NEWS Pursuit over as Broncos finally get their man

[Kooly87]

Issue with SoS was that he was already the slowest person on the planet, and will likely just be slower now.

Yep it's true he may just be a little below NRL pace, but honestly if you saw his Queensland Cup form last year, the numbers are clear that he was going along really nicely and probably had the form to suggest he should have been picked ahead of Dearden initially.

 

[rnabokov]

I seriously haven't seen anything from him yet apart from composure.

When you compare him to the likes of other rookie halves like

Brown (EELS) Lewis (BULLDOGS) Walters (STORM)

Dearden hasn't really done anything where you could say wow, what a play! Future star!

He was just, ok, you didn't **** anything up good job.


I honestly don't see what all the hype is about when the likes of the above are coming into grade

With the way the team has been playing, a game plan based on myopia and meat, what do you really expect

 

[lynx000]

How’s this gonna play out tho? Croft does 2-3 years, Dearden gets a few games here and there and then what - Croft departs potentially after a premiership?

Or, we move Milford on if he remains inconsistent and not quite reaching his potential and pay level and have a halves combination of Dearden and Croft.

We are going to have some salary cap to play with once we are rid of Boyd, Macca, and potentially Bird and Milford. If Turpin does not work out, the shopping list will be a quality fullback and hooker.

 

[Mitch06]

Croft probably will be our best signing since Milford. As in, new player from another club.

TPJ

 

[Kooly87]

TPJ

I presume he's talking about guys who cracked first grade and got established in first grade at other clubs.

 

[Dazza 92]

Welcome to the Broncos Brodie Croft; a much needed signing and one that alludes to righting the wrongs of our embarrassing capitulation in the finals.

Reckon half the comp would have liked to have signed him, so scare are even half decent halfbacks...

A few thoughts;

1. Croft allows Dearden the space and time to refine his game. I believe this is super important for his long term future. Croft will most likely be unchallenged to start the year but it would do the club good if Dearden can perform in ISC and start forcing Siebs into making a decision. Perhaps after Origin he can help keep Croft honest...?

2. Very few options; with our cap "issues" we didnt have a lot of negotiation room, but what the club did do was be opportunistic, identify early what they could reasonably get, and then execute that plan.

3. Get him in early; the timing is really good, he needs to come in early, get to grips with the place, start building rapport with his new teammates and crucially, begin to have meaningful discussion with Siebold and his backroom staff on how best to steer this young forward pack around and start forming combinations.

All things being equal, I think this is definitely one of the better pieces of recruitment the club have pulled off for a few years. We have finally a good halfback at the club. Partly due to the lack of any better on the market and partly due to what was here already....he is a clear improvement there. Lets see if we can develop him into a great halfback...?

 

[Locky’s Left Boot]

Broncos fans: “We need to buy a fucking halfback ASAP!”

Broncos fans: “Why did we buy Croft for? He is a Storm reject”

There is just no pleasing some people. Anyone would think this is NRL Fantasy and that we have copious amounts of money and options.

All things considered this is a very good value signing and one that improves our team going into 2020 with plenty of upside.

For the people who are shitting on this signing, would you honestly rather put all your faith in and risk your entire season on a 5 game 18 year old rookie who hasn’t even grown into his body yet and hasn’t exactly set the world on fire in those 5 games? If anything having the extra experience and depth is worth its weight in gold.

Croft is the best halfback signing we could make with the money we had unless you live in fantasy land where you somehow convince Manly to pay $700,000 of DCE’s wage to play with us.

 

[Locky’s Left Boot]

You saw us start winning games when he moved into half and Turpin replaced Macca, and then we went to shit again when Turpin took over at half and Macca returned.

I'm looking forward to seeing how we look with Macca nowhere near the team.

Me too... but I have been so scarred mentally by 2019 team selections that I am not even going to let my mind ponder that glorious thought until 9th March 2020 when I see no Boyd and no Macca on team list Tuesday.

