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Opinion
This is not quite the expected headline, but we (the fans) have seen enough to say Anthony Seibold is, for now, a keeper – at least for 2020 and I’d suggest into 2021.
Friday night showed undeniably the Broncos’ best 30 minutes of rugby league in the last eight months. While not the 80 minutes we had hoped for, it was a vast improvement as a team unit.
The players looked like they wanted to be there, and it looked like they wanted the coach to be there too.
So congratulations must be given. The measurement for the Broncos is forward momentum and surely now we have witnessed rock bottom and are on the rebound.
Sure, another week has gone by and it’s another loss for the Broncos and let’s not expect it to get any easier in season 2020. We’ll win a few, maybe even more than we lose, but as a fan it’s important to be patient and not to be too greedy. Let’s take this effort against the Storm as a win for now.
We saw that the structurally unsound Broncos of the last few months can look like the proverbial brick outhouse, not only holding but dominating the Melbourne forwards for portions of the game. This is no mean feat given that based on recent form Melbourne are out in front of the competition, with a high toll of injuries to the Roosters and Raiders, and the varying game-day quality of the Parramatta side.
So why would there be any sense of renewed optimism, and why would what are the positives that say there is light at the end of the tunnel for the club?
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
1. Emerging young players
After looking out of his depth in the centres, Herbie Farnworth emerged on Friday. Impotent in recent weeks, he seems to have found his spot back on the wing, often getting outside his marker, providing quality kick returns and some solid defence. The halves, Tom Dearden and Brodie Croft, were an infinitely improved combination and showed what a difference a week can make. Croft has proven again he will make it at the Broncos or die trying.
2. Consistent forwards
Payne Haas was again the best forward. Patrick Carrigan and Cory Paix provided a refreshing resolve, tackling hard and playing long minutes.
3. The return of some big names.
Corey Oates, David Fifita, Jake Turpin and Matt Lodge will be back in the next few weeks providing some fresh legs and more competition for starting spots. Kotoni Staggs will only get better after his return from injury.
But with these great hopes for success in the next weeks, there are some questions to answer in order to stay on the upward curve.
1. How do we maintain line speed for the full game?
The defensive line speed, which was so encouraging in the first half, was lost at about the 30-minute mark and didn’t resume in the second half. Some of this was no doubt due to fatigue, which leads in to question two.
2. Who is our best kicker?
There must be some heavy focus and work on kicks in general play. Melbourne is second to none in finishing sets with probing kicks that turn the defence around even from within their own half. The Broncos need to learn to better control the ball and control the field position.
A kick differential of ten or 20 metres a set is too much of a disadvantage to overcome. The Broncos need to find someone who can finish the sets effectively to look for repeat sets and advantage. It’s the same rule in the top grade as the under tens – just because you can kick doesn’t mean you should. Poor kicking puts too much pressure on the team in defence and burns energy – the best teams use kicks wisely.
3. How can we improve our game intelligence?
There is some poor decision making going on, which includes basic discipline errors particularly around escorts and ruck play. The odds are stacked against any side if they are conceding an extra five or six penalties a game for simple judgement mistakes.
4. Who is best at the back?
While a great prospect, Xavier Coates continues to look out of place in first grade. That makes two out of the back three that may need to take a seat after Friday. I won’t mention the other, but his name rhymes with “pilfered”. Incidentally, this is also what he has done to the Broncos salary cap.
(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
It looks like Jamayne Isaako, Oates and Farnworth will be the best combination here in the immediate future.
The Broncos have turned a corner this weekend. It may turn out with the constant NRL news cycle that the the fear of losing is in fact more detrimental for the Broncos than losing itself.
Hopefully, that performance sparks just a little confidence in the group. It’s at last great to see some intent and commitment from both the coach and the players.
Seibold seems to be learning that bravery will be rewarded on and off the park. Surely that’s enough for him to keep his job and for the club to move forward with purpose now.
To any fan, that’s more important than an arbitrary win/loss ratio conjured up by the board.
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