RUMOUR Did Brodie Croft just become a Bronco over brunch at a Sydney cafe?

The local junior was born from boundaries and import rules and they don’t exist anymore. It’s nice if you jag your Wayne Pearce but in reality the world has got smaller- you can’t miss a kid in Toowoomba because you’re focused just on Balmain.

It was largely done for you anyway. Kids were zoned for you and they had no choice who to play for.

It’s so much easier now to find that kid when in the past unless a teacher rang and had some relationship with Barnes he wasn’t going to Balmain and might have even done a Hancock and never left.

You can’t neglect your local area but you have to go wider now and I think local junior has been replaced by made his debut.
Yeah I agree 100% that its evaporating really quickly and I think that demise is probably inevitable. I'm just saying that it was one thing that always made Rugby League in Australia a little bit special and I think that once that idea is gone, even if it was a fairly romantic idea without a lot of recent reality, it will make Rugby League a lot more like every other sport, both for better and for worse as well.
 
Brodie Croft ‘doesn’t get on well with Cam Smith’ ... and it’s one reason he’s leaving Storm


  • September 27, 2019 6:16am
  • Simon Brunsdon
Brodie Croft and Cameron Smith reportedly don’t gel well at the Storm.

Brodie Croft and Cameron Smith reportedly don’t gel well at the Storm.Source: Getty Images

Brodie Croft’s marriage with Melbourne was always going to be a little rocky due to his relationship with Cameron Smith, according to Paul Kent. The senior News Corp journalist and NRL 360 co-host told the Thursday night program Croft and Smith were struggling to gel, given their differing outlooks on life. The conversation followed the revelation on Thursday Croft met with Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold at a Sydney cafe. The young Storm halfback is said to be headed to the Broncos for 2020, if he can get a deal and cut his current contract short by two years.

“(Croft is) not a popular member of the (Storm) team ... not from a personality point of view, but he doesn’t get on particularly well with Cameron Smith which is a big issue,” Kent said.
“From a football perspective, there’s just a clash of styles. Brodie is a millennial, Cameron is very much from a different school.

“I think it’s just the different way they look at life. “That’s a part of it. Football is also a part of it. Given (Ryan) Papenhuyzen’s form you had to find a way to get him in there, and (Jahrome) Hughes is going terrific.” Croft was groomed as a successor to champion No.7 Cooper Cronk when the latter moved to Bondi last year.

But it’s been a tumultuous time in the southern capital over the past 18 months.
Croft played in the losing 2018 grand final team but his place in the side still came under question, and he was axed a week before this year’s finals series. Young fullback Papenhuyzen was brought into the team and Hughes moved to the halfback role.

Senior Fox Sports reporter James Hooper first broke the story Brisbane was interested in the young halfback. Thursday’s meeting with Seibold makes the deal look all but done. “They’ve just got to nut out the dollars and cents. They’ve got to strike a price, get it right,” Hooper said. “Brodie is still signed with Melbourne for next year and the year after, so he’s got two years to go.” Hooper said Melbourne is keen to offload Croft but don’t want to chip in any of his salary.


 
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So really, the term ‘great’ for these media clowns is just any retired player.
He was a premiership winning five eighth, who played 2 games for Australia and 17 for QLD, with that notable debut at 18 when even the coach didn't recognize him.
 
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Chad Townsend. Luke Keary.
Like who?

It isn’t all that difficult to imagine that quality ‘experienced’ halves aren’t exactly running around without a contract just hoping that a club is looking for just such a player to bolster their roster...
 
I would be happy with Croft if he can get his bad habits out of his game.

When he's playing simple footy, he's a good halfback and he'll be a good foil for Milford. It could be a very successful halves pairing. However, he has a habit of overplaying his hand which is one of the reasons why he is in and out of the Melbourne side. He keeps trying to come up with the miracle play, especially when the Storm are behind. He just needs to play simple footy. Guide the forwards, do the kicking and let Milford do the rest.

If he can do that, he'll be a good signing.
 
Brodie Croft ‘doesn’t get on well with Cam Smith’

No really? Somebody doesn't get on with Cam Smith? Nah that can't be true.
 
I would be happy with Croft if he can get his bad habits out of his game.

When he's playing simple footy, he's a good halfback and he'll be a good foil for Milford. It could be a very successful halves pairing. However, he has a habit of overplaying his hand which is one of the reasons why he is in and out of the Melbourne side. He keeps trying to come up with the miracle play, especially when the Storm are behind. He just needs to play simple footy. Guide the forwards, do the kicking and let Milford do the rest.

If he can do that, he'll be a good signing.

Sounds exactly like the Broncos complete 2019 game plan : hope for the miracle play.

As for playing simple and guiding the forwards, yes, that new and wonderful aspect of our game plan will be most welcome. Otherwise, Croft can only play how Seibold's game plan allows him to play. The entire Broncos fiasco is a lot more than individual players.
 
Brodie Croft ‘doesn’t get on well with Cam Smith’

No really? Somebody doesn't get on with Cam Smith? Nah that can't be true.

No, you mean that can't be a true of a player at the Cameron's Storm.
 
If you watch Brodie he is always barking orders and you can tell he really wants control of the team. Obviously this doesn’t, and probably shouldn’t, fly at the storm while smith is there. Fortunately for us, this could be exactly what we need providing he makes the right decisions.
 
If you watch Brodie he is always barking orders and you can tell he really wants control of the team. Obviously this doesn’t, and probably shouldn’t, fly at the storm while smith is there. Fortunately for us, this could be exactly what we need providing he makes the right decisions.

The other aspects of Croft's game I have seen and like is, as others here have also observed, his balance, speed, footwork and short passing game. His defence from what I have seen is also good. I don't know where others have seen deficiencies?

For mine, his skills are at a level above Dearden and SOS at this point in their development. I like Croft's game and think he will be an asset to this side if he is indeed signed.
 
If there’s no fullback signings planned then he can go to 5/8 with Milf at the back. Simples.
 
Weren't there rumours last year that Cam just didn't like Croft all that much or something along those lines.

Could just be a personality thing between them... and now he's on the outer with the senior players
Sounds like the DCE exile from qld all over. Wasn't that another case of not getting on with cam so you just get hosed over until he moves on. I'm happy at the thought of croft Storm don't seem to make mistakes in their talent id and development and he spent a lot of time in there system, so he has something. Only problem seems to be that paul bunn didn't run it all past cam to make sure he's a cam sort of guy.
 
I think the simple facts is that Croft is from an elite grammar school and Smith grew up playing for a Logan Bogan school so I would imagine the culture clash would be enormous between the two. Still I'm sure he'll get on well with Patty despite the healthy rivalry that exists between their respective schools.
 
Wallace is from penrith (st marys)

born in Melborune

He was a premiership winning five eighth, who played 2 games for Australia and 17 for QLD, with that notable debut at 18 when even the coach didn't recognize him.

didn't do that with us ... in fact, i can't recall anything he did that would make him a "great" of OUR club
 

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