POST GAME Round 20 - Broncos vs Bulldogs

[Super Freak]

I think Pearson could be out of the side next week. There was a period in that first half where it wasn't exactly his best.

Milford played the ball and Pearson just stood there taking forever to grab the ball and Milford got up him for it, then when Pearson was tackled he took forever to get up to play the ball and Milford got up him for that as well.

Then when Bulldogs got the ball back, he comes in on Kasiano and knocks down an offload which gave them six more, then when Reynolds put a kick over the top for Montoya, he knocks it out instead of just grabbing it.

Then you have that bombed try and the Montoya and Stanley try.

 

[Dash]

Then when Bulldogs got the ball back, he comes in on Kasiano and knocks down an offload which gave them six more

If that's the play I'm thinking of, Kasiano was waving the ball around in one hand in a textbook case of a loose carry.

 

[Foordy]

Then you have that bombed try and the Montoya and Stanley try.

The Montoya try was 1000% Moga's fault ... he rushed out of the line forcing Pearson to come in off his wing. If he holds his position, it would still be a try just scored by the center.

the Stanley one is also at least partially Moga's fault. Pearson held his position because Moga had a hold of Stanley, until Moga slipped off and by then it was too late

 

[Sproj]

I've been so busy, haven't had the chance to do ratings for a while, no idea if you guys like them but hey, why not do it anyway right?

21. KNik - return to the halcyon days of under-20s for Niko. He was fantastic at that level and was just so calm and composed, a trait he continues to exude. He was fantastic last night with his support play and ran the ball back hard, despite getting smashed a few times. A constant menace. 9
2. Pearson - Yes that bombed try was disgraceful but pretty much everything else was quality from this underrated kid. You can see he loves the jersey and that is what you want to see. He had some strong runs throughout the game and every time someone made a long range break, he was the first one there because his support play is really good for a winger. He should have scored another time if not for Moga being Moga. I like this kid, he just has something about him. 5
3. Roberts - What a game again! We need to sign him up as our top priority now. He is more important than Boyd and Kahu simply because of his X-factor. Threatened all night against Newcastle and backed it up here. I still have no idea what knock-on the ref saw late in the game and I would suggest, neither did Jimmy. Please re-sign. 8.5
4. Moga - Goodness me, this guy would be a superstar if he had a football brain. I think he would make a gun second-rower or winger but centre he is not at present. Learn to pass!! If it were a once off fine but it is EVERY game, MULTIPLE times. He makes so many metres and breaks and then proceeds to stuff it all up by not passing or dropping it, EVERY time. The less said about his defense the better, that second try was almost saved by Pearson in a great attempt after a pathetic first effort by Moga. Not sad he is going, he just constantly let's great work down by mind-numbingly stupid decisions. 5
5. Kahu - Just such an important player for us now. His goal-kicking is fantastic and never lets anyone down. He still has the occasional 'what the' moments but none of those in this game which is good. 7
6. Milford - He was good when he needed to be but not much required of him. Some of his kicking was pretty poor and got an early mark but no problem really, just happy to have him back and getting some match fitness. 7
7. Hunt - Typical Hunt really, some amazing moments, some real head-scratchers. Defines his career really when it comes to his inconsistency. Not likely to get any better at that either given his age now. Some of his kicks were just terrible. 6.5
8. Sims - I'm going to say it - pretty much almost pure rubbish. He pulls out a game like he did against Newcastle and backs it up with what? He started so promising this season and has just tailored off. He needs to be dropped, give Fai a go. 2
9. McCullough - Dare I say it, this game from Macca was Smith-like. He looked so much more potent in attack than I have ever seen from him. Those origin camps seem to have helped the guy which is exactly what we want to see. He has improved so much this season and in the words of the great Russell Coight, 'Top Stuff'. He is a very worthy recipient of a full score. 10
10. Blair - What a mixed bag. He does so much work off the ball that benefit this team so much and his offloads are so important for the style we are trying to implement. He was lucky not to be injured in that very early pathetic and dangerous tackle (cannot believe that is a grade 1). Then, brainsnaps by committing a professional foul and getting sent (rightly) for ten minutes. 6
11. Glenn - He was fantastic. He is getting back to last season's form and very pleasing to see AFTER re-signing. He was so good in this game. Some fantastic runs and I love his energy but what I was really impressed with was how well he shut down that left side in defense. There were a few times the Dogs got the ball and could have been a chance of getting away only for Glenn to shut it down before anything could happen. 9
12. Gillett - Strange game from Gillett. He was brilliant in defense as he always is and energetic in attack but his hands do let him down at times. He was clearly (and understandably) getting frustrated at how long he was being held down for in tackles but you've got to just keep going son! 7
13. McGuire - I loved seeing him in a ball-playing lock role instead of the barge forward style he usually employs as it shows he can do both and maybe a sign Wayne wants him (and us as a team) to start mixing it up a little and be a little less predictable? I hope so! The best thing about Josh is that his best and worst games are basically the same, love that. 8

14. Thaiday - I'm sorry @Tom but I actually thought Thaiday wasn't that bad. Sure, he was more veteran-Thaiday as opposed to vintage-Thaiday but he was clearly trying a lot harder and I thought the quality of his work was actually not bad (not great but certainly not bad). I think we will see him start building towards the finals now and at his age and condition, I guess you have to expect him to pace himself. 6
15. Pangai Jr - What a weapon he is becoming! Still have questions marks on his defense and he does need to be careful with his offload selection but love that he has such a good offload in him. The thing I loved the most about an excellent performance was that he was still running really hard late in the game when the result was known and he had had a long stint. 'Top Stuff!' 8
16. Joffa - So glad he has re-signed! He looks like he might finally be starting to realise what he could be. The bench with him and TPJ on it is such a weapon for us. He is starting to become consistent it seems. 8
17. Marshall - Wasn't on for long but he is definitely adding something for us off the bench. That pass for the final try was just sublime. He needs to be in the team come finals time because he brings that freshness, class and composure to the final quarter we often lack with Hunt out there controlling things. Such a good signing. 7

 

[Super Freak]

which was actually a brain snap from Blair since i don't think Reynolds was allowed to take a quick tap from there

He was allowed to. The ref had given the mark and he was about to grab the ball and take the quick tap, until Blair knocked it out.

All year they have been giving players 10 in the bin for getting involved without getting back the 10.

 

[Sproj]

The Montoya try was 1000% Moga's fault ... he rushed out of the line forcing Pearson to come in off his wing. If he holds his position, it would still be a try just scored by the center.

the Stanley one is also at least partially Moga's fault. Pearson held his position because Moga had a hold of Stanley, until Moga slipped off and by then it was too late

That Stanley try was completely Moga's fault. Pearson did extremely well to even get as close to stopping it as he did (and you watch the replay, he was actually quite close to slapping it out of Chase's hand).

 

[pagey]

I've been so busy, haven't had the chance to do ratings for a while, no idea if you guys like them but hey, why not do it anyway right?

