As the young fellows are our last great hope for 2008 after the disappointment of Saturday night, thought it best we open up a sticky as per the big boys for all pre-game chat.
I am confident about winning this game, the boys have been in goof form for the second half of the season and we beat the Warriors the last time we played them, and that was in NZ
The young Broncos are a great attacking side but can be a little weak defensively although this does seem to be across the board in the NYC. We'll have to score 40+ to beat them but I am confident. Hopefully they can do the trick and give us fans something positive at the back end of a traumatic season. I really hope all the NRL players get down there this weekend to offer their support to the team colours.
Interesting read in the Courier today re the stars of this team who make the top 25 or are on the finge of it in 2009 will play Qld Cup not under 20's so they can harden up.
I know we have always had this attitude with the young ones even going back before super league to where we had our juniors playing in Gold Coast A-grade comp or the like, is this the best approach as Toyota cup has great attack but little to no defence, I'm not sure. What are others thoughts ??
I'd be more comfortable with that if the Broncos hadn't whored themselves to every Q Cup team. Spreading players across 5 or 6 different teams is pointless. Look at Norths this year. Stone motherless last, and got flogged every week. Is that good preparation for a kid? Don't think so.
I think they need to be in a senior team which has some quality about it so they learn from it. Not play with a bunch of park footballers with no idea.
Agree Chris, and need a few older heads around them. As much as it hurts me to say this the Rednecks need to be one of those teams, as for the rest probably one more team max. I still think they should go back to the Clydies days and have the one team, or better still resurrect the mighty Wests Panthers as the Broncos ressies.
That'd be my dream Russo, but can't see it happening. Purtell Park...*sigh* Bet it's fallen to rack and ruin now.
I'd say Redcliffe and Easts should be the main Brisbane feeder clubs to the Broncos (piss Norths and Wynnum off) and maintain an association with Central Comets so our Rockhampton-area recruits can go home regularly and play there.
I cant see why we wont win this game because our form has been absolutely sensational in the last 2 and a half months of the competition knocking over most of the heavyweights by considerable margins.
Defence is obviously the key, Warriors have been in good form too so it is definitely not in the bag. If we conceed less than 20 points we will win the game.
I think sending them to the QRL is a great move. TYC is crap. Everyone thinks that because they play well there is some sort of indication of their skill level, but Russo hit the nail on the head; Defence. It is near non-existant in TYC.
The problem with stacking on QRL side with Broncos res's is that you kill off QRL competition. The arguement that it may be better for the individual development is valid, however the QRL as a whole suffers.
Again Hammo, how many times with the Broncos' reserve graders playing as a Q Cup team, have they won the comp?
Don't bust a brain cell. I'll tell ya. Once. 2001. With a try at the death.
They made the Grand Final on 2 other occasions - 2000 and 2006. Both times beaten by Redcliffe, who were not a feeder team to anybody.
So in 11 years (Brothers 1998, Toowoomba 1999-2006, Aspley 2007), the Broncos have 3 grand finals and 1 title. In that same period, Redcliffe have won about 4 times and made the Grand Final about 8. And they've never been a true feeder club.
And you can also take into account Norths, who have featured the likes of Inglis, Slater, Smith et al. over recent years.
Feeder clubs don't "destroy" the QRL because they're too good. They destroy themselves because call-ups to cover top grade injuries mean that they never get to field the same team two weeks in a row! The likes of Burleigh, Easts and Redcliffe have been far more successful over the past decade than the likes of Toowoomba and Norths because they could field the same or similar teams each week & had a bunch of guys that knew each other and each other's games so well.
Looking at a lot of Redcliffe teams over the past 10 years, they've looked totally outclassed on paper a number of times, even in GF's. But paper and individual talent mean squat when you're a well drilled (lol), cohesive team unit.
Yes it is, maybe the SBBS will be out there supporting the boys, I know if the game was in Brissie even without the top grade playing I'd be out there [icon_wink