Don’t even want to see them in the 21 cause I want there to be a 0% chance of them taking the field

 

[lynx000]

Me too... but I have been so scarred mentally by 2019 team selections that I am not even going to let my mind ponder that glorious thought until 9th March 2020 when I see no Boyd and no Macca on team list Tuesday.

Don’t even want to see them in the 21 cause I want there to be a 0% chance of them taking the field

I'm afraid you might have to get used to McCullough in some role, because he is the only NRL ready back up we have for Turpin at hooker. If Turps can't play the 80, you are likely to see McC in the squad.

 

[Morepudding]

I don't mind if Macca is in the squad to be honest. As long as it's not playing 80 minutes. The games where Macca played 50 minutes he was actually okay. I mean I'd rather Turpin play majority, but Macca tries his guts out and is decent in defence so if he's on the bench, I'm okay with that.

Boyd however, preferably not in the team at all.

 

[Locky’s Left Boot]

I'm afraid you might have to get used to McCullough in some role, because he is the only NRL ready back up we have for Turpin at hooker. If Turps can't play the 80, you are likely to see McC in the squad.

I understand that but if he ends up coming off the bench to relieve Turpin for 10-20 mins I feel like that is a wasted bench spot. That’s why the Segeyaro saga hurts as that 1-2 combo was ideal moving forward and we could have groomed Paix as a 9 as cover.

 

[007]

Do you think Milford will be eating Maccas anymore?
Do you think Dearden will be chilling out (not that he ever was)?

This is the competitive environment required to produce quality footballers. Perform or die contract wise.

 

[M.B.88]

I'm afraid you might have to get used to McCullough in some role, because he is the only NRL ready back up we have for Turpin at hooker. If Turps can't play the 80, you are likely to see McC in the squad.

Paix

 

[Mustafur]

Is Dearden going to be a 6 or you think a reserve?

 

[M.B.88]

Is Dearden going to be a 6 or you think a reserve?

Reserve

 

[pagey]

Is Dearden going to be a 6 or you think a reserve?

Depends who he eventually partners, he looks like he'd be comfortable at 6 or 7.

 

[Unbreakable]

I've been stalking Croft's Instagram for the last few days, monitoring his followers / following, etc.

Moderately interesting development this morning, he followed, and was followed back by DCE. Could of course be absolutely nothing, maybe just wanted to pick his brain in DM's. Or it could be a vast conspiracy theory and the DCE to Broncos rumours were real and DCE will be here in 2021.

It would make sense, Milford will have a player option on the final year of his deal, and there will absolutely be a Sydney club who would talk themselves in to giving him a $5m / 5 year deal. On the flip side, Manly will be absolutely desperate for salary cap relief once the twin turbo extensions kick in, and may very well be open to releasing DCE.

If this does eventuate, and our halves pairing for 2021 is Croft & DCE, I just want you all to know that you heard it here first.

 

[Kooly87]

I've been stalking Croft's Instagram for the last few days, monitoring his followers / following, etc.

Moderately interesting development this morning, he followed, and was followed back by DCE. Could of course be absolutely nothing, maybe just wanted to pick his brain in DM's. Or it could be a vast conspiracy theory and the DCE to Broncos rumours were real and DCE will be here in 2021.

It would make sense, Milford will have a player option on the final year of his deal, and there will absolutely be a Sydney club who would talk themselves in to giving him a $5m / 5 year deal. On the flip side, Manly will be absolutely desperate for salary cap relief once the twin turbo extensions kick in, and may very well be open to releasing DCE.

If this does eventuate, and our halves pairing for 2021 is Croft & DCE, I just want you all to know that you heard it here first.

We can dream I suppose. Personally I'm not sure they would be a great pairing anyway. They're fairly similar players and both would want to run the show. If we didn't bring Croft here to do that, then why did we bring him here at all?

That's before you even deal with the fact that DCE would be 32 by the time the 2021 season kicks off. Sadly if the DCE/Brisbane marriage was ever going to eventuate, it needed to happen a few years ago to be worthwhile.