PRE-GAME Round 1 - Sharks vs Broncos

[Alec]

Just a thought on the Sharkies. Many of you will remember that I've long been a supporter of the Sharks but from the moment they won the gf they have been dead to me! Now they are fair game and have joined the ranks of the teams who can crash and burn for all I care. My great mate has finally known the joy we have experienced so many times but my days of sympathy are finished. **** the Sharks !

I told him they will not repeat and will suffer a slide back into mediocrity but he won't hear of it. Told him he was delusional.....

I'm proud of you......son!

 

[Porthoz]

Is there anyone you've seen come through the ranks that you don't rate though? Under 18s isn't the same as the NRL and that one game actually had a lot on the line for him.

Jordan Kahu and Ashley Taylor are the only guys I put my neck on the line for, care to tell me who else I have done that for?

I'm not doing that for Ofa, he still has plenty to prove, but from the youngsters coming through, I rate him with Su'A the highest. Is that simple enough for you?

 

[Unbreakable]

Correct the ball left his hands 38 times last year- the breakdown of that offloads to passing I haven't done. I'm assuming if I look up his offloads it's going to be very close to 38 which doesn't mean much room for sweeping passes.

Why would you find that hard to believe? He played front row for a lot of the season with Norths. Not every team plays like the Bulldogs and Norths didn't finish third last because they were killing it.

Fair enough, I just have vivid memories in my brain of Arrow passing the ball before the line multiple times and thinking to myself "Damn, that looked smooth", no idea what games these plays happened in, who he was playing for, or what the crowd attendance was, but it definitely happened. I've never really watched McGuire pass a ball and thought that to myself.

And as you alluded to earlier, his passing and work as a ball playing forward isn't even considered his strength, his strength is his defence, making a shit load of tackles & hit-ups. I may have only watched him in 20-25 games total, but in that amount of time I've just really liked what I've seen. He was completely underused last season off the bench, he's not that style of player, and I know that Wayne knows that, he was just doing it to give him a taste of first grade, and I can only deduct that he was giving him a taste because he's planning on starting him this season.

The whole "McGuire to lock" thing may have just been a seed planted by Wayne in the media to avert any pressure / expectations on Arrow to replicate Parker coming in to 2017. But that's just my view on it, could be way off.

 

[Cult]

Jordan Kahu and Ashley Taylor are the only guys I put my neck on the line for, care to tell me who else I have done that for?

I'm not doing that for Ofa, he still has plenty to prove, but from the youngsters coming through, I rate him with Su'A the highest. Is that simple enough for you?

But with those three you look past so many of their deficiencies just because you've seen them play under 18s or something. Nrl is a completely different beast and a lot of the time, the people who dominate any other comp don't dominate there.

Ofa had a big opportunity and he literally gave us nothing and you put that down to it only being one game? It was the game he needed to step up in and he didn't even try. That doesn't say he has a good attitude or work ethic at all. Yes we should all judge him on it because it was terrible. UnBronco-like, even.

 

[Splinter]

Correct the ball left his hands 38 times last year- the breakdown of that offloads to passing I haven't done. I'm assuming if I look up his offloads it's going to be very close to 38 which doesn't mean much room for sweeping passes.

Why would you find that hard to believe? He played front row for a lot of the season with Norths. Not every team plays like the Bulldogs and Norths didn't finish third last because they were killing it.

Bottom line; I'd have Arrow in my team but no way he ball plays, he has a handy off-load now and then. I am not picking him for his passing of any sort. Nice if he gets one away though.

I am a big fan of Arrow's but he is not a ball player. He does however have a good offload and defence. So I have to agree with 1910 here.

 

[Splinter]

But with those three you look past so many of their deficiencies just because you've seen them play under 18s or something. Nrl is a completely different beast and a lot of the time, the people who dominate any other comp don't dominate there.

Ofa had a big opportunity and he literally gave us nothing and you put that down to it only being one game? It was the game he needed to step up in and he didn't even try. That doesn't say he has a good attitude or work ethic at all. Yes we should all judge him on it because it was terrible. UnBronco-like, even.

While I agree with your comments on Offa the U20s argument is not valid as all NRL players came through junior football and most had deficiencies. At some stage they were given a go. Talent scouts also look past their deficiencies to their strengths.

 

[Splinter]

I think a few of you guys are a little harsh with Arrow. He came out 20s to ISC, played his guts out and made sure if a vacancy opened up in the Broncos side he was top of the list. Got his chance and played the rest of the season off the bench. If it were a game where defence was crucial WB threw him out there before TPJ and the opposite if he needed dynamic attack. Point is he did everything WB asked of him last year and was rewarded for it.
What makes some if you think WB will now discard him from the 17?

 

[Unbreakable]

I really hope this change gets implemented before the season starts, haven't heard anything more about it.

The NRL is also likely to enforce a change to the traditional announcement of teams on Tuesdays, from a soft 17-man line-up to a strict 21-man squad. Coaches will then be forced to announce two drop-offs ahead of their last training session, and the final 17-man line-up to be confirmed an hour before kick-off.

