What if next year

[Pig Mouth]

We were stuck with Wallace and Norman and Hoffman?

That would suck but it looks to be the case.

I think for the Broncos to become real contenders next year for the trophy the following must occur.

3 big changes.


#1 - We need to fill The Lockyer Gap. Locky leaving and now Petero on the way must have freed some tremendous space in the salary cap. The Broncos management have to try everything in their power to sway Thurston over to our club. Seems impossible, but he is the only player in the game at the moment capable of easing the loss of Lockyer. It must be done for us to win a grand final with the present team. Unless there is a player who can perform to the same standard as lockyer or Thurston, we're not going to make it. That's the consequence of strongly relying on a legend for so long. Suddenly he is gone and we're lost when the times get tough.

#2 Wallace and McCullough need to swap positions. Everyone has been criticising Wallace as a halfback. The only good points people have mentioned is his defence which is excellent for a little bloke, however halfbacks are not specialised in defence. If Wallace goes into Hooker then we will have a player who can defend and also have experience in kicking game. I think he well perform better in that position without the pressure of setting up plays as it isn't working too well for him at the moment. It could add to the dynamics of the team and throw a lot of opposing teams off guard as they are currently very familiar with all of Broncos repetitive plays.

As for McCullough, I really believe he would thrive at halfback alongside of a good new five eighth who is not a rookie. He knows his kicking game and has more experience than Hunt. I really think he would surprise a lot of people at halfback with McCullough's ability as a great half back. All the team would need is a bit of practice to gel with these players in their new roles and we'd be on our way to victory.

#3 Corey Norman must either be returned as a utility on the bench or sent back to Queensland cup. He is simply not ready. I believe he has terrible ball handling and no creativity for a 5/8, he is also not mature for NRL and overall just a shitfight. Perhaps one day in the future he may turn into a marvellous player but we can't afford to waste time now because we need a reliable replacement for lockyer fast. Very fast.

Besides the main 3 points above I think Hoffman needs to toughen up. He has never been the same since Inglis roughed him up which is understandable but that was quite some time ago.

And of course the highly skilled and well paid professional footballers who play for our club need to learn how to hold onto the ball and stop dropping it as if it was lubed up with KY. The ridiculous sloppiness MUST stop.

I think once we make these changes and get all of our injured guys back, especially yow yeh, we will stand a real chance next year. Almost guaranteed success.

 

[blaza88z]

I think you had a few too many drinks

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

All of your points are nullified by one cruel fact: all those 3 players are signed to deals that go beyond this year.

 

[beads6]

1. Hoffman should improve. He has had a shocker this year but we all know he is capable of much better. Hopefully over the off season his body recovers and he gets his confidence back.

2. Norman will hopefully be playing QLD cup but if not with any luck he grows a brain the off season so he learns how to take advantage of a simple overlap. Normans problem is his decision making. Not sure if he can become what we need.

3. Wallace needs to be consistent. If he played like he did last night for 75% of the season we win most games. Every player has shockers but the problem with Pete is his shocker lasts 8 weeks instead of 1 game.

There isn't really any halves on the open market so we kind of have to persist with what we have got unfortunately. Hunt could be a chance and i'd love to see him given the 7 jersey. Capewell is also an option but I just don't see it TBH.

 

[Broncos fan!]

This is how I see it:

1. If Hoffman doesn't improve we can't afford to keep him at fullback. He is safe as a house but offers little in attack and he did absolutely nothing lastnight. Whether he moves to centre/wing or find another club, I don't know.

Now looking at other options for fullback...

It's a shame Beale is leaving because he is a good fullback.

Norman is a big option for me. He obviously isn't up to standard as a 5/8 yet but he has plenty of potential and has shown he can produce in the sweeping second man play and adds another kicking option which is a massive bonus. He just needs a bit of a boot up the ... to get a bit more intensity into his play.

I haven't seen enough of Maranta or Kahu to comment so maybe someone else could help give an opinion of them at fullback. But from what I have seen of them as players I know they will have a future with the club. Maranta has tried his heart out in every opportunity.

