General Preview Rd 19 - Broncos vs Warriors Preview!

[Rizzah]

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Written By Inruin


Rivalry Round:
Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde has been used to describe the Warriors season, games, 10 minute periods and even some of their sets of six so far this year. Unfortunately, it has been impossible to predict which one will turn up and when. You can count on them both showing up this Friday.

It can been revealed exclusively on NZWF that an administration oversight has meant that the Broncos have only booked Suncorp for Friday nights. Let’s hope that the combination of Black Friday, and Jekyl and Hyde make the Broncos wish they had not let Tajhay organise their home games.



For the first time this season the Warriors have taken the two competition points for three consecutive weeks. With Hurrellcane on fire, we have beaten the Cowboys and the Titans by 13+, comfortably dispatched the bye and moved into the top 8 on points differential. At times during these games we have looked unbeatable, well structured and in control. At other times we have looked like NZWF members having a throw around in the park.

The Broncos come off the bye firmly in the top 8 but, since winning six games in their opening 7 rounds, they have looked vulnerable. This has coincided with the Origin period and I would expect them to get back to their best in the next few rounds.



The Broncos get their origin players back refreshed from the bye and they will be on a high after winning their 7th straight origin series. In the forwards Ben Hannant is their version of Ben Matulino and gets them great yardage and plays good minutes. Corey Parker plays 80 minutes and has shown how dangerous he is with his offloads and running game, but also racks up the tackles. Justin Hodges had a relatively quiet origin series by his standards, but his dummy half runs and general attacking game will keep our defensive line busy.

Our forward pack, as it has been most of the season, was very good last week. However, with Hurrell and possibly Locke out this week it will fall to the creativity of Maloney, Shaun Johnson and Mateo to get us our points. For me, those three are the ones to watch. The Beast is back! New and Improved! How good will he be now he can run and see?



These teams last meet in round 9 at Mt Smart and the Warriors got the 2 points with a 30–20 win. Both teams have strong forward packs and quality halves (though I’m not sold on Corey Norman). This game will be decided in the centre/wing/fullback positions – both on attack and in defence. Omar is named to cover Locke, if he is passed fit Omar will drop off the bench.

I desperately want to say Warriors by 8……But the Broncos won’t give us the same level of possession the Titans and Cowboys gave us and with 4 of their last 5 games of the season being really tough ones, they will be keen to bank points here.

Reality check for Bluey and The Warriors.

Broncos 13+
Score 34 – 16*

*prediction based on a dry track. If wet it will be a little closer, but Broncos still to get the points.

 

[ToiletDuck]

Agreed re scoreline, this will be a tough one. They've had the week off to recover from Origin and have their big names back. I'm not even sure that Alex Glenn moving to centre is a positive for us. Even with Locke fit I can't see anything here other than a Broncos win, damage control will be paramount...

 

[fanrrior]

I'm quietly optimistic. I think its there for us to win it, at our best i think we can win. it's only a matter of how much mistakes we make and how much soft tries we give them that separates the score

 

[Inruin]

i have complete faith in the boys and bluey. this is the time to show what we've got and step up to the mark. warriors by 8

 

[iago]

i have complete faith in the boys and bluey. this is the time to show what we've got and step up to the mark. warriors by 8

Did you not just predict the Broncos by 13+?

 

[Inruin]

Did you not just predict the Broncos by 13+?

yes but i deperately wanted to say warriors by 8 so i did. And i feel so much better for it.

 

[OMG]

No way-18pts ?? it will be wet - A full strength Broncos struggled against us at mt smart and we weren't that flash, although Ropo had his best game of the season. This will be another big Warrior crowd so it will a be a bit like a home game, momentum is great we have it they don't,if Locke is fit we win by 13+, if not by 6.

 

[Lego_Man]

yes but i deperately wanted to say warriors by 8 so i did.

:l

 

[Ryan]

i have complete faith in the boys and bluey. this is the time to show what we've got and step up to the mark. warriors by 8

Rare. Split personalities.