21. KNik - return to the halcyon days of under-20s for Niko. He was fantastic at that level and was just so calm and composed, a trait he continues to exude. He was fantastic last night with his support play and ran the ball back hard, despite getting smashed a few times. A constant menace. 9
2. Pearson - Yes that bombed try was disgraceful but pretty much everything else was quality from this underrated kid. You can see he loves the jersey and that is what you want to see. He had some strong runs throughout the game and every time someone made a long range break, he was the first one there because his support play is really good for a winger. He should have scored another time if not for Moga being Moga. I like this kid, he just has something about him. 5
3. Roberts - What a game again! We need to sign him up as our top priority now. He is more important than Boyd and Kahu simply because of his X-factor. Threatened all night against Newcastle and backed it up here. I still have no idea what knock-on the ref saw late in the game and I would suggest, neither did Jimmy. Please re-sign. 8.5
4. Moga - Goodness me, this guy would be a superstar if he had a football brain. I think he would make a gun second-rower or winger but centre he is not at present. Learn to pass!! If it were a once off fine but it is EVERY game, MULTIPLE times. He makes so many metres and breaks and then proceeds to stuff it all up by not passing or dropping it, EVERY time. The less said about his defense the better, that second try was almost saved by Pearson in a great attempt after a pathetic first effort by Moga. Not sad he is going, he just constantly let's great work down by mind-numbingly stupid decisions. 5
5. Kahu - Just such an important player for us now. His goal-kicking is fantastic and never lets anyone down. He still has the occasional 'what the' moments but none of those in this game which is good. 7
6. Milford - He was good when he needed to be but not much required of him. Some of his kicking was pretty poor and got an early mark but no problem really, just happy to have him back and getting some match fitness. 7
7. Hunt - Typical Hunt really, some amazing moments, some real head-scratchers. Defines his career really when it comes to his inconsistency. Not likely to get any better at that either given his age now. Some of his kicks were just terrible. 6.5
8. Sims - I'm going to say it - pretty much almost pure rubbish. He pulls out a game like he did against Newcastle and backs it up with what? He started so promising this season and has just tailored off. He needs to be dropped, give Fai a go. 2
9. McCullough - Dare I say it, this game from Macca was Smith-like. He looked so much more potent in attack than I have ever seen from him. Those origin camps seem to have helped the guy which is exactly what we want to see. He has improved so much this season and in the words of the great Russell Coight, 'Top Stuff'. He is a very worthy recipient of a full score. 10
10. Blair - What a mixed bag. He does so much work off the ball that benefit this team so much and his offloads are so important for the style we are trying to implement. He was lucky not to be injured in that very early pathetic and dangerous tackle (cannot believe that is a grade 1). Then, brainsnaps by committing a professional foul and getting sent (rightly) for ten minutes. 6
11. Glenn - He was fantastic. He is getting back to last season's form and very pleasing to see AFTER re-signing. He was so good in this game. Some fantastic runs and I love his energy but what I was really impressed with was how well he shut down that left side in defense. There were a few times the Dogs got the ball and could have been a chance of getting away only for Glenn to shut it down before anything could happen. 9
12. Gillett - Strange game from Gillett. He was brilliant in defense as he always is and energetic in attack but his hands do let him down at times. He was clearly (and understandably) getting frustrated at how long he was being held down for in tackles but you've got to just keep going son! 7
13. McGuire - I loved seeing him in a ball-playing lock role instead of the barge forward style he usually employs as it shows he can do both and maybe a sign Wayne wants him (and us as a team) to start mixing it up a little and be a little less predictable? I hope so! The best thing about Josh is that his best and worst games are basically the same, love that. 8

14. Thaiday - I'm sorry @Tom but I actually thought Thaiday wasn't that bad. Sure, he was more veteran-Thaiday as opposed to vintage-Thaiday but he was clearly trying a lot harder and I thought the quality of his work was actually not bad (not great but certainly not bad). I think we will see him start building towards the finals now and at his age and condition, I guess you have to expect him to pace himself. 6
15. Pangai Jr - What a weapon he is becoming! Still have questions marks on his defense and he does need to be careful with his offload selection but love that he has such a good offload in him. The thing I loved the most about an excellent performance was that he was still running really hard late in the game when the result was known and he had had a long stint. 'Top Stuff!' 8
16. Joffa - So glad he has re-signed! He looks like he might finally be starting to realise what he could be. The bench with him and TPJ on it is such a weapon for us. He is starting to become consistent it seems. 8
17. Marshall - Wasn't on for long but he is definitely adding something for us off the bench. That pass for the final try was just sublime. He needs to be in the team come finals time because he brings that freshness, class and composure to the final quarter we often lack with Hunt out there controlling things. Such a good signing. 7

Spot on about macca. He played alot like smith, especially that kick behind the line and his break. Maybe smith gave him a few pointers on how to read the situation, he has the skillset.

 

[Foordy]

I've been so busy, haven't had the chance to do ratings for a while, no idea if you guys like them but hey, why not do it anyway right?

21. KNik - return to the halcyon days of under-20s for Niko. He was fantastic at that level and was just so calm and composed, a trait he continues to exude. He was fantastic last night with his support play and ran the ball back hard, despite getting smashed a few times. A constant menace. 9
2. Pearson - Yes that bombed try was disgraceful but pretty much everything else was quality from this underrated kid. You can see he loves the jersey and that is what you want to see. He had some strong runs throughout the game and every time someone made a long range break, he was the first one there because his support play is really good for a winger. He should have scored another time if not for Moga being Moga. I like this kid, he just has something about him. 5
3. Roberts - What a game again! We need to sign him up as our top priority now. He is more important than Boyd and Kahu simply because of his X-factor. Threatened all night against Newcastle and backed it up here. I still have no idea what knock-on the ref saw late in the game and I would suggest, neither did Jimmy. Please re-sign. 8.5
4. Moga - Goodness me, this guy would be a superstar if he had a football brain. I think he would make a gun second-rower or winger but centre he is not at present. Learn to pass!! If it were a once off fine but it is EVERY game, MULTIPLE times. He makes so many metres and breaks and then proceeds to stuff it all up by not passing or dropping it, EVERY time. The less said about his defense the better, that second try was almost saved by Pearson in a great attempt after a pathetic first effort by Moga. Not sad he is going, he just constantly let's great work down by mind-numbingly stupid decisions. 5
5. Kahu - Just such an important player for us now. His goal-kicking is fantastic and never lets anyone down. He still has the occasional 'what the' moments but none of those in this game which is good. 7
6. Milford - He was good when he needed to be but not much required of him. Some of his kicking was pretty poor and got an early mark but no problem really, just happy to have him back and getting some match fitness. 7
7. Hunt - Typical Hunt really, some amazing moments, some real head-scratchers. Defines his career really when it comes to his inconsistency. Not likely to get any better at that either given his age now. Some of his kicks were just terrible. 6.5
8. Sims - I'm going to say it - pretty much almost pure rubbish. He pulls out a game like he did against Newcastle and backs it up with what? He started so promising this season and has just tailored off. He needs to be dropped, give Fai a go. 2
9. McCullough - Dare I say it, this game from Macca was Smith-like. He looked so much more potent in attack than I have ever seen from him. Those origin camps seem to have helped the guy which is exactly what we want to see. He has improved so much this season and in the words of the great Russell Coight, 'Top Stuff'. He is a very worthy recipient of a full score. 10
10. Blair - What a mixed bag. He does so much work off the ball that benefit this team so much and his offloads are so important for the style we are trying to implement. He was lucky not to be injured in that very early pathetic and dangerous tackle (cannot believe that is a grade 1). Then, brainsnaps by committing a professional foul and getting sent (rightly) for ten minutes. 6
11. Glenn - He was fantastic. He is getting back to last season's form and very pleasing to see AFTER re-signing. He was so good in this game. Some fantastic runs and I love his energy but what I was really impressed with was how well he shut down that left side in defense. There were a few times the Dogs got the ball and could have been a chance of getting away only for Glenn to shut it down before anything could happen. 9
12. Gillett - Strange game from Gillett. He was brilliant in defense as he always is and energetic in attack but his hands do let him down at times. He was clearly (and understandably) getting frustrated at how long he was being held down for in tackles but you've got to just keep going son! 7
13. McGuire - I loved seeing him in a ball-playing lock role instead of the barge forward style he usually employs as it shows he can do both and maybe a sign Wayne wants him (and us as a team) to start mixing it up a little and be a little less predictable? I hope so! The best thing about Josh is that his best and worst games are basically the same, love that. 8

14. Thaiday - I'm sorry @Tom but I actually thought Thaiday wasn't that bad. Sure, he was more veteran-Thaiday as opposed to vintage-Thaiday but he was clearly trying a lot harder and I thought the quality of his work was actually not bad (not great but certainly not bad). I think we will see him start building towards the finals now and at his age and condition, I guess you have to expect him to pace himself. 6
15. Pangai Jr - What a weapon he is becoming! Still have questions marks on his defense and he does need to be careful with his offload selection but love that he has such a good offload in him. The thing I loved the most about an excellent performance was that he was still running really hard late in the game when the result was known and he had had a long stint. 'Top Stuff!' 8
16. Joffa - So glad he has re-signed! He looks like he might finally be starting to realise what he could be. The bench with him and TPJ on it is such a weapon for us. He is starting to become consistent it seems. 8
17. Marshall - Wasn't on for long but he is definitely adding something for us off the bench. That pass for the final try was just sublime. He needs to be in the team come finals time because he brings that freshness, class and composure to the final quarter we often lack with Hunt out there controlling things. Such a good signing. 7

Awesome mate ... keep them coming

 

[Broncos Maestro]

I've been so busy, haven't had the chance to do ratings for a while, no idea if you guys like them but hey, why not do it anyway right?