2. Ben Hunt should be given a good chance in the halves. I can't see us dropping or moving Wallace in the off season/very start of the season so I guess they will make up the halves. I wouldn't mind seeing Norman and Hunt partner each other though because they seemed to gel well.

3. Sam Thaiday has not lived up to what we hoped as captain. To me it is obvious that Parker has been the real leader on the park this year. Make Parker captain and have Thaiday and Glenn as the back ups. Glenn is playing great right now and I don't think disrupting him with putting the weight of a captaincy on his shoulders is worth it.


Pig Mouth you bring up an interesting topic regarding Macca in the halves. I think a lot of people would like to see Wallace play hooker because the way he plays along with his defensive capabilities do indicate he could be a good hooker. And I have been wanting to see Macca play in the halves too but I don't think we have a good enough player to partner as you also said. I think Macca would compliment someone like JT or DCE very well.

But in saying that Macca has had a good year at hooker and we won't be making any big signings for a few years I'd say.

 

[IBA]

I don't think Macca in the halves is a very good idea... He is a workhorse tackler and developing as a hooker well. He isn't overly creative in attack and that's what you're trying to remedy by moving people around. Doubt he would perform as well as Wallace.

Personally, I think the key is getting the right fullback (or getting Hoffman to attack a little differently).

Norman's little go himself and hit half a gap would be perfect if a fullback was screaming up next to him for an offload. Norman gets half through a hole a lot and leaves a bit gap either side. If a fullback/second rower is constantly gunning for that gap, it plays with the defence meaning either a good pass/offload is into a gap or the second defender who is getting is watching/aware of the support player and gives Norman a little more room to turn the half breaks into full breaks.

So for me it's either teaching Hoffman to attack a little differently or letting Norman play 1.

On Hunt, i see a lot I like about him but not yet enough to call him our saviour.

 

[themidnightrider]

I reckon Norman at fullback. He's a strong runner and adds another kicker. Leave hunt at 6 and Hoffman in QLD cup. Macca needs to start playing longer minutes, he's 100 games now its time to step up.

 

[some11]

Our whole spine has no play making abilities lol.

Need to bring in some new offensive coaches.

 

[Pig Mouth]

Why is it that we can're purchase the best 5/8 in the game at the moment even though we just lost Lockyer and Civo is also on the way out? If we don't have the cash to make a purchase like Thurston, then we're definitely overpaying some of our players. Definition of not getting the bang for your buck.

 

[qld aussie]

We have a NEW COACH ??????????????

 

[beads6]

I don't think Sam Thaiday as captain is a problem at all. I think next season we should improve a fair bit in all aspects of the game. Just really hope Yow Yeh can come back and make an impact. High hopes for Kahu as well.

 

[broncos4life]

We were stuck with Wallace and Norman and Hoffman?

That would suck but it looks to be the case.

I think for the Broncos to become real contenders next year for the trophy the following must occur.

3 big changes.


#1 - We need to fill The Lockyer Gap. Locky leaving and now Petero on the way must have freed some tremendous space in the salary cap. The Broncos management have to try everything in their power to sway Thurston over to our club. Seems impossible, but he is the only player in the game at the moment capable of easing the loss of Lockyer. It must be done for us to win a grand final with the present team. Unless there is a player who can perform to the same standard as lockyer or Thurston, we're not going to make it. That's the consequence of strongly relying on a legend for so long. Suddenly he is gone and we're lost when the times get tough.

#2 Wallace and McCullough need to swap positions. Everyone has been criticising Wallace as a halfback. The only good points people have mentioned is his defence which is excellent for a little bloke, however halfbacks are not specialised in defence. If Wallace goes into Hooker then we will have a player who can defend and also have experience in kicking game. I think he well perform better in that position without the pressure of setting up plays as it isn't working too well for him at the moment. It could add to the dynamics of the team and throw a lot of opposing teams off guard as they are currently very familiar with all of Broncos repetitive plays.

As for McCullough, I really believe he would thrive at halfback alongside of a good new five eighth who is not a rookie. He knows his kicking game and has more experience than Hunt. I really think he would surprise a lot of people at halfback with McCullough's ability as a great half back. All the team would need is a bit of practice to gel with these players in their new roles and we'd be on our way to victory.

