2009 Brisbane Broncos season
| 2009 Brisbane Broncos season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL rank | 6th | |||
| Play-off result | Lost Preliminary Final, (Melbourne Storm, 40–10) | |||
| 2008 record | Wins: 14; losses: 10 | |||
| Points scored | For: 511; against: 566 | |||
| Team information | ||||
| Managing Director | Bruno Cullen | |||
| Head Coach | Ivan Henjak | |||
| Captain | ||||
| Stadium | Suncorp Stadium | |||
| Avg. attendance | 34,587 | |||
| Agg. attendance | 415,046 | |||
| High attendance | 50,109 (Round 19 v Rabbitohs) | |||
| Low attendance | 20,114 (Round 22 v Sharks) | |||
| Top scorers | ||||
| Tries | Israel Folau (17) | |||
| Goals | Corey Parker (75) | |||
| Points | Corey Parker (170) | |||
| ||||
| ||||
The 2009 Brisbane Broncos season was the 22nd in the club's history and their first without foundation coach Wayne Bennett. They competed in the NRL's 2009 Telstra Premiership and by the 12th round were leading the competition, but then suffered one of their worst post-State of Origin form slumps ever and spent rounds 16 to 22 outside the top eight. The team managed to finish the regular season 6th (out of 16), qualifying for the finals for the 18th consecutive year. The Broncos then came within one match of the grand final but were knocked out for the 3rd season in a row by eventual premiers the Melbourne Storm (who months later were found to have been cheating the salary cap over the previous four seasons and had all honours achieved during the period nullified by the NRL).
Season summary
Early season (Round 1—11)
In March 2009, the Broncos' post-Bennett era got off to a thrilling start in Round 1 when they defeated the North Queensland Cowboys 19–18 at Suncorp Stadium, in the first game with new coach Ivan Henjak in charge. Star signing Israel Folau scored his first try in Broncos colours and the first try of the season for the club in the 6th minute, followed by NRL debutantes Antonio Winterstein and Jharal Yow Yeh who also scored. Halfback Peter Wallace kicked the match winning field goal.[1] In Round 2, the Broncos defeated the Melbourne Storm for the first time since the 2006 NRL Grand Final. Israel Folau went up against his old club for the first time and scored a try in the 11th minute, his second for the season.[2] In Round 3, the Broncos travelled to Auckland to take on the Warriors and for the second year in a row, the Broncos won the opening three rounds of the season, defeating the New Zealand Warriors 26–10 at Mt Smart Stadium. In the following days Shane Webcke, who had been appointed assistant coach for Brisbane at the start of the season quit his post in the wake of controversy surrounding the release of his new book in which he was critical of some Broncos personnel.
In April 2009, Wayne Bennett coached against the Broncos for the first time, with the premiership-winning mentor returning to Suncorp Stadium in Round 4 with his St. George Illawarra Dragons, along with former Broncos players Darius Boyd, Neville Costigan and Wendell Sailor. The Broncos conceded their first loss of the season with the Dragons defeating the Broncos 25—12, with Sailor scoring a try.[3] This was the Dragons' 8th straight win against the Broncos. In Round 5, the Broncos defeated the Sydney Roosters 24—28 at the Sydney Football Stadium, continuing their 7-year winning streak in the Good Friday match against the Roosters, In round 7, Darren Lockyer answered his critics as he helped the Broncos to a 40–8 win over the Parramatta Eels at Suncorp Stadium. Lockyer had a hand in most of the Broncos seven tries with Karmichael Hunt scoring three of the seven tries himself.
In May 2009, Darren Lockyer's 300th game did not go as planned when they faced the Newcastle Knights in Round 8. The match was played in torrential rain at EnergyAustralia Stadium, with the Broncos losing 28—12, the match punctuated by a 35-minute half-time break. In round 10, Israel Folau equalled the club record for most tries in a match when he scored 4 tries against the Gold Coast Titans at Suncorp Stadium. In Round 11, the Broncos beat a strong Wests Tigers side who were playing their 10th anniversary match, in a 20–18 win at Campbelltown Stadium.