21. KNik - return to the halcyon days of under-20s for Niko. He was fantastic at that level and was just so calm and composed, a trait he continues to exude. He was fantastic last night with his support play and ran the ball back hard, despite getting smashed a few times. A constant menace. 9
2. Pearson - Yes that bombed try was disgraceful but pretty much everything else was quality from this underrated kid. You can see he loves the jersey and that is what you want to see. He had some strong runs throughout the game and every time someone made a long range break, he was the first one there because his support play is really good for a winger. He should have scored another time if not for Moga being Moga. I like this kid, he just has something about him. 5
3. Roberts - What a game again! We need to sign him up as our top priority now. He is more important than Boyd and Kahu simply because of his X-factor. Threatened all night against Newcastle and backed it up here. I still have no idea what knock-on the ref saw late in the game and I would suggest, neither did Jimmy. Please re-sign. 8.5
4. Moga - Goodness me, this guy would be a superstar if he had a football brain. I think he would make a gun second-rower or winger but centre he is not at present. Learn to pass!! If it were a once off fine but it is EVERY game, MULTIPLE times. He makes so many metres and breaks and then proceeds to stuff it all up by not passing or dropping it, EVERY time. The less said about his defense the better, that second try was almost saved by Pearson in a great attempt after a pathetic first effort by Moga. Not sad he is going, he just constantly let's great work down by mind-numbingly stupid decisions. 5
5. Kahu - Just such an important player for us now. His goal-kicking is fantastic and never lets anyone down. He still has the occasional 'what the' moments but none of those in this game which is good. 7
6. Milford - He was good when he needed to be but not much required of him. Some of his kicking was pretty poor and got an early mark but no problem really, just happy to have him back and getting some match fitness. 7
7. Hunt - Typical Hunt really, some amazing moments, some real head-scratchers. Defines his career really when it comes to his inconsistency. Not likely to get any better at that either given his age now. Some of his kicks were just terrible. 6.5
8. Sims - I'm going to say it - pretty much almost pure rubbish. He pulls out a game like he did against Newcastle and backs it up with what? He started so promising this season and has just tailored off. He needs to be dropped, give Fai a go. 2
9. McCullough - Dare I say it, this game from Macca was Smith-like. He looked so much more potent in attack than I have ever seen from him. Those origin camps seem to have helped the guy which is exactly what we want to see. He has improved so much this season and in the words of the great Russell Coight, 'Top Stuff'. He is a very worthy recipient of a full score. 10
10. Blair - What a mixed bag. He does so much work off the ball that benefit this team so much and his offloads are so important for the style we are trying to implement. He was lucky not to be injured in that very early pathetic and dangerous tackle (cannot believe that is a grade 1). Then, brainsnaps by committing a professional foul and getting sent (rightly) for ten minutes. 6
11. Glenn - He was fantastic. He is getting back to last season's form and very pleasing to see AFTER re-signing. He was so good in this game. Some fantastic runs and I love his energy but what I was really impressed with was how well he shut down that left side in defense. There were a few times the Dogs got the ball and could have been a chance of getting away only for Glenn to shut it down before anything could happen. 9
12. Gillett - Strange game from Gillett. He was brilliant in defense as he always is and energetic in attack but his hands do let him down at times. He was clearly (and understandably) getting frustrated at how long he was being held down for in tackles but you've got to just keep going son! 7
13. McGuire - I loved seeing him in a ball-playing lock role instead of the barge forward style he usually employs as it shows he can do both and maybe a sign Wayne wants him (and us as a team) to start mixing it up a little and be a little less predictable? I hope so! The best thing about Josh is that his best and worst games are basically the same, love that. 8

14. Thaiday - I'm sorry @Tom but I actually thought Thaiday wasn't that bad. Sure, he was more veteran-Thaiday as opposed to vintage-Thaiday but he was clearly trying a lot harder and I thought the quality of his work was actually not bad (not great but certainly not bad). I think we will see him start building towards the finals now and at his age and condition, I guess you have to expect him to pace himself. 6
15. Pangai Jr - What a weapon he is becoming! Still have questions marks on his defense and he does need to be careful with his offload selection but love that he has such a good offload in him. The thing I loved the most about an excellent performance was that he was still running really hard late in the game when the result was known and he had had a long stint. 'Top Stuff!' 8
16. Joffa - So glad he has re-signed! He looks like he might finally be starting to realise what he could be. The bench with him and TPJ on it is such a weapon for us. He is starting to become consistent it seems. 8
17. Marshall - Wasn't on for long but he is definitely adding something for us off the bench. That pass for the final try was just sublime. He needs to be in the team come finals time because he brings that freshness, class and composure to the final quarter we often lack with Hunt out there controlling things. Such a good signing. 7

I for one love your player ratings. Much more fair and balanced compared to others *cough* NRL.com *cough*

 

[BroncsFan]

The Montoya try was 1000% Moga's fault ... he rushed out of the line forcing Pearson to come in off his wing. If he holds his position, it would still be a try just scored by the center.

the Stanley one is also at least partially Moga's fault. Pearson held his position because Moga had a hold of Stanley, until Moga slipped off and by then it was too late

Stanley try was all Moga's fault horrible effort. It was like he was trying to tackle him with one hand while his other arm was just hanging next to him.

Everyone was marked up fine just a horrible one on one miss

The winger should never have to come in when everyone's marked up... it just leaves the opposing winger unmarked.

 

[tommy]

I for one love your player ratings. Much more fair and balanced compared to others *cough* NRL.com *cough*

THe guy who gave those bullshit ratings for Origin game 2...What were his ratings for game 3?

 

[mrslong]

I've been so busy, haven't had the chance to do ratings for a while, no idea if you guys like them but hey, why not do it anyway right?

