach their potential, but there's also a point at which that credit runs out.

Don't agree. Maranta has shown time and time again that he lacks the pace to be a winger. I'd be happy with Barba to 5/8 and Hoffman to fullback. At least Barba can pass...

 

[AceAv]

Defense and lack of errors was a good positive tonight.

We played simple footy and i was happy with a boring win after what we saw last week.

But Hoggman and Barba need to change places. We need a safe fullback and a no. 6 that knows how to pass and kick.

Glenn offered 0 in attack? Pretty sure he made the break and pass from a good hunt play. Did well on defense as usual too.

The difference tonight really came down to the fullbacks. Meed stopped a certain hunt try and then produced a 100 meter from a wayward grubber.

Hodges did fine as well. Wasn't much going for him tonight, but his dummy half runs would be much scarier with hunt and barba running alongside him.

Next week i just want to see griffin react to the #6 & #1 problem and actuality use a full bench.

 

[Funkotron]

The grand total of 3 runs Thaiday made is just mindblowing. Should have been MOTM in a losing side.

 

[Dazzat]

Defense and lack of errors was a good positive tonight.

We played simple footy and i was happy with a boring win after what we saw last week.

But Hoggman and Barba need to change places. We need a safe fullback and a no. 6 that knows how to pass and kick.

Glenn offered 0 in attack? Pretty sure he made the break and pass from a good hunt play. Did well on defense as usual too.

The difference tonight really came down to the fullbacks. Meed stopped a certain hunt try and then produced a 100 meter from a wayward grubber.

Hodges did fine as well. Wasn't much going for him tonight, but his dummy half runs would be much scarier with hunt and barba running alongside him.

Next week i just want to see griffin react to the #6 & #1 problem and actuality use a full bench.

Yep agree with all that, although I don't know about Barba playing at No. 6 defensively.

In regard to the bench - our problem this year is the problem of last year. We won the first few games, but now teams have worked us out. We lack variety in attack. Everything goes to Hunt. We have no back-up No. 9 to come out and tear it up.

It's the same old plodding game style from Griffin. No X factor. No spark. Just a safe brand of football you'd expect from a coach trying to save his career.

 

[Blockade]

Kodi has to partner Hunt next week, if Hoffman is in the 6 we will lose again. He keeps killing our attack

Kodi didn't even play 5/8 for the U20's last night, he was at FB, he definitely isn't the answer and Hook wouldn't be so silly to chuck a rookie in there when the team is currently sitting at .500 in a comp which atm,is wide open.

 

[ranga68]

Both our clubs are facing a similar problem. Our coaches aren't much chop and the recruitment policy has some rough edges. In our case we have finally got out of the second row for every position Cartwright mentality but we have a long long way to go.

Last night's game was there for both teams to win and that's just what happened ... a lucky bounce, a good strike and the rest is in the papers. From an outsiders point of view your best were:

3. Hunt (looked the one most likely)
2. Thaiday (I wish people would stop mentioning his demise as captain [I know I'm doing it too] because he is a great player in his own right).
1. McGuire

seriously Thiaday he had 3 hitups in the entire game.

Vidot had more than that.

3. McGuire
2. vidot
1. hunty

 

[user_nat]

seriously Thiaday he had 3 hitups in the entire game.

Haha, just noticed that.

What the heck happened there.

 

[Dazzat]

Kodi didn't even play 5/8 for the U20's last night, he was at FB, he definitely isn't the answer and Hook wouldn't be so silly to chuck a rookie in there when the team is currently sitting at .500 in a comp which atm,is wide open.

He could at least be on the bench ... you know the bench spot that Griffin doesn't use each week.

 

[Funkotron]

He could at least be on the bench ... you know the bench spot that Griffin doesn't use each week.

Nah, we should just go with 16 men, and keep a seat free...in case a player wants to lie down for a bit.

 

[u4er]

Is this 16 players thing some kind of psychological mind trick? Is it supposed to boot morale or something? "Oh well, we lost but we only used 16 players, imagine how good we'll go when we actually use our whole team!". Comes across as pure stupidity to me. Maybe he just figured Thaiday didn't need a rest since he only ran the ball 3 or 4 times. Ugh. So many questions, no answers.

 

[Dazzat]

And then there's players like Jarrod Wallace who must be heading toward a record for the number of times he's been picked in the squad and not given a game, or the number of times he's been on the bench and not used.

Surely this must be doing horrible things to his confidence.

As I've mentioned before, I can't see how Griffin's strategies are developing any players at all.