 

[pagey]

But with those three you look past so many of their deficiencies just because you've seen them play under 18s or something. Nrl is a completely different beast and a lot of the time, the people who dominate any other comp don't dominate there.

Ofa had a big opportunity and he literally gave us nothing and you put that down to it only being one game? It was the game he needed to step up in and he didn't even try. That doesn't say he has a good attitude or work ethic at all. Yes we should all judge him on it because it was terrible. UnBronco-like, even.

What a joke! People expect way to much of these young guys! How old is offa ? How many games has he played? How is that a big opportunity? An opportunity would be to develop him and have patience, especially being prop . So many people want home grown players but aren't willing to give them time, of course there is times it won't work out. But that is up to the coach and staff to figure out.

 

[Nashy]

What a joke! People expect way to much of these young guys! How old is offa ? How many games has he played? How is that a big opportunity? An opportunity would be to develop him and have patience, especially being prop . So many people want home grown players but aren't willing to give them time, of course there is times it won't work out. But that is up to the coach and staff to figure out.

You know we have a number of lower grade teams in which we develop these players, not the NRL team, right?

So when one of those developed players is given the jersey he's been working his guts off to be given, some of us expect a bit more ticker. They are, after all, representing the club we love.

 

[Cult]

What a joke! People expect way to much of these young guys! How old is offa ? How many games has he played? How is that a big opportunity? An opportunity would be to develop him and have patience, especially being prop . So many people want home grown players but aren't willing to give them time, of course there is times it won't work out. But that is up to the coach and staff to figure out.

I'm 78kgs and if I got the chance to pull on a Broncos jersey and even if I was playing prop I could guarantee at least two hit ups. With absolutely zero development I would show more heart than he did in that game. I like Ofa, but the fact of the matter is that we should care about his performance when he was given a shot at starting because it was worse than bad. It was non-existent.

 

[Kyall]

You can't judge Offa off a few bad games look at Aaron woods first game in origin stats.

 

[Mitch06]

I'm 78kgs and if I got the chance to pull on a Broncos jersey and even if I was playing prop I could guarantee at least two hit ups. With absolutely zero development I would show more heart than he did in that game. I like Ofa, but the fact of the matter is that we should care about his performance when he was given a shot at starting because it was worse than bad. It was non-existent.

So let's get this straight, are you forming your whole opinion on Joffa based on 1 game out of 30 odd games he has played? He has started games in the past other than this one at lock during origin and did a job. Did you watch the trial match? If that's to go anything by, and it kind of is since the Sharks fielded a reasonable forward pack I'd say he looks considerably better for this season!

On a side note, one of my favourite parts of that game was when TPJ and Joffa held up Tagatese over the line, he looked a cert to score!

 

[Nashy]

You can't judge Offa off a few bad games look at Aaron woods first game in origin stats.

Lets keep it real. You can't compare an Origin with NRL.

 

[Cult]

So let's get this straight, are you forming your whole opinion on Joffa based on 1 game out of 30 odd games he has played? He has started games in the past other than this one at lock during origin and did a job. Did you watch the trial match? If that's to go anything by, and it kind of is since the Sharks fielded a reasonable forward pack I'd say he looks considerably better for this season!

On a side note, one of my favourite parts of that game was when TPJ and Joffa held up Tagatese over the line, he looked a cert to score!

Of course not. I absolutely think we should be judging his heart and work ethic based on it and that we shouldn't forget that when he had the opportunity he did nothing. I think he's a good player, but my main point is that Port struggles to see negatives in the players he's supported for a while.

 

[Unbreakable]

I'm 78kgs and if I got the chance to pull on a Broncos jersey and even if I was playing prop I could guarantee at least two hit ups. With absolutely zero development I would show more heart than he did in that game. I like Ofa, but the fact of the matter is that we should care about his performance when he was given a shot at starting because it was worse than bad. It was non-existent.

Just on a side tangent, Adam Blair had a game early on in 2015 where he had 1 hit up for 8 metres in 41 minutes played, the lowest hit-up total for a starting prop since 2002, now look at him. One game where he doesn't get involved shouldn't dictate everyone's perception of him. I agree that it was shocking, but plenty of players have had shocking games when it's their turn to step up. Hopefully he at least gets an opportunity to stake his claim this season, I'd hate to think we've scrap piled him.

 

[pagey]

You know we have a number of lower grade teams in which we develop these players, not the NRL team, right?

So when one of those developed players is given the jersey he's been working his guts off to be given, some of us expect a bit more ticker. They are, after all, representing the club we love.

I understand this but they need first grade experience too , and they will fail sometimes. Am pretty sure we got smashed that night and not many played with any ticker . But it was 1 game, how many games has he done that in ?

 

[pagey]

I'm 78kgs and if I got the chance to pull on a Broncos jersey and even if I was playing prop I could guarantee at least two hit ups. With absolutely zero development I would show more heart than he did in that game. I like Ofa, but the fact of the matter is that we should care about his performance when he was given a shot at starting because it was worse than bad. It was non-existent.

So has he done it again ??