Mid season slump (Round 13—21)
In June 2009, the Broncos suffered one of their worst defeats in the club's history when they lost 48–4 against the Melbourne Storm at Olympic Park in Round 13.[4] The loss is also equalled second in the Broncos worst defeats. In the lead-up to the Round 14 fixture against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, both the Broncos and Bulldogs were affected by the swine flu, with the Broncos almost boycotting the match due to quarantine orders. The Broncos gave up a 18—16 half-time lead to lose 22—44.[5] Round 15 against the Sharks, the Broncos were without the availability of their 2011 Origin players, and debuts were handed to Dale Copley and Ben Hunt at Toyota Stadium. The Broncos lost 12—46.[6][7] In Round 16, the Broncos lost to the Parramatta Eels 21—14.[8]
In July 2009, boosted by the return of Tonie Carroll coming out of retirement, the Broncos snapped their 5-game losing streak, with a 28–14 win over the Warriors at Suncorp in Round 17.[9] In Round 19, the Broncos again were defeated by a big margin at Suncorp, this time by the South Sydney Rabbitohs, losing 12—44. The Broncos had only won 1 game out of their last 6 games, and by the end of the round had found themselves outside the top eight for the first time during the season, leaving their finals hopes in danger.[10] Karmichael Hunt made the announcement that he would be departing at seasons end and switching codes with the Gold Coast Suns.[11][12]
In August 2009, days after the announcement of Karmichael Hunt's defection to AFL, the Broncos suffered one of their worst losses in their history, losing 56–0 to the Canberra Raiders 56–0 at Canberra Stadium in Round 21.[13]
Late season charge (Round 22—Preliminary Final)
After losing 7 of their last 8 matches, the Broncos bounced back with a 30–10 win over the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in Round 22 at Suncorp, keeping their finals hopes alive. In Round 23, the Broncos demolished the Penrith Panthers 58—24 at Suncorp, putting themselves back inside the top eight for the first time since Round 18. In Round 24, the Broncos again took on Wayne Bennett and his Dragons, this time at WIN Stadium. The Broncos winning a hard fought 12—2 contest, their first win against the Dragons since Round 6 2006. In Round 25, the Broncos secured their 18th straight finals appearance when they beat Queensland rivals North Queensland Cowboys 16—10 at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
In September 2009, the Broncos made it 5 straight wins, defeating the Raiders 22—10 at Suncorp in Round 26. The Broncos finishing the regular season in 6th position, with 14 wins and 10 losses. The Broncos were the first opponent for the Gold Coast Titans competing in their first ever finals series. The Broncos survived a late comeback from the Titans holding on to a 40–32 win at Skilled Stadium. The Broncos made it consecutive wins over the Dragons for the first time since 2004 and their first win against the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium since 2004 with a 24–10 win against the Dragons in the semi-final at Suncorp Stadium. Source:[14] Their chances against Melbourne in the grand final qualifier suffered a major blow when in form halfback Peter Wallace broke his ankle toward the end of that win against the Dragons. The Broncos 2009 season came to an end in the Preliminary Final going down 40–10 to eventual premiers, the Melbourne Storm at Etihad Stadium.
Squad information
- As of 26 September 2009
Squad changes
Transfers in
| Date | Position | Player | From | Year/s | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 March 2008 | Centre | Israel Folau | Melbourne Storm | 2 Years | [15][16] |
| 15 July 2008 | Second-row | Ben Te'o | Wests Tigers | 1 Year | [17] |
| 26 July 2008 | Second-row | Lagi Setu | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 1 Year | [18] |
| 27 September 2008 | Hooker | Aaron Gorrell | Catalans Dragons | 1 Year | [19] |
| 2008 | Wing | Antonio Winterstein | Easts Tigers | — | — |
| 2008 | Prop | Aaron Sweeney | Ipswich Jets | 1 Year | — |
| 30 June 2009 | Second-row | Tonie Carroll | Retirement | End of season | [20] |
Transfers out
| Date | Position | Player | To | Year/s | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 January 2008 | Lock | Tonie Carroll | Retirement | N/a | [21] |
| 27 May 2008 | Prop | Ben Hannant | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 3 Years | [22] |
| 28 May 2008 | Wing | Denan Kemp | New Zealand Warriors | 2 Years | [23] |
| 2 June 2008 | Hooker | Michael Ennis | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 3 Years | [24] |
| 21 June 2008 | Centre | Joel Moon | New Zealand Warriors | 3 Years | [25] |
| 20 August 2008 | Centre | Darius Boyd | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 3 Years | [26] |
| 14 August 2008 | Lock | Greg Eastwood | Leeds Rhinos | 3 Years | [27] |
| 27 September 2008 | Halfback | Shane Perry | Catalans Dragons | 1 Year | [19] |
| 2008 | Centre | Nick Emmett | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 2 Years | |
| 22 December 2008 | Second-row | David Stagg | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 2 Years | [28] |
Coaching staff
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Ivan Henjak | Head coach |
| Paul Green | Assistant Coach |
| Allan Langer | Skills Coach |
| Peter Ryan | Defensive Coach |
| Dean Benton | Physical Performance Director |
| Andrew Croll | Athletic Performance Coach |
| Dan Baker | Strength Coach |
| Tim Gabbett | Sports Scientist |
| Anthony Griffin | Under-20s Coach |
Shane Webcke was an Assistant Coach up until 6 April 2009, when he resigned from his role due to the controversy surrounding his auto-biography "Hard Road".[29] In addition, international cricketer and long-time Broncos fan Andrew Symonds was adopted by the club in an unpaid role assisting the coaching staff following his exile from cricket.