#3 Corey Norman must either be returned as a utility on the bench or sent back to Queensland cup. He is simply not ready. I believe he has terrible ball handling and no creativity for a 5/8, he is also not mature for NRL and overall just a shitfight. Perhaps one day in the future he may turn into a marvellous player but we can't afford to waste time now because we need a reliable replacement for lockyer fast. Very fast.

Besides the main 3 points above I think Hoffman needs to toughen up. He has never been the same since Inglis roughed him up which is understandable but that was quite some time ago.

And of course the highly skilled and well paid professional footballers who play for our club need to learn how to hold onto the ball and stop dropping it as if it was lubed up with KY. The ridiculous sloppiness MUST stop.

I think once we make these changes and get all of our injured guys back, especially yow yeh, we will stand a real chance next year. Almost guaranteed success.

Lay off the sauce bro

 

[DeeJ]

Norman needs to do an off season at fullback and learn to be more of a support player (this could have to do with fitness though). With his speed he would take advantage of alot of offloads and we miss having a playmaking option at the back when Hoffman is there.

I would like to see Hunt at 6. He has performed well during his games there this year, unfortunate he only plays well for one half then kind of goes absent the other.

 

[Pierced Soul]

a few things to consider:

This is Normans' first full year in the NRL. he's done some good things and doen some bad things - it's an experience thing,e specially in the halves. personally i think he gets caught going himself a little too often but thats not that bad a thing as it indicates he's willing to take a hit and have a go. he'll be a lot betetr next eyar for the run

Hoffman is the kiwi fullback for a reason, he's safe he's a good attacker. his form in the back half of this year hasnt been great but i think it's an indication of how the side overall is going. i suspect he isnt fully fit as well which may be hampering him.

for the first half a year wallace was the best half for NSW and had 16 Dally M points. the wheels seemed to fall off after he got injured and he hasnt managed to recapture his form, but his early season efforts were good and i think when fully fit he'll get back to that

I'm pretty sure Thaiday's playing injured. I also think he's playing tighter this year than previous years which is affecting his impact. In terms of leadership qualities i don't really think whether you put a (C) next to his or Parker's name makes a big difference. the biggest issue in the close games has been no lockyer and you're not going to replace that overnight. take SMith/Cronk away from melbourne or thurston form the cows and they'll have trouble closing out those tight games as well

this isnt a blind suggestion that everythings good, but it's not all doom and gloom as people have suggested. we were in the top 4 for a large majority of the year - that wasnt a fluke. i think a lot of people thought we'd struggle to even get anywhere near the 8 following lockyer's retirement but we were up the top till after origin

Macca will stay at 9, Wallace at 7, the only possible rotation may happen between hunt/norman/hoffman. I udnertsand a lot of teams like their fullbacks to eb ballplayers which is where norman would fit in but i personally don't think thta has to be the case - look at brett stewart

 

[bfoord]

Why is it that we can're purchase the best 5/8 in the game at the moment even though we just lost Lockyer and Civo is also on the way out? If we don't have the cash to make a purchase like Thurston, then we're definitely overpaying some of our players. Definition of not getting the bang for your buck.

IMO, signing Thurston would be a big mistake... he is under contract, so we wouldn't get him until 2014 ... at that time he would be 32 and only have another couple of years at most, then we would be right back where we are now. for the massive money we would need to pay to get him we would be far better off chasing a young talented half.

 

[broncos4life]

a few things to consider:

This is Normans' first full year in the NRL. he's done some good things and doen some bad things - it's an experience thing,e specially in the halves. personally i think he gets caught going himself a little too often but thats not that bad a thing as it indicates he's willing to take a hit and have a go. he'll be a lot betetr next eyar for the run

Hoffman is the kiwi fullback for a reason, he's safe he's a good attacker. his form in the back half of this year hasnt been great but i think it's an indication of how the side overall is going. i suspect he isnt fully fit as well which may be hampering him.

for the first half a year wallace was the best half for NSW and had 16 Dally M points. the wheels seemed to fall off after he got injured and he hasnt managed to recapture his form, but his early season efforts were good and i think when fully fit he'll get back to that