21. KNik - return to the halcyon days of under-20s for Niko. He was fantastic at that level and was just so calm and composed, a trait he continues to exude. He was fantastic last night with his support play and ran the ball back hard, despite getting smashed a few times. A constant menace. 9
2. Pearson - Yes that bombed try was disgraceful but pretty much everything else was quality from this underrated kid. You can see he loves the jersey and that is what you want to see. He had some strong runs throughout the game and every time someone made a long range break, he was the first one there because his support play is really good for a winger. He should have scored another time if not for Moga being Moga. I like this kid, he just has something about him. 5
3. Roberts - What a game again! We need to sign him up as our top priority now. He is more important than Boyd and Kahu simply because of his X-factor. Threatened all night against Newcastle and backed it up here. I still have no idea what knock-on the ref saw late in the game and I would suggest, neither did Jimmy. Please re-sign. 8.5
4. Moga - Goodness me, this guy would be a superstar if he had a football brain. I think he would make a gun second-rower or winger but centre he is not at present. Learn to pass!! If it were a once off fine but it is EVERY game, MULTIPLE times. He makes so many metres and breaks and then proceeds to stuff it all up by not passing or dropping it, EVERY time. The less said about his defense the better, that second try was almost saved by Pearson in a great attempt after a pathetic first effort by Moga. Not sad he is going, he just constantly let's great work down by mind-numbingly stupid decisions. 5
5. Kahu - Just such an important player for us now. His goal-kicking is fantastic and never lets anyone down. He still has the occasional 'what the' moments but none of those in this game which is good. 7
6. Milford - He was good when he needed to be but not much required of him. Some of his kicking was pretty poor and got an early mark but no problem really, just happy to have him back and getting some match fitness. 7
7. Hunt - Typical Hunt really, some amazing moments, some real head-scratchers. Defines his career really when it comes to his inconsistency. Not likely to get any better at that either given his age now. Some of his kicks were just terrible. 6.5
8. Sims - I'm going to say it - pretty much almost pure rubbish. He pulls out a game like he did against Newcastle and backs it up with what? He started so promising this season and has just tailored off. He needs to be dropped, give Fai a go. 2
9. McCullough - Dare I say it, this game from Macca was Smith-like. He looked so much more potent in attack than I have ever seen from him. Those origin camps seem to have helped the guy which is exactly what we want to see. He has improved so much this season and in the words of the great Russell Coight, 'Top Stuff'. He is a very worthy recipient of a full score. 10
10. Blair - What a mixed bag. He does so much work off the ball that benefit this team so much and his offloads are so important for the style we are trying to implement. He was lucky not to be injured in that very early pathetic and dangerous tackle (cannot believe that is a grade 1). Then, brainsnaps by committing a professional foul and getting sent (rightly) for ten minutes. 6
11. Glenn - He was fantastic. He is getting back to last season's form and very pleasing to see AFTER re-signing. He was so good in this game. Some fantastic runs and I love his energy but what I was really impressed with was how well he shut down that left side in defense. There were a few times the Dogs got the ball and could have been a chance of getting away only for Glenn to shut it down before anything could happen. 9
12. Gillett - Strange game from Gillett. He was brilliant in defense as he always is and energetic in attack but his hands do let him down at times. He was clearly (and understandably) getting frustrated at how long he was being held down for in tackles but you've got to just keep going son! 7
13. McGuire - I loved seeing him in a ball-playing lock role instead of the barge forward style he usually employs as it shows he can do both and maybe a sign Wayne wants him (and us as a team) to start mixing it up a little and be a little less predictable? I hope so! The best thing about Josh is that his best and worst games are basically the same, love that. 8

14. Thaiday - I'm sorry @Tom but I actually thought Thaiday wasn't that bad. Sure, he was more veteran-Thaiday as opposed to vintage-Thaiday but he was clearly trying a lot harder and I thought the quality of his work was actually not bad (not great but certainly not bad). I think we will see him start building towards the finals now and at his age and condition, I guess you have to expect him to pace himself. 6
15. Pangai Jr - What a weapon he is becoming! Still have questions marks on his defense and he does need to be careful with his offload selection but love that he has such a good offload in him. The thing I loved the most about an excellent performance was that he was still running really hard late in the game when the result was known and he had had a long stint. 'Top Stuff!' 8
16. Joffa - So glad he has re-signed! He looks like he might finally be starting to realise what he could be. The bench with him and TPJ on it is such a weapon for us. He is starting to become consistent it seems. 8
17. Marshall - Wasn't on for long but he is definitely adding something for us off the bench. That pass for the final try was just sublime. He needs to be in the team come finals time because he brings that freshness, class and composure to the final quarter we often lack with Hunt out there controlling things. Such a good signing. 7

Dude, totally nailed it. Top stuff.

 

[Big Pete]

Watching through the replay...

The intent was good early from the Broncos. As one of the more mobile teams, they can't afford to get into an arm wrestle with teams so they should be looking to spread the ball and take advantage of angles as much as possible. The execution and kicking game left a lot to be desired. It's the achilles heel of the Broncos and at this stage sort of is what it is. Truth be told, I didn't mind the first kick from Hunt. The play was on in the corner, if the kick had have just been higher and given Kahu time it would have been early points for the Broncos. Unfortunately he got a stab on a kick and he wasn't able what had been a very clunky play from the Broncos. Not only was the kick bad from Hunt, but the pass from Blair was loose and Gillett found the wrong man with the pass - it was supposed to go to Nikorima who would have had a 3-2 down the blind. In fairness to Gillett, Kodi was standing a bit deeper than he had to on the play.

From there, the Doggies got a roll on. Once again Milford gave up a seven tackle set, a habit he needs to get out of his game and Roberts combined that with another high shot. I thought last week Roberts was unlucky to be penalised for a tackle around the shoulders on Mata'utia but in this instance he did catch Morris flush. It's a technique/discipline issue for Roberts and like Milford needs to iron that flaw out pronto.

The Dogs eventually scored through Montoya. The try was coming right from the first run from Tolman. Both Gillett & McCullough went high on Tolman and seemed to be more interested in colliding with him than actually looking to make a tackle. That caused Sims to come into the tackle, making it a needless 3 person tackle and Tolman was able to get a quick play the ball winning the ruck right from the get go. The Broncos still could have held on though. The Dogs had the numbers, but all the Broncos had to do was hold their line. Instead Moga turned in, rushed up on Reynolds and gave Montoya all the room in the world for their first try. If he had have just held his line, Milford and Glenn were pushing accross and Milford would have had Reynolds.

The response from Brisbane was good, ruck it up, bomb for a corner and get yourselves right. Only issues I had was there was a play where Reynolds shot out from marker, so Milford decided to run it on the inside and the only player who pushed forward was Hunt. The Bulldogs were bunched at the time, if Sims had have had the presence of mind to push up it was on down the Broncos right. The other concern was Roberts who got palmed off like he was nothing by Morris, then shot out from marker on the last giving Morris a clean break through the middle. If the bounce wasn't as kind as it was for Nikorima it could have been a try for the Bulldogs. It's these issues in Roberts' game that make me hesitant to call for his selection in rep. sides.

Had to laugh at the penalty Tolman gives away at the 12 minute mark. He's defending the line and he's dead-set two metres off the line. I was so glad the referees picked that up, I would have had a fit otherwise. This phase ended with the Gillett no-try which was pretty good defence from the Bulldogs. He should have scored there Gillett but the effort from Morris and Hopoate to restrict Gillett's ability to ground the ball was good. The frustrating part was the Broncos did a lot of things right in that phase. Despite there being some anxious moments, they didn't panic and just kept rolling through the Bulldogs and targeting the fringes. Korbin gave me a fright with his silly offload but fortunately he was able to come up with it and didn't make the same mistake twice.

The referees did well to call the Josh Morris bat-back which ultimately resulted in the double knock on-fest between Hunt & B. Morris. The Bulldogs were looking dangerous and probably had their best set of the night all things told but the positive is that the Broncos kept turning up for one another defensively and had the Dogs covered.

The game got a little scrappy. Brett Morris was able to milk a fairly soft penalty on Gillett for a second effort which could have easily been ruled the other way. That's one of those calls where the penalty count flashes up afterwards, almost in an attempt to justify the call. Fortunately the Bulldogs kept throwing passes to the ground and Elliott eventually fumbled the ball. If I was putting together a Worst of '17 13, Elliott would definitely be in the mix. I've never understood what Des sees in him, he's like Lachlan Burr 2.0 as far as I'm concerned. Just another promising Bulldogs junior who doesn't have what it takes in the big leagues. Quote me on that in 2020. I didn't think it could get more embarrassing than that fumble from Elliott, but then McCullough stepped up to the plate and kicked it on tackle 2. Dumb kick and poor chase from Roberts who was lagging behind Gillett and Kahu.

I didn't think it could get worse but then Hunt decides to run it on the last when everyone including his team-mates were expecting the kick. This right here is the type of play I hate from the Broncos. It's the panic option devoid of all game awareness and it's the type of play that really should have been ironed out of this team.

As an aside, I've been picking on the Jet a bit, but I was happy with his grab at the 21 minute mark. Clearly the Dogs had been doing their homework and figured out the Broncos are pretty awful at defending kicks in that area. Roberts learning from last week and going for the football was really pleasing. That one piece of improvement led straight into the Tautau Moga try. One of my big concerns heading into the game was how the Broncos were going to handle Klemmer. He just about single-handily kept them in the contest in that disappointing Round 5 game and his inability to cover the gap that let McCullough run through defined his performance.

