Devising a plan to slay the Dragons

By Glen Humphries
Updated November 5 2012 - 10:05pm, first published August 21 2009 - 12:42am
Devising a plan to slay the Dragons
Devising a plan to slay the Dragons

If Brisbane Broncos coach Ivan Henjak hasn't devised a game plan for tonight's game, he doesn't have to worry.He can use one of the hundred or so that have been floating around the media this week.There's been five-point plans, six-point plans, seven-point plans, all detailing how to beat the Dragons. All devised from the tactics used by Raiders coach David Furner in last weekend's win over the Red V.

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  • Listen to Graham Wilson's new Dragons songIt seems the media has now dubbed Furner as some sort of supercoach, the man who got one over on Wayne Bennett.Jeez, if he really was a supercoach, why is his team in 13th spot - just six points from the wooden spoon? If he's such a supercoach, why does his team wait until they're out of the finals before deciding to play like champions?Supercoach? Pfft.Anyway, what was the basis of all these fantastic plans to beat the Dragons? Be aggressive and move up quickly in defence, play the game in their half and put pressure on the kickers. Jeez, if that's the sort of tactics a supercoach has to come up with, I'm sending off my CV next time there's an NRL vacancy.Come off it - there's nothing groundbreaking in that game plan. Anybody could have told you that's how to play if you want to beat the Dragons. Because that's how you need to play to beat any team.This weekend, I can guarantee you every team will be adopting these exact tactics - and only one of them will be playing the Dragons.Secret game plans ... jeez, settle down, people.Also on tonight's game, some are tipping it could turn into a huge stinkfest with more players in the sinbin than on the field. They reckon the two forward packs will try to out-aggro each other and the Dragons will get rattled like last weekend.While I like a bit of biff as much as the next person, I can't see the Dragons falling into that trap two weeks in a row.What I can see is Justin Hodges thinking about continuing the bad blood from Origin III where Dragons and NSW prop Justin Poore lifted an unconscious Steve Price.In that game, Hodges played Mr Tough Guy, gesturing to a NSW player to step across the sidelines for a punch-up after the on-field officials had come between the two teams.Hodges' actions reminded me of a kid hiding behind his mum while making faces at you, secure in the knowledge you won't dare smash him in the mouth.So while he might think about the biff, I don't think he'll bother starting anything. At least not until the referee or one of the Broncos forwards is between him and his opponent. Then he'll start pulling faces.
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