General 2024: Will we make the top eight?

[Commonsense]

Clearly reading and comprehension isn't your strength. You seem set on trying to deride others on here without actually providing anything of value yourself. Unfortunately there are a couple of others like you more interested in trying to misrepresent posts and create an argument rather than contributing anything of substance yourself. If you actually go back and read the posts I was replying to as well as my comments, nowhere did I say that the change from the cowboys to the storm game was the reason for our 'shit season'. I did say that I think the changes from the Cowboys game (which in my opinion was our most complete performance of the season and came on the back of against the odds wins against the Panthers and Dolphins) dented our confidence and combinations which we haven't recovered from. And just as we had built some momentum and performance for the first time in the season. Since that selection and shuffling of positions we have lost to the Storm (where we scored TWO tries, not three, in the first 20 minutes due to sheer weight of possession mainly), thrashed by the Titans, snuck a win against an out of form and depleted Broncos, lost to the Dogs and lost to the Raiders. In none of these games have we looked as confident and looked as connected as a team as we did in the three wins previously. If that seems ridiculous to you I can't help that.

You know the only thing worse than someone who says something moronic is someone who realizes they did but instead of admit it they keep waffling on.

You write like Joe Biden talks.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

You know the only thing worse than someone who says something moronic is someone who realizes they did but instead of admit it they keep waffling on.

You write like Joe Biden talks.

Lol, you know you're doing the exact same thing you talk of in this post?

Don't be a dick. I often disagree with Inruin but if this is you're response from a well thought out post then maybe you're the Biden driveller that you speak of.

At least we can all agree on one thing, there's nothing worse than those kinda people lol. Be better

 

[Makasene]

Can't it be both though?

• Sharks beat us in a close game to start the season and get hammered by Tigers 2 weeks later.
• Storm beat us in a thriller and then lose to Newcastle the next week.
• Dragons were getting beaten left right and centre and then smash us.
• Same as Titans

I agree that the our game focused on getting in the grind with teams, but that doesn't also mean that teams wouldnt have aimed up against us. Some blokes deadset turned in to superheros against us. Coates, Hughes, Brimston, Lomax all had exceptional games against us. I think even Webby commented on it at the beginning of the year.

The reason I don't buy it is that it really just means we weren't good enough.

Manly is the only game I see where someone really took it to us.

Round 1: absolutely dominated Sharks in every area. An embarrassment really that we couldn't win that game.

Sharks defended well but not like we threw much at them.

Round 2: Bad start followed by 20 unanswered points. Again, absolutely dominated them from 20th to 75th minute.

The second Papenhuyzen try was the same play from earlier in the game. We couldn't defend a play we had already seen...

Dragons game... the less said about watching them thrash us through the middle while we had Lussick and Pompey on the bench the better!

It's been a bitterly disappointing year much through our own doing.

 

[Coops]

Can't it be both though?

• Sharks beat us in a close game to start the season and get hammered by Tigers 2 weeks later.
• Storm beat us in a thriller and then lose to Newcastle the next week.
• Dragons were getting beaten left right and centre and then smash us.
• Same as Titans

I agree that the our game focused on getting in the grind with teams, but that doesn't also mean that teams wouldnt have aimed up against us. Some blokes deadset turned in to superheros against us. Coates, Hughes, Brimston, Lomax all had exceptional games against us. I think even Webby commented on it at the beginning of the year.

Maybe this happens as teams see US as an opportunity for two points compared to other teams so they lift against us?

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

No.

 

[Makasene]

For what it is worth, this will get better before it gets worse.

A win next week could have us in 10th place on 23 points. That should be 1 point out of the 8 with teams 8 and 9 on 24 points potentially.

That being said, any loss will see us quick shot down the ladder.

As far as I can work out though, there is only one spot up for grabs for us which is 8th.

Most likely outcome is still going to be 9th or 10th as a best finish. Bottom 4 very much in play also...

 

[Canonball]

Will be in the 8 after dolphins - if we can stay there?.... I say yes, specifically because we will have SJ back, I think that is crucial at this stage... there were times last night and in the previous couple of games when we've been ensconced in the attacking 20 and had absolutely nothing organised ... not even badly organised just no direction... TMM is talented but has really let the right side down particularly.

