The Backrow Conundrum

[Unbreakable]

I've been thinking about creating this topic for a while, thought I'd let the season play out a bit before I brought it up.

We've got 4 backrowers whom are probably good enough to start in a first grade side, the question I put to you is, how are we going to handle this situation?

Sam Thaiday ~ 29 years old - Signed until the end of the 2015 season.
Matt Gillett ~ 25 years old - Signed until the end of the 2016 season.
Alex Glenn ~ 25 years old - Signed until the end of the 2015 season.
Corey Oates ~ 19 years old - Signed until the end of the 2015 season.

- Thaiday will be 30 years old at the end of next season, I think at the very least we should give him a 2 year extension, but I think there's a real situation where we use him as an impact player off the bench, rather than a starter, perhaps for the final year of his career (2017).

- Gillett is in his prime and has shown good improvement this year, I'm still not an enormous fan of him playing lock, misses far too many tackles (I know it's just a number, but I still don't like it), he needs to work on missing less tackles and perhaps trying less flashy plays, but all in all is a great player, and the future of our club.

- Glenn is similar to Gilllet in the sense that he's still missing far too many tackles, he's shown steady progress this season, he's been better than 2013 but still not as good as 2011 & 2012, I think that's in part to the lack of a good Five-Eighth over the last couple of years, I'm hoping he'll become the dangerous ball runner he once was after Milford arrives.

- Oates is a future origin player, without question, he's still raw.. but he's got immense talent, and he's strong as hell, I'd be very tempted to find a permanent starting position for him as soon as next year, at the very latest in 2016, sign him for as long as you can, as soon as you can.

.. In conclusion, what do you guys think would be the best course of action in the next few years in regards to our abundance of good backrowers? I'd be willing to give Thaiday until the age of 32 or so, as long as he understands that there's a real scenario where he could be coming off the bench for a season or two. Gillett shouldn't be playing lock, he's a backrower, but there's very little we can do until Parker retires in 2016, hence why we need to start finding (or blooding) some more props to fill the void. Alex Glenn.. what do we do with you, a great player that I really enjoy watching, some people see him as a future captain of the club, I think he has those attributes, I'm just not sure if he's in our top 2 players in the backrow post Corey Parker era, may need to think about not re-signing him.. and last but not least Oates, sign him to a long extension as soon as you can, will partner Gillett in the backrow for many a year.

2015 -

8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Parker
11. Glenn
12. Thaiday
13. Gillett

2016 -

8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Parker
11. Oates
12. Thaiday
13. Gillett

2017 -

8. <Insert prop here> (Jarrod Wallace?) (Joe Ofahengaue?)
9. McCullough
10. <Insert prop here> (Francis Molo?) (Ajuma Adams?)
11. Oates
12. Gillett
13. McGuire

14. Thaiday

 

[Anonymous person]

Get rid of Thaiday. He's on big money, and he's nowhere near worth it.

 

[Brett]

Interesting topic!

We need to retain Thaiday, that's a given. He's still in good form and while he does get a bit lazy sometimes, he's extremely experienced and adds a lot to the side.

I think our best forward pack is:

8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Hannant
11. Thaiday
12. Gillett
13. Parker

Parker has packed on a lot of weigh over the last couple months to handle the Front Row a bit more effectively. Much like Ben Creagh at St. George. But, he's not a Front Rower. Say all you want about he still plays the middle third blah blah, fact is, he's probably the best Lock Forward in the game and plays there for State and Country.

McGuire is a straight replacement for Parker at Lock, IMO, after Parker retires. Guy tackles all day, runs all day and is tough as nails - he's got that Shaun Fensom feel about him, only he's faster and more mobile.

Gillett should be running lines on the right hand side off Hunt all day. He's already scored 2 great tries this season running inside lines off Barba and made numerous line breaks running off Hunt.

I don't have a spot for Glenn really. Maybe on the bench; he could come on and do some hard yards up the middle. He's an excellent player, but I have no room for him unfortunately.

Oates needs to be given as much game time as possible over the remainder of this season and next season. He'll be one of the best Backrowers in the comp in a couple of years and we should be getting him match fit.

I have Hannant in my Front Row because I think he still offers plenty. He's got experience, he's got a big motor and he's tough.

We need to either promote or purchase 2 Front Rowers over the remainder of this season and next season.

 

[badyon]

It's not just that Gillett misses tackles. Its how he tackles. Look at his first tackle game 1 origin this year. Goes in with arms flapping, misses, reels away checking if he has done a nail. Bloody embarrassing, and pathetic if you are a maroons / broncos supporter.

Glenn is too short, slow and waay overrated.

