Seibold has put a broom through the place ! They let a heap of experience go , and then sign Luke and Teo . Really ? I think the coach rushed the future a little too soon and will now have to try to ride out the mistake for as long as he can . What I can’t understand is , they looked pretty good in Rounds 1 and 2 . Everyone was talking about Croft being the missing piece etc . Buy of the year ! Something personal must have gone on during the shutdown is my only guess . Or it could just be injuries . They are missing some troops .

Mondays game was hard to watch …. and the interview too .
The teams long slide in form seemed to start straight after he was resigned . Figure that one out .
I’ve always struggled to understand his coaching style . He puts those talented young kids through the grinder emotionally . They must all be doubting their own ability and it’s easy to see why .
Since when did getting first crack at a position mean one game ? How is that showing confidence and belief in the people around you ?
I think that he is reaping what has been sown .
I should probably feel for him …. but on the other hand , he has made about 3 million dollars out of the Dragons and not come up with much . The club has been pretty patient and generous , all things considered .

I reckon it was the Moses influence that got Seibold over the line … and such a long contract , with only one season as head coach under his belt .

That’s the only scenario that makes any sense other than the board being clueless , although there seems to be plenty of support for that theory too .

Great point GH …… The club could make a real statement by putting in some comfy recliners on the interchange bench ….. they will need to get Moses to sign off on that though , of course .

Imagine all the side negotiations that take place … off the record . Best of luck to the Broncos dealing with that bag of snakes .

Pretty fair article . Great players don’t always make great coaches . Doing and teaching are very much different pursuits .

I get the feeling that no one in Rugby League gives credit to an opinion unless you have played the game and the better you played , the more revered your opinion is . The boys club mentality of rugby league often appears to be holding the game back on multiple levels , from administration right through to commentary .

Would it be safe to say 800K a season is a pie in the sky figure at this point in time ? I think a necessary re calibration of player payments and the NRL administration was coming anyway with the next media deal . I can’t believe how hand to mouth the NRL still is . After 100 years , 20 since the war , the NRL as a game hasn’t developed any of it’s own wealth or assets . As a business model is appears pretty flawed and in need of some fresh ideas and long term strategies .

It took 90 seconds to implement the first captains challenge . It’s a ridiculous rule and goes directly against what most experts believe to be the way forward for the game , i.e. limiting the effectiveness of bash n barge 120kg giants and making it a game for all body types . And furthermore ,what happened to the NRL’s edict of limiting the video referee to overturning a “howler” anyway . The NRL , one word forward two actions back . Btw I thought the option for packing of the scrum was only possible for a ball that had crossed the sideline . For a knock on or dropped ball it should be packed where the offence occurred …. shouldn’t it ?

Of all the opinions here regarding the captains challenge I agree mostly with Monorchid .
I fear it will just become just another officiating stoppage in play that does nothing to address the issues that actually spoil the game .
I can see it adding to the numerous issues surrounding increased “professionalism” in the game once the players and coaches come up with a way of exploiting it .
I think the NRL is missing the bigger picture by constantly tinkering with the rules every year but failing to acknowledge what a lot of other sports have already been through regarding professionalism in their respective sports .

I guess the winner in the Mitchell v Roosters stoush won’t be known until we see where Mitchell lands and what sort of a season he has in 2020 . It has taken a while to understand the Roosters position here but it will definitely make future players and agents wary of trying to gouge a few extra dollars out of them after the club has delivered what it feels to be a very fair offer . The fairness of the offer seems well vindicated by everything that has transpired since . It’s not surprising the Roosters want him gone .

I wish clubs would occasionally let a player fend for himself when they screw up , instead of rushing support staff in to hold his hand . It doesn’t appear too serious . An opportunity missed .

Everyone is down on the dogs because of the scoreline , but I think there were a few teams looked to have at least as many issues as them in Round 1 . The Broncos could easily lost by more than 30 as could the Titans and Panthers . I’m not giving the dogs the spoon just yet . Warriors were great on the day .

Tough game for the Broncos halves …. they didn’t have the ball for most of the first half .