Staff changes
Transfers in
| Date | Role | Person | From | Year/s | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 April 2008 | Head coach | Ivan Henjak | Assistant coach | 2 Years | [30][31] |
| 1 May 2008 | Performance Director | Dean Benton | Leicester Tigers | — | [32][33] |
Transfers out
| Date | Role | Person | To | Year/s | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 February 2008 | Director of Coaching | Wayne Bennett | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 3 Years | [34][35] |
| 1 May 2008 | Performance Director | Jeremy Hickmans | St. George Illawarra Dragons | — | |
Matches
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 548 | 329 | +219 | 38 | |
| 2 | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 575 | 428 | +147 | 381 | |
| 3 | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 514 | 467 | +47 | 36 | |
| 4 | 24 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 505 | 348 | +157 | 33 | |
| 5 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 549 | 459 | +90 | 32 | |
| 6 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 511 | 566 | −55 | 32 | |
| 7 | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 508 | 491 | +17 | 30 | |
| 8 | 24 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 476 | 473 | +3 | 29 | |
| 9 | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 558 | 483 | +75 | 28 | |
| 10 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 566 | 549 | +17 | 27 | |
| 11 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 515 | 589 | −74 | 27 | |
| 12 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 558 | 474 | +84 | 26 | |
| 13 | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 489 | 520 | −31 | 22 | |
| 14 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 377 | 565 | −188 | 20 | |
| 15 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 359 | 568 | −209 | 14 | |
| 16 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 382 | 681 | −299 | 14 | |
1 The Bulldogs were deducted 2 competition points after an interchange breach in Round 2.
Representative honours
This table lists all players who played a representative match in 2009.
| Player | 2009 Anzac Test | City vs Country Origin | State of Origin 1 | State of Origin 2 | State of Origin 3 | 2009 Four Nations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Israel Folau | Australia | N/a | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | — |
| Justin Hodges | Australia | N/a | Queensland | — | Queensland | Australia |
| Karmichael Hunt | — | N/a | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | — |
| Darren Lockyer (c) | Australia (c) | N/a | Queensland (c) | Queensland (c) | Queensland (c) | Australia (c) |
| Sam Thaiday | — | N/a | Queensland | Queensland | Queensland | Australia |
| Peter Wallace | — | City | New South Wales | New South Wales | — | — |
Statistics
| Player | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corey Parker | 5 | 75 | 0 | 170 |
| Israel Folau | 17 | 0 | 0 | 68 |
| Antonio Winterstein | 14 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| Karmichael Hunt | 11 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| Jharal Yow Yeh | 9 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Steve Michaels | 8 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| Alex Glenn | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Peter Wallace | 2 | 6 | 1 | 21 |
| David Taylor | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Ben Te'o | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Darren Lockyer | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Justin Hodges | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Sam Thaiday | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Lagi Setu | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Joel Clinton | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Josh McGuire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Ashton Sims | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Andrew McCullough | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Nick Kenny | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| TOTAL | 103 | 81 | 1 | 585 |
Awards
League
- Nil
Club
- Player of the year: Corey Parker[36]
- Rookie of the year: Andrew McCullough
- Back of the year: Justin Hodges
- Forward of the year: Sam Thaiday
- Club man of the year: Nick Kenny
NRL Under-20s
In 2009, the Broncos Under-20s team was again coached by Anthony Griffin. The 2008 captain, Alex Glenn was replaced as captain by lock Guy Ford after Glenn graduated to the NRL squad on a full-time basis.[37] The Broncos Under-20s finished the regular season in 5th position, with 15 wins and 9 losses. The Broncos were defeated by eventual premiers, the Melbourne Storm in the preliminary finals 40-16.
Gerard Beale, Dale Copley, David Hala, Ben Hunt, Josh McGuire and Jharal Yow Yeh all made their NRL debuts throughout the 2009 NRL season.