Also credit where it's due, great support play from Moga. That was my biggest issue with last week's performance against the Knights, the lack of support play so to see Moga, Ofahengaue and Pearson pushing up was encouraging. I just wish Milford was there as well - he seemed to be dogging it behind the ruck when the break occurred.

Des had a whinge about the referees, but the Dogs got their share of the 50/50s as well. That call on Moga for a knock on in the play the ball could have easily been a penalty for interference by Tolman who pushed him while he was attempting to play the ball. Fortunately it didn't come to much, Stanley spilled a pass from Jackson and Moga was able to put Milford into some space. I was disappointed Milford didn't just pin the ears back. He was never going to make it, but he had Pearson pushing up. That's the one thing I've noticed about Milford, he tends to step far too often when sometimes he just has to back his acceleration. While I wasn't on board with him there, I and I'm sure all of you were on board when he gave Pearson a spray for being asleep at dummy half. Wake up Jonus!!!

Again more bad last tackle plays. Milford's kick was just too low and was easily plucked out of the air by Reynolds and Hunt followed it up with a desperation chip and chase which gave the Bulldogs a good opportunity at the line. Again, that chip and chase right there is one of those plays that just frustrates me about Hunt. Where is the game awareness? It's 6-all, 30 minutes in and you're making good in-roads on the Bulldogs - not mid-way through the second half and the option is absolutely on. The Dogs score a repeat set off a cross-field kick for Montoya. At first, I thought Pearson had a good play at this, but on replay you can see that the ball had gone past him and instead of trying to take a speccy he settled for the safer play. Good work Jonus!!!

Even better work from Elliott. @Super Freak has there been a funnier error so far this year? 20m sideways, steps, trips over and fumbles the ball. It's funny, but that's the type of reprieve that tempers my excitement from the result. You can't count on teams like Melbourne or North Queensland to come up with errors like that, especially in the finals so for the Broncos to be let off the hook like that is actually sort of disappointing.

Hunt again with the dumb trick play on tackle 3. Why are we resorting to the kick so early for? Especially when it isn't on! Fortunately he gets lucky as Morris knocks on trying to retrieve it. Fair call too by the referee, to the naked eye it looks backwards but after Morris' initial touch with the left, he knocks it forward with the right before knocking it back again. It eventually led to the Hunt try. Good work from Milford to beat the defender, get the pass onto Pangai and while he gambled with the speculator, it paid off and Hunt just did what he should be doing more of - running the ball. Big try in the context of the game and while it didn't come down to any extravagant set-play, it's the skill of these players that were on show.

Loved the set for Kahu's try. The Broncos set the tone early in the set, Nikorima with the long pass and Kahu was in sync with a great run through the middle. It got the Broncos on the front foot and put them into a position where they could try something and once again, how good is it to see the natural skills of the Broncos? Hunt, Pangai Jr, Nikorima, Gillett, Milford and Kahu - what a passage of play and basically game from that point on.

Second Half

I thought Nikorima did well to bounce back after that knock on. It looked like the Broncos were about to start the second half like they finished the first but the error gave the Dogs an early sniff. Fortunately Nikorima was able to prevent a goal-line restart, thanks partially due to his stature and ability to find the ground relatively quickly. Like the lead up to the Hunt try, Brisbane were rewarded when they shouldn't have been. Reynolds did an excellent job of shooting out at marker at Hunt, but Hunt did well to get the ball away and Milford with his ability to put Moga away. Moga actually did really well initially, he was right to ignore Pearson since Montoya had him covered, but then he stuffed it in the next instance. All he had to do was draw in the Morris down the right and he would have been able to put Nikorima or Pangai Jr over for the try. Again, he got lucky that the Bulldogs played at the pass and nobody was in the vicinity to cover up, ultimately giving Brisbane a much better result than they had intended.

Thought the Broncos did well with their attack on the line. There were a couple of dead-plays like McCullough going short to Gillett down a blind-side and Gillett trying to link up with Nikorima but otherwise they were shifting the ball well and they were playing patient football. My only issue with that entire phase was taking the two points. It just didn't feel like the right call at all and was baffling moments later when they ignored the opportunity to be up by 14.

It didn't help that it was compounded by that silly pass from Roberts. That could have been dangerous, if Mbye catches that, it's a 6 point ball-game. Fortunately the Broncos were able to get bodies there and while it resulted in a mistake against Thaiday, the alternative would have been much worse. It's a shame, because the right side looked a lot smoother than before, the pass from Thaiday really got that play moving.

Speaking of getting rewarded for bad plays, the Jonus Pearson no-try might take the cake. Milford puts in a shocker of a cross-field/chip kick hybrid that's allowed to bounce, it finds Kodi who in turn finds Pearson, Pearson bombs a sitter of a try but the Broncos receive a penalty because of Reynolds' interference on Glenn. Again, I can't say I was a fan of the play even though it came up with a positive result and this is why some fans are critical despite the 30 point win. It eventually leads to a knock on from Reynolds off a kick, and Nikorima burning Faitala-Mariner on the outside with some pace. One thing I admire about the Broncos, even just as a Rugby League fan is their willingness to mix it up off of scrum plays.

McGuire try was off the back of some poor discipline from the Doggies. The short restart didn't come off so Morris took out Kahu in the air for no reason. It gave Brisbane the weight of possession and they capitilised through the boot of McCullough. I wonder how many tries/goal-line drop outs Hopoate concedes at fullback? Like Darius at times, he seems to get caught out a fair bit.

That was followed by the Roberts try. Good lead-up work from the forwards - Blair with the offload, McGuire with the 20m support run, Thaiday with a double effort to get the set rolling and then Roberts blitzes them back on the inside. Roberts tried the exact same move earlier in the game but didn't receive any support so Mbye was able to bring him down. This time, both Milford and Nikorima pushed up, which caused Mbye to push up, giving Roberts just enough room to squeeze through. Those are the tries at club level where you forgive Roberts' flaws because there aren't many in the competition capable of it.

Milford off and the Broncos are well and truly on touch. Good touch of class in the spread to the right, draws the defender and throws a lovely ball onto the chest of Nikorima and suddenly the Broncos look really smooth. They go from one side to another with Roberts bursting through again but Gillett can't quite take the ball. Imagine if he had have scored that? 60 would not have been out of the question, the Dogs were gone.

Surprised the MRC didn't pick up Hunt's trip on Faitala-Mariner at the 68th minute when he made his break. Ordinary effort from Ben, fortunately the cover from Gillett and Nikorima was able to bring the big man down. Frawley on the last tackle ignores the opportunity to put the ball through the hands and decides to kick it which goes dead.

From there, the game sort of degenerated. Roberts is ruled to have knocked on when Frawley had his hands on the ball well after the tackle had been made. There's a break-down at the scrum since Rugby League players don't have any idea on how a scrum works and think they can just strike at the ball like a game of fooseball. Honestly, that should have been a penalty against the Broncos, I don't see the point in resetting the scrum, it's bit of a farce really. Eventually it leads to Blair being sent to the bin for a professional foul which was a good call and just really dumb from Adam. First to give away the penalty then to knock it out, just rubbish from the captain.

It eventually leads to Stanley scoring a very soft try. Awful effort from Moga who decided to tackle like a Rugby player and instead of using his shoulder tried to use his weight to drag Stanley to the ground. Chase wasn't having any of it, and he scored a very easy try.

That set Brisbane had after the Jackson lost ball may have been their worst of the night. The lost ball really fired Jackson up and he put the best shot of the night on Alex Glenn. It was a bell-ringer and it actually fired the Dogs up. McCullough from dummy half takes the right option, but like Brock Lamb somehow finds the feet of a Dogs (Morris) player and he doesn't get the required result.

After surviving and getting a result off a chip-kick (when it rains it pours...) Roberts bagged a double after some good play from Hunt, Marshall and Nikorima in the lead up. Real good play and you can see once again the quality of Benji's passing game. The good thing about this try was that you could sense it coming and when it was on offer, the boys were able to deliver and sign off on a good victory.

