Broncos Buckling towards a stellar year
May 4th 2008 00:57
Like Brisbane, Sam Thaiday is having a terrific season
There is something different about the Brisbane Broncos this year.
It seems to me that they are now playing a brand of football that looks set to serve them very well for this year and beyond.
Throughout history the Broncos have been renowed for having one of the most dominate forward packs in the NRL.
However with great power also comes one dimensional play that in the end seemed to destroy Brisbane in previous seasons, in particular 2007 and 2005.
The likes of Webcke and Civonicieva provided the Broncos with the ideal platform to gain an advantage in terms of territory in a game.
This was a successful tactic back when the game was slower and more ideally suited to a forwards capabilities.
But not anymore.
In this day and age, speed has become the norm in Australian rugby league with the likes of Thurston, Bowen, Inglis, Slater and Marshall dominating the NRL in recent seasons.
Even though the Broncos kept making the finals, they were usually cannon fodder for more fit and agile teams.
In 2005 the Tigers destroyed Brisbane's game in their semi-final after the likes of Webcke and Civoncieva simply ran out of gas.
In 2007, the same result occured after eventual premiers the Melbourne Storm steamed rolled their interstate rivals in to submission with a performance that left the Broncos gasping for air hence the end of an era.
Roll on 2008.
It seems that Brisbane have rectified their one dimensional woes of season's gone past with the purchase of attacking forwards that offer more in terms of point scoring ability
The likes of Joel Clinton and Ashtom Sims have really provided Brisbane with the offensive expertise that they have so sorely lacked in the last couple of years.
Add to this the fine form of Peter Wallace and PJ Marsh and the Broncos suddenly have a great deal of power and speed in their lineup.
Sam Thaiday in particular has benefited enormously from the recent changes in Brisbane's game.
He has developed a very fine offload and passing ability that was demonstrated in all its glory against South Sydney.
The giant frontrower produced a cut out pass of the highest quality that eventually lead to a Brisbane try and alot of applause from critics alike.
If Thaiday's form was good, fellow Bronco Ben Hannant is having a season that is worthy of rep selection no questions asked.
He alone is laying the platform for the Broncos to weave their attacking magic and allow the likes of Ennis and Hunt to dominate the ruck.
His performance against the Wests Tigers last night showcased a man who is loving life in the top grade.
In a terrific performance, Hannant made 14 hitups for 169 metres and also made 32 tackles to eventually propel his status as a genuine star of the game.
His combination with Thaiday will probably propel the pair as QLD starting prop's this coming Origin series.
And don't they deserve it.
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