Benji: How I'll make Milford great

Marty Deutschmann said:
This.

This is the potentially the biggest thing at the moment with our halfback situation.

Ben Hunt is a ball runner and a creator. His style is to find gaps in defence and exploit the line, opening spaces and putting himself or others through holes. He and Milford both are line breakers. That's their strength. Actually the reason we do so well is we don't bend the line with our forwards but crack and break it open with our backs (eating up valuablr territory through the middle that was lost in previous sets due to smaller forwards)

However we've been found out the last two seasons in the big games where what it would of taken to win the premiership was "better game management". Hunt doesn't have a lot of experience with this kind of grinding style. Putting pressure on teams through "good kicking game" because again, he's not that sort of half.

The last two years we've always been very strong in one particular stat. And that's points from attacking territory. We were always "tackled in opposition territory a low percentage of times" but almost always up there with points per percentage. Meaning when we do get attacking opportunities, we almost score everytime. This is why i don't understand our team (with weak forward pack)'s decision to take the two. We're gifting them the field position (that our forwards will struggle to regain) for half the points we could gain if we score a try (which again, percentages tell us that with our halves, we most of the time score when given opportunities in their d zone)

So in the grand final when we were trying to "protect" our tiny lead...if hunt and milford instead were just trying to score MORE points, we would almost have done so but instead we kept kicking to corners for a scrum. A cowboys forward pack then just barged it back up the field for attacking opportunities. We should of protected or lead by increasing it. These Broncos shouldn't play conservative football. Doesn't work to our pack or halves' strengths. (It's how we offed melbourne this year, played calculated risk football against the odds - our players are skillfull enough to pull it off)

I think even Thurston and Cronk would struggle without the type of front row they have. Their forwards can bend the line, when our team rely on breaking it for our attacking opportunities. Cronk and Thurston are masters of getting repeat sets. Now this is where it starts to compare..

I said earlier that we almost always score points when we have sets of 6 in our attacking zone (because our backline is fucking awesome who are reliable point scorers) but, when we do score points, we again are gifting the opposition the upper hand in field position again ! This is a very key point.. instead of scoring points each attacking opportunity... we need to build pressure by getting repeat sets first. This will tire the big forwards out from defending set after set, and then when we do get back into the grind of the field possession battle, we might just have hurt them enough to get the upper hand in that area.

This is what people are complaining about. Hunt not being able to "game manage" from his kicking game. But it would help if we had a better forward to bend the line. So all the hate on hunt and saying he'll "never win us a premiership" is garbage. All he needs to work on is getting repeat sets. That's the only thing we are missing at the moment.

The coaching staff need to pickup on this as a tactic we are losing out on and inform our backs that repeat sets are probably more important than points scored. We know our backs can score points, we just need to stop allowing ourselves to be muscled out of a match.
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Thank you for typing what i was thinking.
 
I feel like hunt is being somewhat over coached to implement a conservative game plan, restricting his ability to play what's in front of him.

It's like the game plan is "for this situation you must midfield bomb/grubber kick/ take the two"... or worse don't kick because you might give away a 7 tackle set.

From afar it's as if the coaching doesn't trust the halves at all and force hunt to play a very conservative game plan, because one of them has to.

For mine I can't see why macca can't be the "conservative" one organising the forwards out of our territory and then giving the ball to the halves when they call for it especially if there is a quick play the ball.

Surely the only management hunt and milf should be doing are the two forwards either side of them and positioning when it's time to kick.

Macca used to be very adept at knowing when hunt wanted the ball. I believe 2013-2014 there were many plays when hunt would wrap down the blind side and macca would work perfectly to get him the ball on the run. Very rarely do we see this kind of heads up play under the current game plan
 
BroncsFan said:
I feel like hunt is being somewhat over coached to implement a conservative game plan, restricting his ability to play what's in front of him.

It's like the game plan is "for this situation you must midfield bomb/grubber kick/ take the two"... or worse don't kick because you might give away a 7 tackle set.

From afar it's as if the coaching doesn't trust the halves at all and force hunt to play a very conservative game plan, because one of them has to.

For mine I can't see why macca can't be the "conservative" one organising the forwards out of our territory and then giving the ball to the halves when they call for it especially if there is a quick play the ball.

Surely the only management hunt and milf should be doing are the two forwards either side of them and positioning when it's time to kick.

Macca used to be very adept at knowing when hunt wanted the ball. I believe 2013-2014 there were many plays when hunt would wrap down the blind side and macca would work perfectly to get him the ball on the run. Very rarely do we see this kind of heads up play under the current game plan
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Oh man i couldn't agree more! Fucking awesome post! I've been wanting macca to step up to that role for a while now. He's very capable, but he's also very loyal. He knows what his job is and that's too give it to the halves (he's no Farrah who used to ignore his halves and pull rank) but i feel our team needs that kind of setup..

Macca is a very smith like player, or can be. His kicking game is actually pretty good. He should kick like smith does and game manage from the ruck. I know he can do it.. just hope someone figures out how good he is and tells him he's now the man.

Halfback/Hooker and two 5/8ths. Play our own brand of footy.
 
Marty Deutschmann said:
Oh man i couldn't agree more! ****ing awesome post! I've been wanting macca to step up to that role for a while now. He's very capable, but he's also very loyal. He knows what his job is and that's too give it to the halves (he's no Farrah who used to ignore his halves and pull rank) but i feel our team needs that kind of setup..

Macca is a very smith like player, or can be. His kicking game is actually pretty good. He should kick like smith does and game manage from the ruck. I know he can do it.. just hope someone figures out how good he is and tells him he's now the man.

Halfback/Hooker and two 5/8ths. Play our own brand of footy.
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Yes.
 