All in all, Brisbane were let off the hook a few times, but they came up with some good plays of their own without really hitting the after-burners. In a lot of ways, the Broncos are like the anti-Knights where they usually start the game poorly but by half-time they're usually very strong. If they can bring Boyd and Oates back into the fold and keep everyone fit and healthy, you just never know.

 

[Alec]

I've been so busy, haven't had the chance to do ratings for a while, no idea if you guys like them but hey, why not do it anyway right?

21. KNik - return to the halcyon days of under-20s for Niko. He was fantastic at that level and was just so calm and composed, a trait he continues to exude. He was fantastic last night with his support play and ran the ball back hard, despite getting smashed a few times. A constant menace. 9
2. Pearson - Yes that bombed try was disgraceful but pretty much everything else was quality from this underrated kid. You can see he loves the jersey and that is what you want to see. He had some strong runs throughout the game and every time someone made a long range break, he was the first one there because his support play is really good for a winger. He should have scored another time if not for Moga being Moga. I like this kid, he just has something about him. 5
3. Roberts - What a game again! We need to sign him up as our top priority now. He is more important than Boyd and Kahu simply because of his X-factor. Threatened all night against Newcastle and backed it up here. I still have no idea what knock-on the ref saw late in the game and I would suggest, neither did Jimmy. Please re-sign. 8.5
4. Moga - Goodness me, this guy would be a superstar if he had a football brain. I think he would make a gun second-rower or winger but centre he is not at present. Learn to pass!! If it were a once off fine but it is EVERY game, MULTIPLE times. He makes so many metres and breaks and then proceeds to stuff it all up by not passing or dropping it, EVERY time. The less said about his defense the better, that second try was almost saved by Pearson in a great attempt after a pathetic first effort by Moga. Not sad he is going, he just constantly let's great work down by mind-numbingly stupid decisions. 5
5. Kahu - Just such an important player for us now. His goal-kicking is fantastic and never lets anyone down. He still has the occasional 'what the' moments but none of those in this game which is good. 7
6. Milford - He was good when he needed to be but not much required of him. Some of his kicking was pretty poor and got an early mark but no problem really, just happy to have him back and getting some match fitness. 7
7. Hunt - Typical Hunt really, some amazing moments, some real head-scratchers. Defines his career really when it comes to his inconsistency. Not likely to get any better at that either given his age now. Some of his kicks were just terrible. 6.5
8. Sims - I'm going to say it - pretty much almost pure rubbish. He pulls out a game like he did against Newcastle and backs it up with what? He started so promising this season and has just tailored off. He needs to be dropped, give Fai a go. 2
9. McCullough - Dare I say it, this game from Macca was Smith-like. He looked so much more potent in attack than I have ever seen from him. Those origin camps seem to have helped the guy which is exactly what we want to see. He has improved so much this season and in the words of the great Russell Coight, 'Top Stuff'. He is a very worthy recipient of a full score. 10
10. Blair - What a mixed bag. He does so much work off the ball that benefit this team so much and his offloads are so important for the style we are trying to implement. He was lucky not to be injured in that very early pathetic and dangerous tackle (cannot believe that is a grade 1). Then, brainsnaps by committing a professional foul and getting sent (rightly) for ten minutes. 6
11. Glenn - He was fantastic. He is getting back to last season's form and very pleasing to see AFTER re-signing. He was so good in this game. Some fantastic runs and I love his energy but what I was really impressed with was how well he shut down that left side in defense. There were a few times the Dogs got the ball and could have been a chance of getting away only for Glenn to shut it down before anything could happen. 9
12. Gillett - Strange game from Gillett. He was brilliant in defense as he always is and energetic in attack but his hands do let him down at times. He was clearly (and understandably) getting frustrated at how long he was being held down for in tackles but you've got to just keep going son! 7
13. McGuire - I loved seeing him in a ball-playing lock role instead of the barge forward style he usually employs as it shows he can do both and maybe a sign Wayne wants him (and us as a team) to start mixing it up a little and be a little less predictable? I hope so! The best thing about Josh is that his best and worst games are basically the same, love that. 8

14. Thaiday - I'm sorry @Tom but I actually thought Thaiday wasn't that bad. Sure, he was more veteran-Thaiday as opposed to vintage-Thaiday but he was clearly trying a lot harder and I thought the quality of his work was actually not bad (not great but certainly not bad). I think we will see him start building towards the finals now and at his age and condition, I guess you have to expect him to pace himself. 6
15. Pangai Jr - What a weapon he is becoming! Still have questions marks on his defense and he does need to be careful with his offload selection but love that he has such a good offload in him. The thing I loved the most about an excellent performance was that he was still running really hard late in the game when the result was known and he had had a long stint. 'Top Stuff!' 8
16. Joffa - So glad he has re-signed! He looks like he might finally be starting to realise what he could be. The bench with him and TPJ on it is such a weapon for us. He is starting to become consistent it seems. 8
17. Marshall - Wasn't on for long but he is definitely adding something for us off the bench. That pass for the final try was just sublime. He needs to be in the team come finals time because he brings that freshness, class and composure to the final quarter we often lack with Hunt out there controlling things. Such a good signing. 7

Pretty much agree with this 100%.

 

[winslow_wong]

Watching through the replay...

The intent was good early from the Broncos. As one of the more mobile teams, they can't afford to get into an arm wrestle with teams so they should be looking to spread the ball and take advantage of angles as much as possible. The execution and kicking game left a lot to be desired. It's the achilles heel of the Broncos and at this stage sort of is what it is. Truth be told, I didn't mind the first kick from Hunt. The play was on in the corner, if the kick had have just been higher and given Kahu time it would have been early points for the Broncos. Unfortunately he got a stab on a kick and he wasn't able what had been a very clunky play from the Broncos. Not only was the kick bad from Hunt, but the pass from Blair was loose and Gillett found the wrong man with the pass - it was supposed to go to Nikorima who would have had a 3-2 down the blind. In fairness to Gillett, Kodi was standing a bit deeper than he had to on the play.

From there, the Doggies got a roll on. Once again Milford gave up a seven tackle set, a habit he needs to get out of his game and Roberts combined that with another high shot. I thought last week Roberts was unlucky to be penalised for a tackle around the shoulders on Mata'utia but in this instance he did catch Morris flush. It's a technique/discipline issue for Roberts and like Milford needs to iron that flaw out pronto.

The Dogs eventually scored through Montoya. The try was coming right from the first run from Tolman. Both Gillett & McCullough went high on Tolman and seemed to be more interested in colliding with him than actually looking to make a tackle. That caused Sims to come into the tackle, making it a needless 3 person tackle and Tolman was able to get a quick play the ball winning the ruck right from the get go. The Broncos still could have held on though. The Dogs had the numbers, but all the Broncos had to do was hold their line. Instead Moga turned in, rushed up on Reynolds and gave Montoya all the room in the world for their first try. If he had have just held his line, Milford and Glenn were pushing accross and Milford would have had Reynolds.

The response from Brisbane was good, ruck it up, bomb for a corner and get yourselves right. Only issues I had was there was a play where Reynolds shot out from marker, so Milford decided to run it on the inside and the only player who pushed forward was Hunt. The Bulldogs were bunched at the time, if Sims had have had the presence of mind to push up it was on down the Broncos right. The other concern was Roberts who got palmed off like he was nothing by Morris, then shot out from marker on the last giving Morris a clean break through the middle. If the bounce wasn't as kind as it was for Nikorima it could have been a try for the Bulldogs. It's these issues in Roberts' game that make me hesitant to call for his selection in rep. sides.

Had to laugh at the penalty Tolman gives away at the 12 minute mark. He's defending the line and he's dead-set two metres off the line. I was so glad the referees picked that up, I would have had a fit otherwise. This phase ended with the Gillett no-try which was pretty good defence from the Bulldogs. He should have scored there Gillett but the effort from Morris and Hopoate to restrict Gillett's ability to ground the ball was good. The frustrating part was the Broncos did a lot of things right in that phase. Despite there being some anxious moments, they didn't panic and just kept rolling through the Bulldogs and targeting the fringes. Korbin gave me a fright with his silly offload but fortunately he was able to come up with it and didn't make the same mistake twice.

