Brisbane Broncos: 2018 NRL Season Preview

[Horseheadsup]

What's wrong with her IQ? She seems quite intelligent. ;)

Aww. Sprog!
Sorry Miss Irwin, twas not a slight.[emoji17]

 

[Marty Deutschmann]

I think we are the real smokie for the season. If you pit us player for player against any other team I'd say we have them matched if not better.

Storm will not win this year now that the band has been broken up. Slater is also running duct taped together and at any point the wheels could fall straight off again, which only leaves Smith remaining. I think they'll compete like usual, but top 4 and a week 2 bow out from them in the finals

Roosters. They gained Cronk but will his QLD influence on them be enough to turn the tides over there? It's clear from the outside that they have entrenched culture problems. Tedesco is a huge gain, but again, he's quite injury prone. They also have a history of finals implosion. Latrell will have a big year but he's a very immature fella.

Cowboys. Will struggle bringing their big guns back into the fray and maintaining last year's momentum. They were very rusty in their testimonial game (albeit the conditions) and didn't look like the same calibre side.

Eels. I feel they can be a pretty genuine threat but Hayne is the big red flag. He corrodes rosters, coaches and cultures but for some reason, being back at Parra, not being the it guy, not being on huge coin anymore, he may push past that and just be a solid player again. I think Norman is just far too arrogant to let his team fall by the wayside because of someone like Hayne.

If it isn't us playing the roosters in the gf, it'll be a GF rematch. But if we fall short, and the NRL do influence the results through whatever means to give Thurston his GF fairytale game, a little part of me would really enjoy the narrative around Parra getting it over them in shocking golden point win from behind and doing a complete homage and flip to the Parramatta GF that's always joked about with Hindy.

 

[Renegade]

Eels. I feel they can be a pretty genuine threat but Hayne is the big red flag. He corrodes rosters, coaches and cultures but for some reason, being back at Parra, not being the it guy, not being on huge coin anymore, he may push past that and just be a solid player again. I think Norman is just far too arrogant to let his team fall by the wayside because of someone like Hayne.

I think the Eels will really struggle because of Hayne, and the fact they've lost Radradra who let's be honest, even from the wing was their best player by some distance. He single handedly won games on his own. He's going to be a massive loss. Gutherson also is out for at least the first 6 rounds.

 

[Unbreakable]

I still scratch my head about what exactly we have lost with Blair? If this was after 2015, I'd completely agree he is a loss but 2016 on, I'm really not sure what he offered other than being a grub?

I believe the only thing we'll miss is his ability to put pressure on kickers and playmakers who take the ball right to the line, the amount of times he smashed someone as they kicked it or as they passed it can't be underestimated, who knows how rattled that actually makes opposition playmakers.

 

[Sproj]

I believe the only thing we'll miss is his ability to put pressure on kickers and playmakers who take the ball right to the line, the amount of times he smashed someone as they kicked it or as they passed it can't be underestimated, who knows how rattled that actually makes opposition playmakers.

Yep I can totally understand this point of view but let's not forget we still have Sims who effectively plays the exact same role, offers little in attack (unless he feels like pulling his finger out) but has the opposition scared to run it at him. Hence, why I just don't see Blair as a loss really at all.

 

[Marty Deutschmann]

So much hate for Sims yet he scores a shit tonne of tries compared to other forwards and consistently gains post contact metres

 

[Sproj]

and consistently gains post contact metres

Firstly, we are not Sith lords here, to say a player can improve on something does not automatically mean someone hates them. Otherwise, most parents would be considered haters of their own children. In fact, we would probably all be considered self-haters.

As for the highlighted bit, I am not a stats guru by any means but from what I've seen of him (and I've seen plenty), he often gets hits and goes straight down, I certainly can't remember him 'consistently' getting post-contact metres. I do however, remember what he produced against Newcastle and THAT was what he should be aiming for as standard every week. THAT is why I get frustrated with him because I can see what he can potentially offer on a regular basis.