I'm pretty sure Thaiday's playing injured. I also think he's playing tighter this year than previous years which is affecting his impact. In terms of leadership qualities i don't really think whether you put a (C) next to his or Parker's name makes a big difference. the biggest issue in the close games has been no lockyer and you're not going to replace that overnight. take SMith/Cronk away from melbourne or thurston form the cows and they'll have trouble closing out those tight games as well

this isnt a blind suggestion that everythings good, but it's not all doom and gloom as people have suggested. we were in the top 4 for a large majority of the year - that wasnt a fluke. i think a lot of people thought we'd struggle to even get anywhere near the 8 following lockyer's retirement but we were up the top till after origin

Macca will stay at 9, Wallace at 7, the only possible rotation may happen between hunt/norman/hoffman. I udnertsand a lot of teams like their fullbacks to eb ballplayers which is where norman would fit in but i personally don't think thta has to be the case - look at brett stewart

You are 100% correct. Thank god there are some reasonable fans out there

 

[Nightward]

Wallace is subjected to a lot of undue scrutiny.

There are teams that are based around the attacking abilities of a single player, and which struggle mightily without them or when that player has a bad game- the Broncos of old with Alfie and Lockyer, the Knights with Johns, the Cowboys with Thurston, or the Tigers with Marshall.

The Broncos under Griffin are not like that. The problem is more that there is too much talent and competition for support roles that the balance has suffered a little as a result, and so when something doesn't go according to plan we wind up ground out of the game.

Thaiday and Parker are established, leaving Glenn, Gillett, and Te'o to duke it out for what should be 80-minute positions and requiring at least one on the interchange bench. Whilst I believe we will miss Te'o badly, at least that pressure has eased.

Likewise, the Hunt/McCullough experiment has interrupted the flow of our game at crucial times. One or the other needs to get the gig full time; no more chopping or changing.

Then there's the back line. We've lost Beale and Gagai, and Yow Yeh may never make it back to where he was- or, indeed, at all. Hopefully that will not be the case, but with the loss of Beale the selection pressure is again eased.

We now have one wing spot open. I believe that the team looked a lot better with Hunt as five-eighth, Hoffman on the wing, and Norman at fullback; I suspect this was not lost on Griffin, either.

Next year's first-choice team will hopefully look something like this:

1. Norman
2. Yow Yeh/Copely/Maranta (if the Yow Yeh is not available, I would prefer Maranta as he seems to have more potential than Copely. I am not one of the "lol Copely" crowd; he has done well with what was demanded of him, but long term Maranta may prove more valuable).
3. Reed.
4. Hodges (alas, only one or two seasons more left in him, I think)
5. Hoffman
6. Hunt
7. Wallace
8. Hannant.
9. McCullough
10. McGuire
11. Glenn
12. Thaiday
13. Parker

14. Hala
15. Dodds (I think we need to dig up another forward)
16. Gillett (40-minute stint to spell Glenn for 20 and Thaiday for 20)
17. Lui/Baptiste

That doesn't look too bad, at least on paper. Definite top-8 material, which is a start.

 

[GoTheBroncs]

Wallace is subjected to a lot of undue scrutiny.

There are teams that are based around the attacking abilities of a single player, and which struggle mightily without them or when that player has a bad game- the Broncos of old with Alfie and Lockyer, the Knights with Johns, the Cowboys with Thurston, or the Tigers with Marshall.

I do understand what you are saying here, and it is indeed true that we are now better equipped to deal with injuries, and don't rely heavily on any particular player (although we do rely on Hodges to an extent). It is nice to not have to worry about Lockyer potentially getting injured every week anymore.

But which position would you rather be in at the moment? Being a Cowboys fan with Thurston, knowing that without Thurston you won't win, but with him you are a chance of winning the premiership. Or, being a Broncos fan, where you are simply just making up the numbers?

By the way, I do have a few suggestions for next season. Will post when the (Broncos) season is over. Hopefully not for a few weeks...

 

[GoTheBroncs]

One thing that I will say is that Hoffman is not a winger, in any shape or form. He either plays fullback, or doesn't play in the team at all (except for possibly centre if we were thin).

 

[Pig Mouth]

I think you had a few too many drinks

Don't drink