The referees did well to call the Josh Morris bat-back which ultimately resulted in the double knock on-fest between Hunt & B. Morris. The Bulldogs were looking dangerous and probably had their best set of the night all things told but the positive is that the Broncos kept turning up for one another defensively and had the Dogs covered.

The game got a little scrappy. Brett Morris was able to milk a fairly soft penalty on Gillett for a second effort which could have easily been ruled the other way. That's one of those calls where the penalty count flashes up afterwards, almost in an attempt to justify the call. Fortunately the Bulldogs kept throwing passes to the ground and Elliott eventually fumbled the ball. If I was putting together a Worst of '17 13, Elliott would definitely be in the mix. I've never understood what Des sees in him, he's like Lachlan Burr 2.0 as far as I'm concerned. Just another promising Bulldogs junior who doesn't have what it takes in the big leagues. Quote me on that in 2020. I didn't think it could get more embarrassing than that fumble from Elliott, but then McCullough stepped up to the plate and kicked it on tackle 2. Dumb kick and poor chase from Roberts who was lagging behind Gillett and Kahu.

I didn't think it could get worse but then Hunt decides to run it on the last when everyone including his team-mates were expecting the kick. This right here is the type of play I hate from the Broncos. It's the panic option devoid of all game awareness and it's the type of play that really should have been ironed out of this team.

As an aside, I've been picking on the Jet a bit, but I was happy with his grab at the 21 minute mark. Clearly the Dogs had been doing their homework and figured out the Broncos are pretty awful at defending kicks in that area. Roberts learning from last week and going for the football was really pleasing. That one piece of improvement led straight into the Tautau Moga try. One of my big concerns heading into the game was how the Broncos were going to handle Klemmer. He just about single-handily kept them in the contest in that disappointing Round 5 game and his inability to cover the gap that let McCullough run through defined his performance.

Also credit where it's due, great support play from Moga. That was my biggest issue with last week's performance against the Knights, the lack of support play so to see Moga, Ofahengaue and Pearson pushing up was encouraging. I just wish Milford was there as well - he seemed to be dogging it behind the ruck when the break occurred.

Des had a whinge about the referees, but the Dogs got their share of the 50/50s as well. That call on Moga for a knock on in the play the ball could have easily been a penalty for interference by Tolman who pushed him while he was attempting to play the ball. Fortunately it didn't come to much, Stanley spilled a pass from Jackson and Moga was able to put Milford into some space. I was disappointed Milford didn't just pin the ears back. He was never going to make it, but he had Pearson pushing up. That's the one thing I've noticed about Milford, he tends to step far too often when sometimes he just has to back his acceleration. While I wasn't on board with him there, I and I'm sure all of you were on board when he gave Pearson a spray for being asleep at dummy half. Wake up Jonus!!!

Again more bad last tackle plays. Milford's kick was just too low and was easily plucked out of the air by Reynolds and Hunt followed it up with a desperation chip and chase which gave the Bulldogs a good opportunity at the line. Again, that chip and chase right there is one of those plays that just frustrates me about Hunt. Where is the game awareness? It's 6-all, 30 minutes in and you're making good in-roads on the Bulldogs - not mid-way through the second half and the option is absolutely on. The Dogs score a repeat set off a cross-field kick for Montoya. At first, I thought Pearson had a good play at this, but on replay you can see that the ball had gone past him and instead of trying to take a speccy he settled for the safer play. Good work Jonus!!!

Even better work from Elliott. @Super Freak has there been a funnier error so far this year? 20m sideways, steps, trips over and fumbles the ball. It's funny, but that's the type of reprieve that tempers my excitement from the result. You can't count on teams like Melbourne or North Queensland to come up with errors like that, especially in the finals so for the Broncos to be let off the hook like that is actually sort of disappointing.

Hunt again with the dumb trick play on tackle 3. Why are we resorting to the kick so early for? Especially when it isn't on! Fortunately he gets lucky as Morris knocks on trying to retrieve it. Fair call too by the referee, to the naked eye it looks backwards but after Morris' initial touch with the left, he knocks it forward with the right before knocking it back again. It eventually led to the Hunt try. Good work from Milford to beat the defender, get the pass onto Pangai and while he gambled with the speculator, it paid off and Hunt just did what he should be doing more of - running the ball. Big try in the context of the game and while it didn't come down to any extravagant set-play, it's the skill of these players that were on show.

Loved the set for Kahu's try. The Broncos set the tone early in the set, Nikorima with the long pass and Kahu was in sync with a great run through the middle. It got the Broncos on the front foot and put them into a position where they could try something and once again, how good is it to see the natural skills of the Broncos? Hunt, Pangai Jr, Nikorima, Gillett, Milford and Kahu - what a passage of play and basically game from that point on.

Second Half

I thought Nikorima did well to bounce back after that knock on. It looked like the Broncos were about to start the second half like they finished the first but the error gave the Dogs an early sniff. Fortunately Nikorima was able to prevent a goal-line restart, thanks partially due to his stature and ability to find the ground relatively quickly. Like the lead up to the Hunt try, Brisbane were rewarded when they shouldn't have been. Reynolds did an excellent job of shooting out at marker at Hunt, but Hunt did well to get the ball away and Milford with his ability to put Moga away. Moga actually did really well initially, he was right to ignore Pearson since Montoya had him covered, but then he stuffed it in the next instance. All he had to do was draw in the Morris down the right and he would have been able to put Nikorima or Pangai Jr over for the try. Again, he got lucky that the Bulldogs played at the pass and nobody was in the vicinity to cover up, ultimately giving Brisbane a much better result than they had intended.

Thought the Broncos did well with their attack on the line. There were a couple of dead-plays like McCullough going short to Gillett down a blind-side and Gillett trying to link up with Nikorima but otherwise they were shifting the ball well and they were playing patient football. My only issue with that entire phase was taking the two points. It just didn't feel like the right call at all and was baffling moments later when they ignored the opportunity to be up by 14.

It didn't help that it was compounded by that silly pass from Roberts. That could have been dangerous, if Mbye catches that, it's a 6 point ball-game. Fortunately the Broncos were able to get bodies there and while it resulted in a mistake against Thaiday, the alternative would have been much worse. It's a shame, because the right side looked a lot smoother than before, the pass from Thaiday really got that play moving.

Speaking of getting rewarded for bad plays, the Jonus Pearson no-try might take the cake. Milford puts in a shocker of a cross-field/chip kick hybrid that's allowed to bounce, it finds Kodi who in turn finds Pearson, Pearson bombs a sitter of a try but the Broncos receive a penalty because of Reynolds' interference on Glenn. Again, I can't say I was a fan of the play even though it came up with a positive result and this is why some fans are critical despite the 30 point win. It eventually leads to a knock on from Reynolds off a kick, and Nikorima burning Faitala-Mariner on the outside with some pace. One thing I admire about the Broncos, even just as a Rugby League fan is their willingness to mix it up off of scrum plays.

McGuire try was off the back of some poor discipline from the Doggies. The short restart didn't come off so Morris took out Kahu in the air for no reason. It gave Brisbane the weight of possession and they capitilised through the boot of McCullough. I wonder how many tries/goal-line drop outs Hopoate concedes at fullback? Like Darius at times, he seems to get caught out a fair bit.

That was followed by the Roberts try. Good lead-up work from the forwards - Blair with the offload, McGuire with the 20m support run, Thaiday with a double effort to get the set rolling and then Roberts blitzes them back on the inside. Roberts tried the exact same move earlier in the game but didn't receive any support so Mbye was able to bring him down. This time, both Milford and Nikorima pushed up, which caused Mbye to push up, giving Roberts just enough room to squeeze through. Those are the tries at club level where you forgive Roberts' flaws because there aren't many in the competition capable of it.

Milford off and the Broncos are well and truly on touch. Good touch of class in the spread to the right, draws the defender and throws a lovely ball onto the chest of Nikorima and suddenly the Broncos look really smooth. They go from one side to another with Roberts bursting through again but Gillett can't quite take the ball. Imagine if he had have scored that? 60 would not have been out of the question, the Dogs were gone.

