- Joined
- Feb 16, 2008
- Messages
- 11,057
- Reaction score
- 292
I'd love to be proven wrong, but I have a crazy theory about our boys that could use debunking.
I have a funny feeling we're not a united squad.
I can't quite put my finger on it.
It's the 1% things.
Rewind to 2005-2007 : We had a fractured squad loosely divided into the "family blokes" and "blingers". A lot of that was written off as a generation-divide, or some weird social barrier between the young lads and older-heads. A lot of it was also simply a difference between the social habits of those who were fathers, and the singles looking to mingle after a week of hard training and footy. That's cool. I get it. It happens. Different strokes, different folks, etc, etc.
Although we won a bunch of games, we were injury riddled in 2005 & 2007 at the back ends, and 2006 still haunts me as the worst loss I've had to endure as a fan against the Broncos. Fact is, Brisbane's squad was a united force guided by higher principles and in the end 'wanted it more'. We couldn't muster the same when it was required. For me that divide proved to be our downfall. Although we had the talent, our 17 didn't play with the belief for the same cause, that Brisbane's 17 did.
Fast-forward to now ... I can see a similar thing happening.
In one 'clique' we have the singles / Kiwis / social media types.
In the other we have your conventional blue-collar footy blokes.
I'm not saying they don't like each other, but it appears (just like in 2005-2007) we don't have all our senior players united for the same cause ... YET ! ... Of course, it's only Rd4. There's a ways to go, so there's plenty of time that it can all 'gel'. And lets face it, a 7-try rout of the Storm certainly helps unite the boys.
But humour me for a second, and just toss these little bullet points into the stew.
- Barba-hangover : Are there fractures that still exist after players took sides ?
- Ennis captaincy : Was this partly a result of clique politics ?
- Ennis & Reynolds : Do they even like each other ? I remember a run-in that got caught on change-room camera a season or two ago where Mick had a stern word. To this day, I don't recall them congratulating each other post-try. I always notice others rush in first and share the joy. There's no mid-game plans hatched between them. No secret ploys together against other teams near try lines. It's weird to me a 9 & 6 would not be involved in a lot of chat in-game.
So is it just me and my hyperactive mind ?
Or is there something still simmering ?
Can anyone else see it ?
Are you worried ?
Should I be worried ?
I have a funny feeling we're not a united squad.
I can't quite put my finger on it.
It's the 1% things.
Rewind to 2005-2007 : We had a fractured squad loosely divided into the "family blokes" and "blingers". A lot of that was written off as a generation-divide, or some weird social barrier between the young lads and older-heads. A lot of it was also simply a difference between the social habits of those who were fathers, and the singles looking to mingle after a week of hard training and footy. That's cool. I get it. It happens. Different strokes, different folks, etc, etc.
Although we won a bunch of games, we were injury riddled in 2005 & 2007 at the back ends, and 2006 still haunts me as the worst loss I've had to endure as a fan against the Broncos. Fact is, Brisbane's squad was a united force guided by higher principles and in the end 'wanted it more'. We couldn't muster the same when it was required. For me that divide proved to be our downfall. Although we had the talent, our 17 didn't play with the belief for the same cause, that Brisbane's 17 did.
Fast-forward to now ... I can see a similar thing happening.
In one 'clique' we have the singles / Kiwis / social media types.
In the other we have your conventional blue-collar footy blokes.
I'm not saying they don't like each other, but it appears (just like in 2005-2007) we don't have all our senior players united for the same cause ... YET ! ... Of course, it's only Rd4. There's a ways to go, so there's plenty of time that it can all 'gel'. And lets face it, a 7-try rout of the Storm certainly helps unite the boys.
But humour me for a second, and just toss these little bullet points into the stew.
- Barba-hangover : Are there fractures that still exist after players took sides ?
- Ennis captaincy : Was this partly a result of clique politics ?
- Ennis & Reynolds : Do they even like each other ? I remember a run-in that got caught on change-room camera a season or two ago where Mick had a stern word. To this day, I don't recall them congratulating each other post-try. I always notice others rush in first and share the joy. There's no mid-game plans hatched between them. No secret ploys together against other teams near try lines. It's weird to me a 9 & 6 would not be involved in a lot of chat in-game.
So is it just me and my hyperactive mind ?
Or is there something still simmering ?
Can anyone else see it ?
Are you worried ?
Should I be worried ?