Storm are so well coached . They ran their drills very smoothly and dominated good field possession as a result .Their forwards were only forced to bring the ball back off their own line a couple of times in the entire game . When the Broncos did get in attacking positions they kicked it away with no result .

I think Boyd will do well to keep the fullback spot for the season ….. Issako looked really dangerous . He needs more ball .Maybe the injury to Roberts gives Siebold a chance to move Boyd to centre without causing any issues ( for the good of the team etc) . Once Issako has played a few games there he will be hard to force out .

The final score flattered the Broncos a little . It could easily have been 20 nil at halftime . I think a final score of 36 – 6 would have been a truer indication of the difference on the night .

Isaah Yeo seems like a great guy and future captain , but when quizzed about Tyronne May he took the standard diplomatic approach … “error of judgement etc ” and all that dribble …. which is fair enough and probably what all the squad were all instructed to say if asked .

What I would have really liked to hear is something along the lines of , ” He has let the entire squad down and we are all really pissed off ! We would all be more than happy to never see him again ! ” .

I still remember the first time I heard someone say to an completely intoxicated friend ” if you get in that car to drive , I’m gonna knock you out ” . That occurred sometime around the end of the 80’s . About another 20 years on from there and people’s attitudes eventually evolved thanks to decades of brutal advertising campaigns and education as to what can happen . Prior to that time the further you had to drive home pissed , the greater the achievement and if the police stopped you … they were the bad guys ! Drinking and driving was always against the law , but it wasn’t until people began to face the ire of family ,friends and co workers that any real progress in changing the ” culture ” was made .

My point is …. until the attitudes of any footballer’s peer group change …. change in behaviour and or standards is very unlikely .

I totally believe in the presumption of innocence but I think the NRL has done what it had to do regarding JDB . I would be interested to know who engaged the lawyers and is footing the bill to fight his case ?

If it’s the club ….. then I rest my case .

I would assume every club has a list of natural leaders that pick themselves . The coach just makes it official .

I can’t understand a coach not wanting a club captain . I can’t understand a coach not wanting to have one person he can totally rely on in all aspects of the game , to be his right hand man and be trusted to represent the club and it’s ethics . I think shared responsibility in that department just opens the door for more things to go wrong .

Ps . Isaah Yeo seems like a standout choice to me .

Perhaps no one wants the resposibility ?

I know you can’t predict your own team to get the spoon …. bad karma .

Everything else seems like a pretty decent guess .

Could be tough for the Sharks but not because of Holmes departure . Graham will be missing for 10 weeks , they have lost Lewis and I can’t see that back row hole being filled by the guys tipped to replace them . Plenty of talent , no Flanagan …. hmmm . Could go either way .

The Storm will be right in it once again . Croft showed he is up to it and Munster is a star . They will miss Slater of course , but they are such a well “drilled” side it’s hard to see them getting too much wrong with the same basic squad .

Panthers … fingers crossed the father / son thing doesn’t go pear shaped or have a bad effect on the whole squad . It’s really an ” all in ” call from Gould .

Bunnies … not convinced unless Corey Allen is actually as good as everyone says . I can’t see GI playing a whole season at fullback on his gammy knees . Hope I am wrong . Am I the only one who think Gagai plays his best football on the wing ?

Dragons … the whole De Belin saga has the capacity to divide the squad and dead leg their season before it has even begun . Should go close if it gets sorted out and is a happy camp . Norman could be a revelation … or not .

Broncos will be solid . Could surprise .

The Titans should be the big improvers in ’19 unless there is some kind of hoodoo on them .
Newcastle are the great unknown .

I hate to say it but , after seeing the WCC it’s hard to go past the Chooks for ’19 .
It would be great to see a Chooks / Bunnies GF but I’ll have the Chooks playing a lesser fancied side like the Panthers or Dragons in the GF .

How long till kick off ? This off season has been particularly hard to take .

I can’t see them moving Widdop from 6 . Why move your best playmaker ? Norman might get a crack at fullback but it’s been so long since I’ve seen him play there – I can’t remember if he was any good in that position . I see Norman as a very handy 14 that can cover plenty of positions . I reckon Dufty will start the season at fullback , as he probably deserves to .