Surprised the MRC didn't pick up Hunt's trip on Faitala-Mariner at the 68th minute when he made his break. Ordinary effort from Ben, fortunately the cover from Gillett and Nikorima was able to bring the big man down. Frawley on the last tackle ignores the opportunity to put the ball through the hands and decides to kick it which goes dead.

From there, the game sort of degenerated. Roberts is ruled to have knocked on when Frawley had his hands on the ball well after the tackle had been made. There's a break-down at the scrum since Rugby League players don't have any idea on how a scrum works and think they can just strike at the ball like a game of fooseball. Honestly, that should have been a penalty against the Broncos, I don't see the point in resetting the scrum, it's bit of a farce really. Eventually it leads to Blair being sent to the bin for a professional foul which was a good call and just really dumb from Adam. First to give away the penalty then to knock it out, just rubbish from the captain.

It eventually leads to Stanley scoring a very soft try. Awful effort from Moga who decided to tackle like a Rugby player and instead of using his shoulder tried to use his weight to drag Stanley to the ground. Chase wasn't having any of it, and he scored a very easy try.

That set Brisbane had after the Jackson lost ball may have been their worst of the night. The lost ball really fired Jackson up and he put the best shot of the night on Alex Glenn. It was a bell-ringer and it actually fired the Dogs up. McCullough from dummy half takes the right option, but like Brock Lamb somehow finds the feet of a Dogs (Morris) player and he doesn't get the required result.

After surviving and getting a result off a chip-kick (when it rains it pours...) Roberts bagged a double after some good play from Hunt, Marshall and Nikorima in the lead up. Real good play and you can see once again the quality of Benji's passing game. The good thing about this try was that you could sense it coming and when it was on offer, the boys were able to deliver and sign off on a good victory.

All in all, Brisbane were let off the hook a few times, but they came up with some good plays of their own without really hitting the after-burners. In a lot of ways, the Broncos are like the anti-Knights where they usually start the game poorly but by half-time they're usually very strong. If they can bring Boyd and Oates back into the fold and keep everyone fit and healthy, you just never know.

Just quoting to flood the page even more

 

[ZeBigLebowski]

I've been so busy, haven't had the chance to do ratings for a while, no idea if you guys like them but hey, why not do it anyway right?

21. KNik - return to the halcyon days of under-20s for Niko. He was fantastic at that level and was just so calm and composed, a trait he continues to exude. He was fantastic last night with his support play and ran the ball back hard, despite getting smashed a few times. A constant menace. 9
2. Pearson - Yes that bombed try was disgraceful but pretty much everything else was quality from this underrated kid. You can see he loves the jersey and that is what you want to see. He had some strong runs throughout the game and every time someone made a long range break, he was the first one there because his support play is really good for a winger. He should have scored another time if not for Moga being Moga. I like this kid, he just has something about him. 5
3. Roberts - What a game again! We need to sign him up as our top priority now. He is more important than Boyd and Kahu simply because of his X-factor. Threatened all night against Newcastle and backed it up here. I still have no idea what knock-on the ref saw late in the game and I would suggest, neither did Jimmy. Please re-sign. 8.5
4. Moga - Goodness me, this guy would be a superstar if he had a football brain. I think he would make a gun second-rower or winger but centre he is not at present. Learn to pass!! If it were a once off fine but it is EVERY game, MULTIPLE times. He makes so many metres and breaks and then proceeds to stuff it all up by not passing or dropping it, EVERY time. The less said about his defense the better, that second try was almost saved by Pearson in a great attempt after a pathetic first effort by Moga. Not sad he is going, he just constantly let's great work down by mind-numbingly stupid decisions. 5
5. Kahu - Just such an important player for us now. His goal-kicking is fantastic and never lets anyone down. He still has the occasional 'what the' moments but none of those in this game which is good. 7
6. Milford - He was good when he needed to be but not much required of him. Some of his kicking was pretty poor and got an early mark but no problem really, just happy to have him back and getting some match fitness. 7
7. Hunt - Typical Hunt really, some amazing moments, some real head-scratchers. Defines his career really when it comes to his inconsistency. Not likely to get any better at that either given his age now. Some of his kicks were just terrible. 6.5
8. Sims - I'm going to say it - pretty much almost pure rubbish. He pulls out a game like he did against Newcastle and backs it up with what? He started so promising this season and has just tailored off. He needs to be dropped, give Fai a go. 2
9. McCullough - Dare I say it, this game from Macca was Smith-like. He looked so much more potent in attack than I have ever seen from him. Those origin camps seem to have helped the guy which is exactly what we want to see. He has improved so much this season and in the words of the great Russell Coight, 'Top Stuff'. He is a very worthy recipient of a full score. 10
10. Blair - What a mixed bag. He does so much work off the ball that benefit this team so much and his offloads are so important for the style we are trying to implement. He was lucky not to be injured in that very early pathetic and dangerous tackle (cannot believe that is a grade 1). Then, brainsnaps by committing a professional foul and getting sent (rightly) for ten minutes. 6
11. Glenn - He was fantastic. He is getting back to last season's form and very pleasing to see AFTER re-signing. He was so good in this game. Some fantastic runs and I love his energy but what I was really impressed with was how well he shut down that left side in defense. There were a few times the Dogs got the ball and could have been a chance of getting away only for Glenn to shut it down before anything could happen. 9
12. Gillett - Strange game from Gillett. He was brilliant in defense as he always is and energetic in attack but his hands do let him down at times. He was clearly (and understandably) getting frustrated at how long he was being held down for in tackles but you've got to just keep going son! 7
13. McGuire - I loved seeing him in a ball-playing lock role instead of the barge forward style he usually employs as it shows he can do both and maybe a sign Wayne wants him (and us as a team) to start mixing it up a little and be a little less predictable? I hope so! The best thing about Josh is that his best and worst games are basically the same, love that. 8

14. Thaiday - I'm sorry @Tom but I actually thought Thaiday wasn't that bad. Sure, he was more veteran-Thaiday as opposed to vintage-Thaiday but he was clearly trying a lot harder and I thought the quality of his work was actually not bad (not great but certainly not bad). I think we will see him start building towards the finals now and at his age and condition, I guess you have to expect him to pace himself. 6
15. Pangai Jr - What a weapon he is becoming! Still have questions marks on his defense and he does need to be careful with his offload selection but love that he has such a good offload in him. The thing I loved the most about an excellent performance was that he was still running really hard late in the game when the result was known and he had had a long stint. 'Top Stuff!' 8
16. Joffa - So glad he has re-signed! He looks like he might finally be starting to realise what he could be. The bench with him and TPJ on it is such a weapon for us. He is starting to become consistent it seems. 8
17. Marshall - Wasn't on for long but he is definitely adding something for us off the bench. That pass for the final try was just sublime. He needs to be in the team come finals time because he brings that freshness, class and composure to the final quarter we often lack with Hunt out there controlling things. Such a good signing. 7

Come on m8, some of hunts kicks were terrible?? Did you even watch the game... Milford had some shocking kicks and yet he scores a 7 and hunt gets a 6.5 according to your bias game scores.

 

[Super Freak]

Even better work from Elliott. @Super Freak has there been a funnier error so far this year? 20m sideways, steps, trips over and fumbles the ball. It's funny, but that's the type of reprieve that tempers my excitement from the result. You can't count on teams like Melbourne or North Queensland to come up with errors like that, especially in the finals so for the Broncos to be let off the hook like that is actually sort of disappointing.

I can't think of a funnier one that's happened this year. That one pretty much tops them all.

He almost had it...

 

[Wild Horse]

So pretty happy with the win.

If we could stop with the shit chip kicks that'd great.

Can someone get a close look at Moga, pretty sure he wears blinkers

Those chip kicks early in the tackle count, grrrrr....

Moga's non passing, grrrrr....

But, I'm thinking both are instructions from the coaching staff by now surely. They must be... it happens every week!