So what went wrong?

[2026]

For two consecutive season now we've failed to produce our best footy when it counts.

Are we focusing too much on the minor premiership or a top 2 finish?

Is our program designed around winning the week 1 final with no room for adjustment should we lose?

Are we victims of the NRL's share the trophy program or, were we simply not good enough to win our 2014/15 week 1 finals and earn the much needed week off?

Did the Broncos game highlght a lack of on-field leadership that's required to win big games?

Was it a case of bad luck losing Pearce and JWH, and, was the season over at this point in time?

Would the Broncos, Cowboys and Storm struggle without their dominant half and forward leader?

[Andrew Walker]

More than anything I think this shows just how hard it is to actually make let alone win a Grand Final in this competition.

[Guest]

For two consecutive season now we've failed to produce our best footy when it counts.

Are we focusing too much on the minor premiership or a top 2 finish?

Is our program designed around winning the week 1 final with no room for adjustment should we lose?

Are we victims of the NRL's share the trophy program or, were we simply not good enough to win our 2014/15 week 1 finals and earn the much needed week off?

Did the Broncos game highlght a lack of on-field leadership that's required to win big games?

Was it a case of bad luck losing Pearce and JWH, and, was the season over at this point in time?

Would the Broncos, Cowboys and Storm struggle without their dominant half and forward leader?

Some of what you said. Largely though, for last Fridays disappointment, Robinson was schooled by the master coach. I don't like Bennett, but he is the master rugby league coach. He knew Robinson would be sucked in by his comment about keeping the ball away from RTS when kicking on the last. It was no fluke that Darius Boyd was perfectly positioned to intercept 'that pass' from Kenny-Dumb, and then Robinsons game plan was over after 50 seconds, and with no plan B, we panicked.
Next year will be different though. Without the attacking flair of RTS, our halves will have to execute different plans, cue Andrew Johns. I think Hastings and Pearce will step up big time time under Joeys tutelage, and we will have the best forward pack In fact, I think we will be top four material for the next few years at least.

[Easts75]

Compared to the Cows and Broncs, in the big games we play boring predictable football, except SKD he can be loose sometimes!!

[2026]

Some of what you said. Largely though, for last Fridays disappointment, Robinson was schooled by the master coach. I don't like Bennett, but he is the master rugby league coach. He knew Robinson would be sucked in by his comment about keeping the ball away from RTS when kicking on the last. It was no fluke that Darius Boyd was perfectly positioned to intercept 'that pass' from Kenny-Dumb, and then Robinsons game plan was over after 50 seconds, and with no plan B, we panicked.
Next year will be different though. Without the attacking flair of RTS, our halves will have to execute different plans, cue Andrew Johns. I think Hastings and Pearce will step up big time time under Joeys tutelage, and we will have the best forward pack In fact, I think we will be top four material for the next few years at least.

I'm excited about Johns and agree that no RTS means a new approach.

I just hope that Robbo is having a closer look at why we've fallen short and more importantly performed so poorly against the Broncos.

The window is still ajar imo.

Let's hope that we've learnt from the past 2 finals series and can go all the way next season.

[Tommy Smith]

The NRL is the hardest competition to win in world sport. So much needs to go right. You can have a great team, but in such a tight comp with invariably 2 or 3 very good teams, it only takes a season ending injury to a key player to ruin your season.

We had 2 season ending injuries to key players. Both in the space of 5 minutes. 3 weeks out from the finals. DISASTER. No coach would have been able to overcome the loss of their best forward and halfback on such short notice. We were still a chance on the strength of our team, but ultimately in proved the difference.

Had we beaten the Storm I reckon the Cowboys would have done us over without JWH and a half fit Pearce anyway. No doubt.

As for 2014, the loss of desire killed us. You can have all the talent in the world but you must be hungry.

[The Axe]

also in 2014 we lost Friend

[Steakface]

Luck with injuries is the big factor. I can't think of a team that won the comp in recent times that wasn't full strength or close to it.

Sure, Issac Luke missed the GF last year. But the dogs had their own injury concerns that evened things out.

With JWH and Pearce uninjured I have no doubt whatsoever that we would be playing the Cows tomorrow.

[dice]

Pearce injury killed us this year. People deluded themselves into believing Hastings could come from nowhere and rally the troops to a premiership. Hastings may be a superstar in the near future but not there yet.

Last year the loss to Panthers killed us. Four consecutive hard games against big forward packs too much for our forwards. I blame the suspensions of Guerra and Napa in round 26. A win against Panthers, fresh forwards and Friend back for the prelims would have been a different ball game.

[Thirteen]

We had a good enough team to win even with our injuries. It was our attitude that killed us. At the hotel in the lead up to the game, both in the morning and afternoon the players were very relaxed according to officials. Who the hell wants to be relaxed before such a big game?

[Ray Stehr]

Johns is an NRL prostitute who sells himself to any club, why do we need Johns when we have Fittler who imo was as good as Johns. No to druggies.

[Ray Stehr]

Johns wants a gig with us so he can find that mouthguard he turfed at the SFS all those years ago.

[eddie]

The last game was (insert suitable word here).

Still can't blame SKD's first minute brain snap for affecting the end result.
When we got back to 16-12 the game was wide open.
Napa coming off didn't help, but the worst moment was letting them score right on half time.
Who gave away the dumb penalty that cost us the field position that led to it?
Yep, the flavour of the month..........Guerra.

[The ticket]

The last game was (insert suitable word here).

Still can't blame SKD's first minute brain snap for affecting the end result.
When we got back to 16-12 the game was wide open.
Napa coming off didn't help, but the worst moment was letting them score right on half time.
Who gave away the dumb penalty that cost us the field position that led to it?
Yep, the flavour of the month..........Guerra.

We were 16-12 and gaining momentum when Pearce got injured

[Andrew Walker]

We were 16-12 and gaining momentum when Pearce got injured

We were gaining momentum in the 1st half but in my eyes just before Pearce was injured I saw signs of tiredness in our players and remeber thinking lets just get to half time at 16-12 The effort to bridge the gap from
16-0 to 16-12 against a red hot Broncos side took its toll ( along with Napa being off for such a log period which I can only assume was injury related )and we had no juice when it really counted late in the game Even with the Pearce injury I honesty think we win that game if we didnt give them 10 start