Queenslander
20-04-06, 10:13 AM
Broncos can't cut a break
By Darren Lockyer
April 20, 2006
TENNIS great Pete Sampras, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, used to say that, while you could never win a grand slam in the first week, you could certainly lose them.
It is a sentiment we have been reminded of at the Broncos lately because, while all of the talk in the pre-season was about addressing our end-of-season collapses, we know we can't just expect things to improve.
If our fadeouts have taught us anything, it is that you can't just flick a switch and be in form and, with the representative season nearly upon us, I think the next two weeks are extremely important for us.
It is hard to believe we are already a quarter of the way through the NRL season and, if you had offered me fourth place on the ladder after six rounds before the season started, I think I would have taken it.
If you'd made the same offer after we were hammered by the Cowboys in round one, I would have jumped at it.
As usual, though, a look at the numbers only tells half the story. There are plenty of things to be happy about, but there are also some concerns.
To begin with our pre-season "torture" with new performance director Dean Benton has paid significant dividends. As a group we are faster and fitter than ever, which has helped our game enormously.
After a shoddy start, our defence has been outstanding. Our missed tackle count is way down on last year's average and only the Cowboys have let in fewer points.
This is mainly due to our improved fitness and some hard work with new tackling coach Peter Ryan.
Our forwards have also been a tower of strength, with the two old warhorses Petero Civoniceva and Shane Webcke leading the way.
They have had great support from young Roosters recruit Ben Hannant and a rejuvenated Dane Carlaw, who will unfortunately miss at least a month of football after injuring his knee last Friday night.
It's a real shame for Dane because he was just starting to find some good form after a couple of tough years. He hadn't won a players' player award for three seasons, but took home two in two weeks before he went down.
Injuries are an issue at every club, so I don't want to be seen as a whinger, but we just can't catch a break.
Last year we had a horror run and this season we have lost our two leading hookers for the season, after Michael Ennis injured a knee and Barry Berrigan retired because of a chronic neck problem.
Brent Tate (ankle), Neville Costigan (knee) and Steve Michaels (ankle) have sustained long-term injuries, not to mention guys such as Brad Thorn, Tonie Carroll and Justin Hodges, who have missed games here and there.
However, with our No.1 halfback Brett Seymour still trying to find his feet after off-season shoulder surgery, it's losing our hookers which has really hurt.
Everyone knows how important it is to keep those key positions - fullback, halfback, five-eighth and hooker - as settled as possible and we haven't had a great deal of continuity there at all.
It has led to some patchy performances with the ball and it is an area we are hoping to get right when we host Penrith and Canberra in the next fortnight. It is great to be able to "win ugly" as they say, but we need to start sharpening some of our combinations.
Getting Tate back this week or next will be a big boost, because it will allow us get Shaun Berrigan into the hooking rotation, where I think he could become a real asset. He is a very similar player to Roosters ace Craig Wing, who has been a revelation since switching to hooker.
Berro and Casey McGuire complement each other perfectly.
There is also plenty to like about the form of Hodges, who is in the sort of touch that could easily see him pulling on a green and gold jumper next month.
For him, like the rest of us, the next fortnight will be very important.
It would be nice to go into the representative season showing at least glimpses of the form it will take to get us to Telstra Stadium in October.
The Australian
By Darren Lockyer
April 20, 2006
TENNIS great Pete Sampras, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, used to say that, while you could never win a grand slam in the first week, you could certainly lose them.
It is a sentiment we have been reminded of at the Broncos lately because, while all of the talk in the pre-season was about addressing our end-of-season collapses, we know we can't just expect things to improve.
If our fadeouts have taught us anything, it is that you can't just flick a switch and be in form and, with the representative season nearly upon us, I think the next two weeks are extremely important for us.
It is hard to believe we are already a quarter of the way through the NRL season and, if you had offered me fourth place on the ladder after six rounds before the season started, I think I would have taken it.
If you'd made the same offer after we were hammered by the Cowboys in round one, I would have jumped at it.
As usual, though, a look at the numbers only tells half the story. There are plenty of things to be happy about, but there are also some concerns.
To begin with our pre-season "torture" with new performance director Dean Benton has paid significant dividends. As a group we are faster and fitter than ever, which has helped our game enormously.
After a shoddy start, our defence has been outstanding. Our missed tackle count is way down on last year's average and only the Cowboys have let in fewer points.
This is mainly due to our improved fitness and some hard work with new tackling coach Peter Ryan.
Our forwards have also been a tower of strength, with the two old warhorses Petero Civoniceva and Shane Webcke leading the way.
They have had great support from young Roosters recruit Ben Hannant and a rejuvenated Dane Carlaw, who will unfortunately miss at least a month of football after injuring his knee last Friday night.
It's a real shame for Dane because he was just starting to find some good form after a couple of tough years. He hadn't won a players' player award for three seasons, but took home two in two weeks before he went down.
Injuries are an issue at every club, so I don't want to be seen as a whinger, but we just can't catch a break.
Last year we had a horror run and this season we have lost our two leading hookers for the season, after Michael Ennis injured a knee and Barry Berrigan retired because of a chronic neck problem.
Brent Tate (ankle), Neville Costigan (knee) and Steve Michaels (ankle) have sustained long-term injuries, not to mention guys such as Brad Thorn, Tonie Carroll and Justin Hodges, who have missed games here and there.
However, with our No.1 halfback Brett Seymour still trying to find his feet after off-season shoulder surgery, it's losing our hookers which has really hurt.
Everyone knows how important it is to keep those key positions - fullback, halfback, five-eighth and hooker - as settled as possible and we haven't had a great deal of continuity there at all.
It has led to some patchy performances with the ball and it is an area we are hoping to get right when we host Penrith and Canberra in the next fortnight. It is great to be able to "win ugly" as they say, but we need to start sharpening some of our combinations.
Getting Tate back this week or next will be a big boost, because it will allow us get Shaun Berrigan into the hooking rotation, where I think he could become a real asset. He is a very similar player to Roosters ace Craig Wing, who has been a revelation since switching to hooker.
Berro and Casey McGuire complement each other perfectly.
There is also plenty to like about the form of Hodges, who is in the sort of touch that could easily see him pulling on a green and gold jumper next month.
For him, like the rest of us, the next fortnight will be very important.
It would be nice to go into the representative season showing at least glimpses of the form it will take to get us to Telstra Stadium in October.
The Australian