Storm Preview - 1x Miracle Needed

In a little over an hour we’ll be facing up against the Storm at their new home ground in Melbourne. Rest assured it’s going to take a miracle for us to pull off a win given the week we’ve had. Two mid-week injuries to Kemp and Kenny and Henjak has once again relied on 19 year olds kids to fill their places. Lockyer has been missing in action from training all week, so the much needed work on his combinations with Hunt won’t be done. Add that to the fact that Lockyer can barely breathe after playing one game a week, we’ll be lucky if he gets through today’s game without suffering a stroke. The only two things we have going for us is a fresh Folau, and an injured Cameron Smith. But that won’t be enough. You need the perfect week’s preparation to beat the Storm, and although they haven’t had the ideal week themselves, I just can’t see how we’re going to get over the line today.

The newspapers this week have been filled with Ivan Henjak babbling on about how he’s bleeding young players into the NRL, how he’s so wonderful for doing it, and how this excuses everything that’s gone wrong so far this season. Bullshit.

There were ample opportunities to give our young guns a chance last season, instead Henjak decided to call upon the services of people like Tonie Carrol, and Palmer Wapau. No offence to either player, I'm just illustrating the point that you can’t sit here in 2010 and say that you haven't had a chance to give the young players NRL experience before now. And as if the timing is now somehow right to do so? We’re giving these kids the chance to play in front of players with ample NRL games under their belt. I can only guess that Ashton Sims and Josh McGuire have shit in Henjak’s cereal or something. Sure Sims is prone to the odd mistake, but he’s worked hard in the games he’s played this season and that’s more than I can say for anyone else in the team whose name doesn’t end in Sam Thaiday.

The madness doesn’t stop there though. After what I can only describe as the worst game of football a winger has ever played, Yow Yeh retains his place in front of Michaels this week. I remember a wonderful time in this clubs history when a mastermind coach would send a player who has a shocker to reserve grade for a week as punishment. Instead Henjak rewards such performances with another week in the NRL. Oh look at that, Beale is back in the team this week aswell. Well deserved...

The point I’m trying to make here is that this season’s shortcomings are not entirely down to injuries and bad luck. They are down to poor team selections over the last 2 seasons; choosing experience when it’s not needed, and leaving experience on the sidelines when it is needed. Henjak, I’ve made up my mind. I’m done with you. We’re the Brisbane Broncos fans. We won’t accept the ‘rebuilding’ excuse. We have a squad capable of reaching the top 8 at the very least. If we don’t make it, then you are the person to blame.

Anyways, bring on the miracle. We’re gonna need it.