Improvement

[Hawkeye]

Our kicking game. Our long kicking game is one of the worst in the comp.

This !

["gaz"]

Improve the kicking game by developing and practicing the following:
1. Use Grubber short kick and find the in goal more often - generate more possesion and pressure/tire the opposition.
2. Utilise tall backline more, chip kicks to Toups Young Suaalii
3. Practice 40/20s and 20/40s
4. Practice 2 point field goal
5. Kick chase (to fast wingers for example)

Teddy to play support role in attack not lead role.
Jarrod and Victor to keep away from Judiciary

[Bondicigar]

Agree Cigaro, but what you wish for can only come to fruition if we massively improve our set completion rates.

It astounds me that for the past 3-4 years we finish up there yet have the 2nd or 3rd worst completion rate due to our errors.
One can only imagine if we instead were in the top 3-4 best. Vossy often mentions this.

Agreed ,
IMO Robbo likes to build into a season and seems to accept sub par performances early in the year as a process they need to go through.
I wonder does this way of thinking sink into the minds of the players and contribute to an attitude which leads to some complacency around ball control and discipline?

[Intercept]

The only way to improve our long kicking game is to sign a new 6 or 7 that can kick long. Can we win a comp with a 7 who's kick resembles a pop gun? Time will tell!

Bates that's a decent question. I remember Alan Langer had a great short kicking game but I genuinely can't remember if he could kick long. Could he? If not, did Kevvie (or someone else) compensate for him because I agree the kicking game is a key element of success but the Broncos won a few back in the day, so either the answer to your question is 'yes' or Alfie had help.

[Arties Pie]

As most have said the halves and their kicking game but I would like to see Sandon Smith get some good game time also as Keary and Walker couldn’t organise a chook raffle .
We haven’t had a decent organising half since Cronk then Pearce before him. Say what you want about Pearce but he could steer the ship, Something that has been seriously lacking since Cronk left.

[The Axe]

The Apostrophe played junior rugby. RA signed him to make difference. I assume at FB. This means he should be able to kick long distance. Additionally he hits the ball sweetly in goal kicking - nearly as sweetly as Latrell and that’s a statement.
I’ve been surprised Robbo has not experimented in matches yet.

[Billy Gunn]

If we are 5 points better in attack and 5 points better in defense everything else will sort out.

I think we won the 2013 comp with the worst discipline record, so I don't know if it is that important. But defense wins premierships.

As a few others have said, a long kicking game would help with the extra 5 points in attack.

[Mickie Lane]

The Chooks again have a very good side on paper but the thing they need the most is minimal injuries, if they have some luck & not get injuries they will be there or there about.

[Timmah]

Yep…repeat sets…we have a backline that can tear ANY team a new ……so we need to give our 1-7 as many opps as possible inside the opposition’s 30.

[Chook2]

1. Start the season well - need to finish top 4 to be any chance of wining it
2. ball security - hold the damm thing
3. reduce penalaties
4. luck with injuries
5. need to use our cross field kicking better - we have the tallest winger / centre combos in the comp - most times we kick cross field near the line we will score with young, tupou, smith, suaali, Manu
6. need manu to go roaming early like a 2nd fullback and also pass the ball to young when he is in space. Not hog it
7. if we have our best 17 fit at the right time of the year this squad can win it
8. our spine needs to connect early and allow walker to make the odd mistake but will create many chances to score
9. radley back to 2019 form he links the forwards and backs so well
10. competition for spots which we have allready - currently either suaali or smith will not be in the 17, Watson or s smith, and potentially Whyte, Egan butch and 1 of either Gus/ sitili or Nat butch - these guys will play many games with injuries but won’t all be there if we are fully fit

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Two main factors for me for how deep we go this year.

1. Attack, attack, attack. The Robbo mindset is to build the strong defence base and play a power game off that. Worked a treat for our B2B titles. Times have changed and the Panthers have changed the game with their 'attacking' defence and strangling their opponents out of the game. To be the best, you gotta beat the best. You won't beat them with power or structured playmaking. More offloads every ruck, win the pre contact metres with quicker play the balls. Use our potential disadvantages of small halves and shorter kicking game to test bigger opponents, not just in the opponents quarter. Definitely use our tall timber three quarters with cross kicks to the corner. Cheese and Ted can make our speed of play at the ruck a weapon. But we need to be clean and sharp with our attack, not the slow mo version we see at times where our players look like they haven't yet been introduced. Do we have the cattle and coaching to play this sort of game? Will it beat the likes of Penrith and Broncos? Dunno...but we need to try, maybe Holbrook can unlock our attack.

2. How will our vets compete against the young bucks? Ted, Toups, Kez and JWH are all in key roles and need to win their tricks against opponents. That will go a long way to decide what sort of dent we make in the comp. We will benefit from more stability in the halves. Kez was a real tart last year, having multiple partners. Ted looked a beaten man in the end of year rep games. Heard he is doing some training with Fabri to increase his speed over distance. Can't hurt. Fingers crossed.

[theGman]

Two main factors for me for how deep we go this year.

1. Attack, attack, attack. The Robbo mindset is to build the strong defence base and play a power game off that. Worked a treat for our B2B titles. Times have changed and the Panthers have changed the game with their 'attacking' defence and strangling their opponents out of the game. To be the best, you gotta beat the best. You won't beat them with power or structured playmaking. More offloads every ruck, win the pre contact metres with quicker play the balls. Use our potential disadvantages of small halves and shorter kicking game to test bigger opponents, not just in the opponents quarter. Definitely use our tall timber three quarters with cross kicks to the corner. Cheese and Ted can make our speed of play at the ruck a weapon. But we need to be clean and sharp with our attack, not the slow mo version we see at times where our players look like they haven't yet been introduced. Do we have the cattle and coaching to play this sort of game? Will it beat the likes of Penrith and Broncos? Dunno...but we need to try, maybe Holbrook can unlock our attack.

2. How will our vets compete against the young bucks? Ted, Toups, Kez and JWH are all in key roles and need to win their tricks against opponents. That will go a long way to decide what sort of dent we make in the comp. We will benefit from more stability in the halves. Kez was a real tart last year, having multiple partners. Ted looked a beaten man in the end of year rep games. Heard he is doing some training with Fabri to increase his speed over distance. Can't hurt. Fingers crossed.

Agree about our lacklustre attack.

I reckon Justin Holbrook may be the panacea for our attacking structure.

Using our tall timbers to outleap the opposition for the ball is a no brainer too.

May the football Gods watch over our mob with injuries this year because if they do, top 4 for sure!

[OMR]

Ball control so we do less tackling than the other team. Penrith made ONE error all game in the GF which caused the Broncos to surrender in fatigue at the end.
With more ball in hand , our attack will take care of itself.

[Billy Gunn]

Quite a few people have mentioned injuries so I went and had a look at our round one team last season. I can't believe I didn't get on the Dolphins at $6.

Hutch and Suaalii in the centers, Paulo on the wing, Egan in the back row. A squillion players out.

This season hopefully competition for spots will improve the overall performance.

[player 1]

Don't know what we can do about our long kicking game - Keary and Walker just don't have a big enough boot. It's gonna hold us back again unless somebody else steps up to do clearing kicks.

I know Robbo won't budge on this, but refusing to lay down or milk penalties in the ruck will once again see us not get an even share of penalties, which will add up to thousands of metres lost. Every other team in the comp does it. Robbo thought taking the moral high ground would garner respect from match officials and the NRL, but the approach has proven ineffective.