If we'd had half more organisation on that side we really would have been up by 30 or more - just SJ's kicking game too, that's been something we've missed. Our pack is fucking killing it however... capewell doing what he was brought over to do, AFB smashing them, Barney providing direction and Walker linking amazingly well ... add a flash of Halasima or Sifakula and that's a top unit (reason why Halasima wasn't used much last night, I think, was to give the guy a bit of rest, he's had long minutes out of position in the last two, I think it's actually just about man management)

I'd like to see Taine come back in too, extra playmaker ... put RTS on the wing (metres from the back) - backline of SJ, CHT (who's been good, forget about the goal kicking, his general play is solid), Ali, MGT (or CNK), DWZ, RTS, TT

 

[Naynay]

If we make it or not, this season will be good for us, kind of got a cowboys 2022 from the team.

Last year was so good it was hard to really build on last year but this year has actually given some real blocks to go from. Top 8 would be nice but really aslong as we can snag 3-4 wins in the end i would say its a decent season and that is probably more important.

 

[Beastmode]

Will we make the 8?
Did any of youse actually watch the game last night?????

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Im more concerned if we'll make the 8 next year.

 

[Cces]

Why are people so confident we'll beat the Dolphins? We're 2W-7L away from home this year. Despite not collecting many wins since we beat them at home (thanks to superior goalkicking & a 5-0 penalty count) the 'Phins form has been better than ours over the last month

 

[Beastmode]

Why are people so confident we'll beat the Dolphins? We're 2W-7L away from home this year. Despite not collecting many wins since we beat them at home (thanks to superior goalkicking & a 5-0 penalty count) the 'Phins form has been better than ours over the last month

Before the phins are you confident we’ll beat the Eels???

 

[Inruin]

Before the phins are you confident we’ll beat the Eels???

Let's see what Tuesday team naming brings. Tigers game was clunky but I thought there were some better signs with lots more improvement needed. I feel more confident about winning than I did when I looked prior to the Panthers game at the remaining games we had for the season. Was struggling to see where we were going to jag one at all. Now here we are 5 wins 4 losses since then. 5 & 2 with TMM at 7 and CHT at 6. And that's with largely a disrupted team each week. Our best team named was against the cowboys and was our most complete performance IMO. (They had players missing and backing up from origin too though)

 

[John Nick]

Let's see what Tuesday team naming brings. Tigers game was clunky but I thought there were some better signs with lots more improvement needed. I feel more confident about winning than I did when I looked prior to the Panthers game at the remaining games we had for the season. Was struggling to see where we were going to jag one at all. Now here we are 5 wins 4 losses since then. 5 & 2 with TMM at 7 and CHT at 6. And that's with largely a disrupted team each week. Our best team named was against the cowboys and was our most complete performance IMO. (They had players missing and backing up from origin too though)

Good to get the win but it's no indication of what is coming up next.
Tigers are in a terrible mess

 

[Cces]

Before the phins are you confident we’ll beat the Eels???

An Eels team, without Mitch Moses, at Mt Smart on a Friday (won 4 out of our last 5 Friday nights at the venue) has me thinking we'll be $1.50 favourites & rightly so

 

[jonesy101]

Broncos are now into win every game territory after that massive loss. Games against the Titans, Cowboys, Eels, Dolphins and Storm makes it highly unlikely they'll get 5 in a row after dropping 7 of the last 8. 13 wins or 12 wins and a draw is looking like the benchmark for 8th spot.

 

[Inruin]

Broncos are now into win every game territory after that massive loss. Games against the Titans, Cowboys, Eels, Dolphins and Storm makes it highly unlikely they'll get 5 in a row after dropping 7 of the last 8. 13 wins or 12 wins and a draw is looking like the benchmark for 8th spot.

That was close to a full strength broncos side at Suncorp. Puts our 1 point loss in golden point away to the dogs a little bit more in to perspective. And we should have won that as well

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Broncos are now into win every game territory

So are we, really.

We can do it. It's just that age old question of will we?

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Don't like the bulldogs but the broncos quitting on kevvie and missing out on the 8 after making a grand final is a good result. Probably want the sharks to win this one ATM.

 

[Makasene]

So are we, really.

We can do it. It's just that age old question of will we?

My ladder predictor has us 8th losing one more game.

That includes no upsets at all either. 5th through 12th play eachother a lot so it is going to be tight