The Cowboys were able to act swiftly because there is obviously clear cut evidence on which to make a decision . This is only an assumption based on them not wanting to sack their star recruit before he had played a game based on ” he said , she said “.

In the other cases ,where there is no definitive evidence ,the clubs and the NRL have no option other than to let it play out through the courts . Justice is not always simple . That’s why lawyers all seem to drive really nice cars .

If you want to start handing down extreme punishments , for being stupid , that’s another whole can of worms . You would be asking the NRL to implement some new moral code that differs to the one our current legal system has .

I do miss Captain Charger … One of the greats .
Mark The Magpie … never heard of him .

While ever all this bickering over who’s in and who’s out is left to a decision from the controlling body it will always appear to be unfair for some . The only reason several other NRL clubs haven’t gone the way of the Bears in the last 20 years , is simply because there is no pathway for a better run and more enthusiastic organisation to take their place in the NRL competition .

Through his years at the Warriors Johnson was criticised consistently , over just about everything . The change of scenery should be great for him . I think he will slot right in there no drama . I would like to see him do really well . I am also looking forward to Kearney’s post game presser if the Warriors are winless through the first 6 Rounds .

The Dogs should go ok in 2019 and maybe sneak into the 8 if Lewis continues to improve . There must be serious doubts that Foran will ever get back to where he was . He has had some periods of decent fitness in the last 4 years but hasn’t shown he still ” wants it “. Can see him finishing the season in the reggies . I think Pay was a good appointment and has done really well so far .

Team spirit and harmony is a big factor in success .
They may well be a better team without the Hayne and Norman influence . Sometimes it only takes a few changes to totally alter a team dynamic . If Arthur can get them putting in for each other they could be way ahead of where they were in 2018 . If he can’t , as much as I like him as a coach , his days could be numbered . I can see Brown getting a run in the halves however , Gutherson to 6 and Smith at fullback could be the way to go .
If they cop a few long term injuries , another spoon could well be on the cards .

rakshop … outstanding ! I think the Broncs have gone the 5 year contract … just in case they got it right . They don’t know … they were pretty hot for Craig at one point . At this point in time though , Seibolds appointment still has to be considered as betting on a long shot . I reckon he has 2 seasons to deliver the roast chicken otherwise he gets henjacked .
Its amazing to think that Seibold is only the 4th Broncos coach ever .
It is definitely a hard gig to get – ” chockers with perks ‘n prestige ‘n that ” and he will get to keep all his outdoor furniture ….. outdoors . Good luck to him .
It could turn into a real snakepit up there for the rookie coach if getting results is slower than expected .
Either way , it will be great to watch .
Like the experiment where the boiled egg ends up inside milk bottle ! Outrageous …

I am pretty sure Bennett ( along with the entire playing group and front office ) fully expect to deliver a premiership in his first season ….. otherwise, why bother turning up ? There’s no rebuild going on here . He has an excellent squad to work with and would be well aware expectations are high .

Unless things go terribly wrong the Broncos should make the eight without too many problems . Young side , new coach . There’s plenty of factors bringing the squad together . The release of McGuire was surprising , but looking at the probable lineup for Round 1 it now makes plenty of sense . I think Maca , Gillet and Glen can provide the forward leadership for a group of talented youngsters . If I was a Broncos supporter I’d be looking forward to ’19 .

Love it . Wayne must be laughing … all the way to the bank ! He got what he wanted and got paid too ! I am not sure if he still the master coach on the field …. but a bunch of headless chickens just got well and truly schooled off it . They got out maneuvered by the 68 year old . No wonder White looked embarrassed at the presser . I am not a Bennett fan but I might be starting to waver .

I just think it was a reaction by the Bronco’s board to everyone telling them Walter’s was the man for the job . They probably feel like Seibold will be a bit more manageable . Whilst ” we’re all professionals ” , team morale is still everything , and I fear both clubs might suffer from this season .