ethos
BroncoKiwi
My thoughts on Round One..
March 16th 2009 12:28
Category: Opinion
Raiders halfback Marc Herbert probably didn't enjoy the footy as much as I did
Fans were treated to a little bit of everything in the opening round of the NRL.
We had two matches decided by a point, wooden spooners defeating premiers, torrential rain, oppressive heat, twice the number of whistle blowers and a good ol' fashioned thrashing for good measure. Here are some of my thoughts on what transpired.
New look Broncos…
The team introduction on the big screen at Suncorp had many supporters asking “who one earth is that?” (and I had some trouble telling players apart from the top of the third tier at Suncorp) but the new brigade showed some very promising signs. Wingers Antonio Winterstein and fellow flyer Jharal Yow Yeh both nabbed a try on debut. Aaron Gorrell’s passing game was crisp but he needs to run the ball more. Ex-Dragon Lagi Setu provided some impact off the bench, although fellow second rower Ben Te’o was a touch quiet.
Last years under 20s captain Alex Glenn snuck through for a line break, while Andrew McCullough will look to build on a promising 22 minutes at hooker. Also, the new centre (Folau I think his name was?) seems a pretty good player. In all seriousness, Izzy's in for tough season - he'll be heavily marked.
Dragons’ toughness…
Although they didn’t claim the two points, thanks to a Greg Inglis field goal in golden point, I think the Dragons achieved a mental victory against the Storm. Away from home, St. George pushed the2008 grand finalists to the limit and could have achieved a deserved win if not for Matt Cooper’s double movement. The Dragons will always play for the full 80 mins in 2009 – a trademark of Wayne Bennett’s coaching.
Two referees…
To put it simply I think it’s been fantastic. The game has sped up considerably and we’re spending less time twiddling our thumbs waiting for the video referee to rule on strips and tries. Two thumbs up from me.
Souths and Maximus…
On the thumb theme, Russell Crowe gave the gladiatorial thumbs down to the Roosters as the Bunnies put the boys from Bondi to the sword on Sunday. I didn’t get the chance to view the massacre but nearly fell off the couch when I saw the score. The Roosters have gone through their fair share of coaches in recent years and the club doesn’t handle defeat well – pressure will quickly mount on Brad Fittler if his team slumps to a few losses in a row.
Bulldogs… plus another Bronco?
Canterbury upset Manly at ANZ Stadium, with some thrilling play in torrential conditions thanks mainly to an influx of quality imports (mostly Broncos). Very rarely does a player leave Brisbane and underperform. And the rumours are saying another Bronco is on his way to Belmore, apparently Greg Eastwood is close to signing a deal.
Tigers v Raiders…
Monday night footy saw the most enterprise clash of the round, with the Tigers coming up trumps over the Raiders 34-26. Many, including myself, picked Wests for the wooden spoon this season but they looked pretty dangerous in attack. However, an improvement in defence is a must.
…
The official NRL Live tipping competition also kicked off. The ladder is headed by Bayview Breezers, connolly84, doggo, grace_12, jasontoirken, john28s, maddog67 and sweet chillie philley 1 who all picked seven winners, just one tip short of a perfect round. Well done!
Don’t forget to tip for next week and stay tuned – the Round Two teams will be posted as soon as they’re released tomorrow.
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