If you remove those two it is pretty easy -> start Parker, Thaiday, Mcguire in the backrow. Oates and one of the above two (Gillett or Glenn on the bench). Get some frontrowers who can work like Matt Scott.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Happy to keep them all if they don't want or expect a payrise. Thaiday will be looking at a pay cut for sure and so should Glenn. Oates will get some sort of upgrade as he is the future and he will get offers from elsewhere.

 

[rnabokov]

It's not just that Gillett misses tackles. Its how he tackles. Look at his first tackle game 1 origin this year. Goes in with arms flapping, misses, reels away checking if he has done a nail. Bloody embarrassing, and pathetic if you are a maroons / broncos supporter.

Glenn is too short, slow and waay overrated.

If you remove those two it is pretty easy -> start Parker, Thaiday, Mcguire in the backrow. Oates and one of the above two (Gillett or Glenn on the bench). Get some frontrowers who can work like Matt Scott.

Definitely. Drop Gillett and Glenn to QCup ASAP and get AP to coach them

 

[Broncoman]

Get rid of Thaiday. He's on big money, and he's nowhere near worth it.

Seriously

 

[rnabokov]

Seriously

Yes. I forgot Thaiday. Off to QCup with him and Gillett and Glenn and AP to coach them how to play properly.

Better, sell them to the Eels ... no, no ... the Raiders!

 

[Brett]

Let's go, Broncos.

 

[Alec]

- Gillett is in his prime and has shown good improvement this year, I'm still not an enormous fan of him playing lock, misses far too many tackles (I know it's just a number, but I still don't like it), he needs to work on missing less tackles and perhaps trying less flashy plays, but all in all is a great player, and the future of our club.

This is why I want coaches to name teams properly. Gillett is certainly not playing lock. Thaiday is.

 

[CaptainHook]

It's not just that Gillett misses tackles. Its how he tackles. Look at his first tackle game 1 origin this year. Goes in with arms flapping, misses, reels away checking if he has done a nail. Bloody embarrassing, and pathetic if you are a maroons / broncos supporter.

Glenn is too short, slow and waay overrated.

Agree 100%

Lowrie is our best back rower, IMO. He's really showing his stuff now that he's getting decent minutes. Not sure how long his deal is for with us but hope he sticks around. A much better defender than those two, but that's to be expected with his Storm background.

Only problem is he's not 'flashy.' Just a solid contributor who does his job week in, week out.

 

[Cult]

Agree 100%

Lowrie is our best back rower, IMO. He's really showing his stuff now that he's getting decent minutes. Not sure how long his deal is for with us but hope he sticks around. A much better defender than those two, but that's to be expected with his Storm background.

Only problem is he's not 'flashy.' Just a solid contributor who does his job week in, week out.

Lowrie has shown some pretty piss weak efforts in defense this year too.

 

[CaptainHook]

Lowrie has shown some pretty **** weak efforts in defense this year too.

I'd still give him the benefit of the doubt. Guys like Reed have shown **** weak efforts for years and still gets a gig. But he had an awesome game against Lyon a few weeks ago so will most probably have secured a ten year deal.

 

[Alec]

Agree 100%

Lowrie is our best back rower, IMO. He's really showing his stuff now that he's getting decent minutes. Not sure how long his deal is for with us but hope he sticks around. A much better defender than those two, but that's to be expected with his Storm background.

Only problem is he's not 'flashy.' Just a solid contributor who does his job week in, week out.

If Lowrie is our best back rower, we are in real friggin trouble.

I really don't think he's anywhere close though.

 

[CaptainHook]

If Lowrie is our best back rower, we are in real friggin trouble.

I really don't think he's anywhere close though.

That's cool. Everyone has their opinion. Who do you think our best back rower has been? I don't think Glenn has had a good year - been very inconsistent. Gillett has been good with some game changing plays but he does make some big errors that can also be costly.

 

[Big Pete]

Wow, and here I was thinking I was a Lowrie 'sympathiser'.

I cannot understand how he can be rated over Glenn, Thaiday or Gillett. He's an honest toiler who can do a 'job' off the bench, no more, no less.

Glenn is a great metre eater down the fringes and can create momentum, Gillett is one of the most lethal backrows in the competition and is a star of the team while Thaiday has wound back the clock and is a source of inspiration for the team.

Lowrie is just a guy.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Wow, and here I was thinking I was a Lowrie 'sympathiser'.

I cannot understand how he can be rated over Glenn, Thaiday or Gillett. He's an honest toiler who can do a 'job' off the bench, no more, no less.

Glenn is a great metre eater down the fringes and can create momentum, Gillett is one of the most lethal backrows in the competition and is a star of the team while Thaiday has wound back the clock and is a source of inspiration for the team.

Lowrie is just a guy.

David Stagg MKII

 

[I bleed Maroon]

This thread gave me cancer.