 

[BA-AD Luck]

Having Brown in the centres is fortunately matched by Glenn being there although Glenn may have the upper hand in this contest. But with the Beast returning, that is an attacking weapon and "go to when bored" trick that usually works for us. If Mateo with the halves can cut through the middle with Matulino, Packer, Lillyman and Rapira fly swatting the Broncos go forward we are right in this game. We beat their Origin players in Round 9, there's no reason why we we can't repeat it. I'd rather Hurrellcane plays even if its a 30min effort from the bench. He'll allow us to strike from both sides of the field. I know it's doubtful, but I am holding on that little bit of hope that we may see King Kon' on Friday Night. Prediction: Warriors in a beauty, by 14.

 

[fanrrior]

Rare. Split personalities.

Maybe its two separate people. The nice Inruin

Or the mean one

 

[koolkat]

Warriors by 4,in a Jekyll and Hyde performance by both teams in the wet. the,kats prediction 20-16 to the warriors

 

[Dankokoro 2.0]

Agreed re scoreline, this will be a tough one. They've had the week off to recover from Origin and have their big names back. I'm not even sure that Alex Glenn moving to centre is a positive for us. Even with Locke fit I can't see anything here other than a Broncos win, damage control will be paramount...

haha if we can't compete even when we're close to full strength, we might as well abandon the season now! You have to give us a chance if we play well..

 

[ToiletDuck]

haha if we can't compete even when we're close to full strength, we might as well abandon the season now! You have to give us a chance if we play well..

I just don't give our defence a chance. Any time they get even a little tested they crumble, I literally have 0 confidence of us defending a set inside our own 20, let alone a repeat set. And this Broncos team is a much much tougher proposition than the Cowboys and Titans. Even then those teams made our D look 2nd rate. Yes we finished the Titans game well, but not in any way confident we'll be as good against Thaiday, Hodges, Glenn etc..

 

[iago]

If the Warriors win I'll quit the forum.

 

[warriors8]

Warriors by 16 if dry
Warriors by 2 if wet

 

[fanrrior]

If the Warriors win I'll quit the forum.

I'm just going to quote this in case the Warriors win and this post mysteriously goes missing.

 

[Dankokoro 2.0]

I just don't give our defence a chance. Any time they get even a little tested they crumble, I literally have 0 confidence of us defending a set inside our own 20, let alone a repeat set. And this Broncos team is a much much tougher proposition than the Cowboys and Titans. Even then those teams made our D look 2nd rate. Yes we finished the Titans game well, but not in any way confident we'll be as good against Thaiday, Hodges, Glenn etc..

Yes, Brisbane are far better than a half strength Cowboys and Titans.. but riddle me this boy.. if we are truly that useless and can't defend a set of 6, how are we in the top 8? and if Brisbane are so superior to us, how did we beat them earlier this year? In every game this year against the top teams that we've lost, we've dominated for long periods and looked like winning but ultimately lost as a result of a poor 10-15 minutes - sometimes at the start of the match (Manly, Bulldogs), at the end of the match (Storm, Sharks), or right after half time (Tigers). The only game in there we didn't look like winning was the home game against the storm. Outside of those 10-15 minutes we've more or less looked strong on attack and defense..

I don't expect us to win either, i just think if we're gonna go off what we've seen so far this year.. it's more likely that we'll be more than a match for Brisbane for 80% of the match, but for that other 20% we'll have no direction, drop the ball, and concede soft tries on the fringes..

I just think we should allow for the remote possibility that we actually manage to play close to 80 minutes of football.. because if we do, i think we're every chance of winning.

 

[warriors8]

The team needs a sports psychologist or psychiatrist to help them stay focus, rid of fears when mistakes are made etc. It is a professional sport and if they switch off for 20% of the game then something has to be done. We dont get 20% off the merchandise we buy or season tickets we pay at the beginning of the season so why should we accept that 20% of the game our well loved team chooses to just switch off. This was 1 of the main reasons well documented I think of why Inu was not a team player, yet they all seem to be doing it and they still played in first grade. Just depends on the player I think.....

 

[Raurimu Massive]

I think the key to our defence will be making sure we defend less often. This will mean no petty penalties and no last-tackle runaroundincircles bullshit. We'll definitely need to hold our defensive line in our own half and in the Bronc's half, we'll need to cut down on their chances to counterattack against a broken defensive line.

A piercing glimpse into the obvious, I know, but something that's evaded us continually this year.