Notable statistics
| Statistic | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Most Tries | Todd Murphy | 15 Tries (24 Games) |
| Most Goals | Corey Norman | 52/70 @72.29%[38] |
| Most Points | Ben Hunt, Corey Norman | 132 Points |
| Most Games | Tariq Sims | 27 Games[37] |
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 879 | 417 | +462 | 39 | Advance to finals series | |
| 2 | 24 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 758 | 461 | +297 | 38 | ||
| 3 | 24 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 833 | 597 | +236 | 38 | ||
| 4 | 24 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 709 | 588 | +121 | 31 | ||
| 5 | 24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 698 | 551 | +147 | 30 | ||
| 6 | 24 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 776 | 568 | +208 | 27 | ||
| 7 | 24 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 725 | 612 | +113 | 27 | ||
| 8 | 24 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 706 | 685 | +21 | 24 | ||
| 9 | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 668 | 683 | −15 | 24 | ||
| 10 | 24 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 596 | 756 | −160 | 19 | ||
| 11 | 24 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 649 | 867 | −218 | 19 | ||
| 12 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 604 | 698 | −94 | 16 | ||
| 13 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 573 | 755 | −182 | 16 | ||
| 14 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 542 | 738 | −196 | 16 | ||
| 15 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 443 | 736 | −293 | 12 | ||
| 16 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 391 | 838 | −447 | 8 |
(M) Minor premiers; (P) Premiers; (W) Wooden spoon
References
- ↑ Goraya, Raman (13 March 2009). "Broncos win cracking Queensland showdown". ABC. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
- ↑ Franklin, Daniel (20 March 2009). "Broncos clear Storm clouds over Brisbane". ABC. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- ↑ Paine, Chris (3 April 2009). "Saint Benny enjoys happy homecoming". ABC. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
- ↑ Paine, Chris (5 June 2009). "Melbourne Maroons smash Origin mates". ABC News. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ↑ Paine, Chris (12 June 2009). "Bulldogs race clear from tired Broncos". ABC News. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
- ↑ Jackson, Ed (22 June 2009). "Cronulla Sharks beat Brisbane Broncos 46-12". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
- ↑ Goraya, Raman (22 June 2009). "Sharks teach baby Broncos a lesson". ABC News. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
- ↑ "Eels limp to victory over bruised Broncos". ABC News. 28 June 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
- ↑ "Bright Broncos snap losing streak". ABC News. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
- ↑ Zander, Joel (17 July 2009). "Bunnies bludgeon abysmal Broncos". ABC News. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- ↑ "Gold Coast Football Club Sign Karmichael Hunt To Play AFL". Gold Coast Suns. 29 July 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ↑ "AFL counting itself 'lucky' to snare Hunt". ABC News. 29 July 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ↑ Paine, Chris (1 August 2009). "Broncos ravaged in Canberra". ABC. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
- ↑ "2009 NRL Season Schedule" (PDF). Fox Sports Australia.
- ↑ McLean, Trad (30 March 2008). "Israel To Be A Bronco". Brisbane Broncos - Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ Lutton, Phil (31 March 2008). "Broncos Hose Down Money Talk". Brisbane Broncos - Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ McLean, Trad (15 July 2008). "Broncos Lock Up Big Three". Brisbane Broncos - Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ McLean, Trad (26 July 2008). "Setu To Be A Bronco". Brisbane Broncos - Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 28 July 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - 1 2 "Perry links up with Dragons". Sky Sports. 27 September 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
- ↑ "Carroll returns to Broncos". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
- ↑ Ricketts, Steve (11 January 2008). "Carroll Sacrifices For The Broncos". Brisbane Broncos. The Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008.
- ↑ "Bulldogs secure Hannant's services". ABC News. 27 May 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2008.
- ↑ "Vodafone Warriors Sign Brisbane Speedster Kemp For Two Years". New Zealand Warriors. 28 May 2008. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ "Ambitious Bulldogs snare Bronco Ennis". ABC News. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
- ↑ "Warriors sign another Bronco". NZ Herald. 21 June 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
- ↑ "Boyd To Join The Dragons In 2009". Dragons - Wayback Machine. 20 August 2008. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "Leeds finalises Eastwood deal". ABC News. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
- ↑ "Broncos lose Stagg to Bulldogs". ABC News. 22 December 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
- ↑ "Assistant coach Shane Webcke has quit his position at the Brisbane Broncos in the fallout from his controversial book". Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
- ↑ McLean, Trad (19 April 2008). "Henjak New Coach Of Broncos". Brisbane Broncos - Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "Henjak named Broncos coach". ABC. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
- ↑ McLean, Trad (1 May 2008). "Broncos Name New Coaching Staff". Brisbane Broncos - Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "Langer, Webcke hired as Broncos assistants". ABC. 1 May 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2008.
- ↑ McLean, Trad (5 February 2008). "Bennett To Finish In 2008". Brisbane Broncos - Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "Bennett confirms Dragons appointment". ABC. 1 April 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
- ↑ "Honour Board". broncos.com.au. Brisbane Broncos. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- 1 2 "National Youth Competition 2009 - Brisbane Broncos (Y)". Rugby League Project. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
- ↑ "National Youth Competition - Brisbane Broncos - 2009". The 18th Man. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
