2019
- We played the Raiders in round 15
- We won 22-16
- Bailey Simonsson was playing on the wing for Canberra
- Our spine was
1 - Gutherson
6 - Brown
7 - Moses
9 - Mahoney
2020
- COVID
2021
- We played the Broncos in round 7
- We won 46-6
- Our spine was
1 - Gutherson
6 - Brown
7 - Moses
9 - Mahoney
- Our side looked arguably stronger than this weeks line up.
- Broncos line up looks strong 'on paper' too. Well it certainly doesnt look terrible.
2022
- We played Cowboys in round 8
- We lost 35-4
- Our spine was
1 - Gutherson
6 - Arthur
7 - Moses
9 - Mahoney
- YES, this was the year Brown was picked in the centres. But I had a looked back and our reserve grade sides had names like Komolafe, Cini, Loizou, and Minhinnick in the backs.... So looking back now I can kind of see why Brad went that way. It's not like any of these names have proven him wrong.
- We had some injuries concerns in our backs at the time and were picking Hayze Perham on the wing. He was getting targetted and manhandled. Seems to have increased his size and strength in more recent years but it hasnt helped him cement a stop at the dogs, so there's that too. Of note Maika Sivo, Tom Opacic, Waqa Blake, Sean Russell, Haze Dunster, and even the then surprisingly reliably 'good' centre Marata Niukore were unavailable. Looking back it made sense to pick the then best reserve grade player and just try to move Brown for a week.
2023
- We played the Broncos in round 8
- We lost 26-16. I think we were completely outplayed though and Broncos looked completely in control of the game from start to finish.
- Our spine was
1- Gutherson
6 - Brown
7 - Moses
9 - Hodgson
- On paper this was probably our best lineup of the year, in terms of injuries and suspensions. The side is arguably much stronger than this weeks line up, considering it contains Harper, Asi, and is missing a halfback.
When you look back at just one game over the last 5 years (i.e. the Darwin game as I have just done) you can kind of see why the "experts" reckon we missed our window. Hopefully not and hopefully we put a big score on against the depleted Redcliffe side. I just cant help but feel this game (in the circumstances) would have been a rare NRL opportunity to win big if we played it at Parramatta. But, now with the heat, no halfback and playing a side expected we are still expected to beat, I wouldnt be surprised if we find a way to lose this one.
Replies
I really hope we scrap the Darwin idea. Maybe the nrl can share the load between teams as there's a following up there but in my opinion playing in 95% humid 30° + is going to take its toll later on in the season.
I agree
share the pain around
Agreed Chief, it's also just a "meh" market to break into. The Hills Shire has close to double the population of Darwin.
Why travel to a sweat-hole across the other side of the country to gain 4 fans?
The Broncos should be the team made to play a game up there. They don't take any games, anywhere. We should be taking games to somewhere in country NSW.
The reality is no one has had a window other than the Panthers these last three years. They've been so far ahead of everyone else at winning big games that the other teams may as well not have existed.
As for the Darwin experiment, surely it's now failed. It's the other side of the country from Parra, there are no obvious connections from the team. It has never ever felt like a home game. If we really wanted to make the Darwin experiment worthwhile we would have had to do major grass roots investment over years to create a young generation of Darwin Eels fans - but the reality is the population up there wouldn't warrant the investment.
It was a really odd choice.
It hasn't gained traction. It's a long travel distance. It's in absurd heat and humidity. And we have lost more than we've won. I hope this is the last time we play there as a home game.
It's always been purely about $$$. And the money has been too good to be true. But some things are more important, ie) winning.
Isn't this based on a sponsorship deal with the NT Govt? According to the link below, we are committed for another year (ends 2025).
https://www.miragenews.com/nt-nrl-fixture-locked-in-for-three-years...
Hate the Darwin game. Time to end it. Bring the game back to Commbank. We have the best stadium in Sydney yet take a game 4000km away. Enough already.
I've been saying this for years. It served a purpose when we were losing every week and were zero chance of a finals appearance , and the money was handy. Last year it virtually cost us a finals shot.
Time to scrap it or at least move it somewhere else.
Maybe Tassie. At least it's cooler there.
Maybe Ipswich in Qld. They have a big following there.
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