BroncsFan said:
I feel like hunt is being somewhat over coached to implement a conservative game plan, restricting his ability to play what's in front of him.

It's like the game plan is "for this situation you must midfield bomb/grubber kick/ take the two"... or worse don't kick because you might give away a 7 tackle set.

From afar it's as if the coaching doesn't trust the halves at all and force hunt to play a very conservative game plan, because one of them has to.

For mine I can't see why macca can't be the "conservative" one organising the forwards out of our territory and then giving the ball to the halves when they call for it especially if there is a quick play the ball.

Surely the only management hunt and milf should be doing are the two forwards either side of them and positioning when it's time to kick.

Macca used to be very adept at knowing when hunt wanted the ball. I believe 2013-2014 there were many plays when hunt would wrap down the blind side and macca would work perfectly to get him the ball on the run. Very rarely do we see this kind of heads up play under the current game plan
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Actually, also.. on the 2013/2014 thing.... hunt played second receiver a lot. He was capable of playing 6 & 7 when he had a non half as his "halves partner" i was watching highlights from 2014 early rounds and you can see it.. Hunt wrapping around on the left and right side playing second receiver and hoffman was playing first receiver and just following hunts instructions.

Since milford came to town and took that role off him, he's been trying to evolve his game. But it made him less of a running player which is his strength. No reason we can't have two running halves and macca as you said take the kicking on.

We just need to keep playing how we did against melbourne this year, letting the ball do the work and playing expansive. However, i can appreciate how much extra energy you'd need week in week out playing that way. Why that game plan is reserved for the right kind of matchup. Don't wanna do it all year. You'd burn out. (I think this is why the warriors struggle come October)
 
I don't understand why Hunt and Milford didn't interact as much last this year and stayed on one side of the field each prodominately.

When they did run down one side together we would inevitably score.

Next season I want both halves roving to both sides of the field for the entire game.

I do think Hunt is more dangerous on the left side of the field anyway.

Also with Hunt, when we are attacking the line I want him to run the ball a lot more. He is so strong and when he does run he almost always score or goes close. If he ran more we would be such a dangerous team and would make his passing game more dangerous.
 
Well Jason Demetriou has also come to the club and he has done some great work with the halves of the teams he has coached.

Apparently he was one the main reasons that Michael Morgan had such a great season in 2015 and helped him go from fullback to five-eight.

Hopefully he can really help our halves and let them play a more free, less structured type of footy.
 
Danoz Direct said:
I don't understand why Hunt and Milford didn't interact as much last this year and stayed on one side of the field each prodominately.

When they did run down one side together we would inevitably score.

Next season I want both halves roving to both sides of the field for the entire game.

I do think Hunt is more dangerous on the left side of the field anyway.

Also with Hunt, when we are attacking the line I want him to run the ball a lot more. He is so strong and when he does run he almost always score or goes close. If he ran more we would be such a dangerous team and would make his passing game more dangerous.
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Probably all the pressure from fans and the media to "get james roberts involved more"

Man i hated that crap. Let roberts pick and choose instead of expect him to score each touch.

Why i know hunt will have a better year.. the right side can just stay put and stay settled now. A full year and now another off season for hunt gillett and roberts to sort out their shit and come up with a plethora of set plays. That's another thing.. gillett is an awesome ball runner too. Hunt is still setting up tries, just scoring less on his own. Hunt having a "bad year" is probably just him being compared to the player who was scoring himself, breaking the line himself, line break assisting himself. Now milford is taking on half of that role too.

All hunt needs to do is play smarter and earn some repeat sets. Then we will win games far more comfortably. Then who knows... maybe even all the big games too
 
Better yet... instead of our halves forcing the repeat sets.. let them run it while the centres gain the repeat sets (roberts has a nack for this, reed used to grubber on the last and we know marshal can)
 
Man I'm pumped for 2017.

Who else has season tickets on here?
 
In 2015 we cut teams to shreds with hunt and milf roving around all over the field. Even joey johns was in awe of it as no other team did that sort of thing. Enter season 2016 and this was pretty much non existent. Something wasn't quite right this season so bring on 2017 because cricket sucks!
 
winslow_wong said:
bring on 2017 because cricket sucks!
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raw


Sad, but true.
 
Look, I'm glad that everyone is excited to see Benji Marshall at Red Hill. At one point in time, Benji was the most talented half in the world and an absolute joy to watch.

But by the time he laces on a pair of boots, it's going to be 2017. His best days are well and truly behind him and the idea that he can re-invent himself as a utility is absurd.

It's naive to think Benji has been brought in as a straight swap for Nicholls. Yes, that would be all well and good, but Nicholls never had the profile or talent of Benji. Nobody in the 17 was under any real threat, with Benji, there's going to be pressure to find him a spot in the 17.

In 2013, the Brisbane Broncos signed Scott Prince under the pretense that he'd start from the bottom and work his way to the top. What ended up happening is that the Broncos made him the starting half, compromised their biggest strength and crashed to their worst ever season. I don't believe the same will happen with Benji, but I'm concerned that his presence will prove to be a distraction.

I don't want to bang on and on about this or rain on anyone's parade. I just don't buy the 'Nicholls replacement' talk and as such don't see the value of this signing.
 
Have to agree Pete can't see why Benji would sign to play qld cup.

A worst case scenario is if Benji is found out to be well past it, but in typical Bennett fashion gets picked week after week. I believe this is the worry that some people have with this signing.

My other concern with the Benji signing is Bennett viewing him as an insurance should we lose one of milf or hunt to a rival bid. Simply thinking you can cover that kind of loss with Benji to save some coin worries me
 
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