2014 Halves Pairing

[Grimmiq]

How would everyone feel about a return for Darren Lockyer just for this year? He would have lost a bit of speed and evasiveness but I guarantee his kicking game and 5th tackle options would still be one of the best in the comp and that is what we look to be missing. He's only 36 as well which isn't old by any means. Just wishful thinking on my behalf but curious about what everyone else thinks.

TBH I'd love that..With Johnson re-signing and our chances of picking up either Smith or DCE very slim, I think it would do Hunt a world of good playing 1 season alongside him in the halves. Don't give him back the captaincy, make him Hunt's captain, focusing on teaching him everything he can before Milford's arrival in 2015.

 

[Super Freak]

Apparently Ben Barba will be the 5/8 at the Auckland 9's. If he goes well, the spot is his when the season starts.

That's just a rumour, though. I'm not sure if there is any truth to it.

 

[Allo]

No Cookies | The Courier-Mail

THE Broncos are set to re-launch the Darren Lockyer experiment and turn fullback Ben Barba into a five-eighth.Barba looms as the answer to the Broncos’ halves crisis after Jordan Kahu suffered a cruel anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Barba is now their best option to partner Ben Hunt in the halves, with rookie Zach Strasser the alternative.
Three years after he retired, the Broncos are still searching for a replacement for Lockyer.

Barba would be their most talented No.6 since the legendary playmaker hung up his boots.
Barba will play five-eighth for the Broncos in the inaugural Nines tournament this weekend with Anthony Griffin to unleash a near-first grade side in order to find backline combinations.
If Barba performs, the No.6 jersey is his.
Kahu had been pencilled in for five-eighth this season.
While the severity of his third knee injury in four years will be discovered today, he faces several weeks on the sidelines at a minimum.
Barba played his junior footy at five-eighth and was solid in eight NRL games in the role for Canterbury.
Barba could be dynamic outside halfback Hunt and provide the Broncos with a far stronger backline.

It would send New Zealand Test fullback Josh Hoffman to his preferred position of custodian, a role he wanted so desperately he considered seeking a release from the club.
Rookie Strasser has been training at five-eighth this pre-season but his form in the Broncos’ first trial was solid at best.
Kahu performed better, setting up a try with a classic cut-out pass, but then his knee gave way on the Dolphin Oval turf.
Coach Griffin acknowledged Strasser needed to improve following the 32-8 trial loss to North Queensland.
“He had some good periods and some periods where he got a bit lost, being it was his first game at that level,” Griffin said.
“His first 20 minutes was good though.”
Transforming a star fullback into a match-winning five-eighth is old hat at the Broncos, following Lockyer’s seamless transition.

Griffin is on record that Barba is a five-eighth consideration this year, while Queensland Origin legend Wally Lewis backed the 22-year-old to star in the role.
“If Anthony Griffin is looking at Ben Barba at five-eighth, I have no doubt he can do the job there. I don’t recall too many people questioning his ability to defend,” he said recently.
“Fears of Ben handling five-eighth are no concern for me.”
Dale Copley and Daniel Vidot performed strong for the Broncos proving they have backline depth to cover Hoffman.
The Broncos cannot afford to nurse a rookie as they face Canterbury, North Queensland and reigning premiers Sydney Roosters in their first three games.
Kahu’s awful injury did show there is a strong bond between Broncos teammates.
He was immediately consoled by two men who have been through injury hell and fought back.
“The players and coaching staff are here for him. If he has to do it again he won’t take a step backwards,” Jharal Yow Yeh said.
“I just said to him if it’s the worst, we will get through this mate. He’s gone through this before.
“Hodgo (Justin Hodges) said to him in the sheds ‘look you are only young’ so he has a long road ahead.”

A joint Badel/Garry article, so take it as you will.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Our team definitely looks a lot stronger with Barba at 6, and it'd be nice for Ben Hunt to have a decent halves partner for his first year as our regular halfback. Could be a good permanent move too - I see no reason why 1. Barba 6. Milford is predestined to be more effective than 1. Milford 6. Barba, especially with Milford looking likely to play this season at the back.

 

[Super Freak]

If Barba does play at 5/8, then I would like to see Hodges at the back when he comes back from injury. I think he provides more in attack than what Hoffman does, and Broncos look more dangerous when Hodges has the ball. I would put Vidot at right centre.

I would probably have Hodges at fullback in attack, Hoffman at fullback in defense. Maybe that's too much shifting, but I think it could work.

 

[vertigo]

It's really just being negative for the sake of it. I have to wonder how dramatically this forum would change if we win a premiership. I think some people would still be unhappy.

It's 'negative' based on facts from a large enough time frame and we're sick of it, of course the forum would change if we finally started playing the way we want to but we're being realistic here.. I think you're confusing that with outright pessimism.

Can't wait for the third trial, I think Griffin will be mulling over our halves even going into Round 1 though..

 

[Alec]

Our team definitely looks a lot stronger with Barba at 6, and it'd be nice for Ben Hunt to have a decent halves partner for his first year as our regular halfback. Could be a good permanent move too - I see no reason why 1. Barba 6. Milford is predestined to be more effective than 1. Milford 6. Barba, especially with Milford looking likely to play this season at the back.

Barba's ball playing is pretty limited, he'd be a support type player in the halves (like Maloney or Josh Reynolds). You'd need to cover for him with a top tier ball player elsewhere in the side, kinda like Roosters have with SBW, or the Doggies managed to do with their forwards. We don't really have anyone as skillful though, and with Hoffman at fullback, there will be so much more pressure on Hunt,

 

[Manlyman]

Not a fan of small fullbacks or punctuation but the Broncs best chance this year is Barba at fullback, running off of Parker offloads and hoping that everybody takes as long as the Broncs recruitment guys to to realize that crossing your fingers and hoping they could find another Lockyer from a youth policy that was never going to work in an era of salary cap constraints when there could have been superstars like Thurston, Cronk or DCE at red hill.

Ben Hunt? (I have more chance of winning the lottery) than predicting who will be his halfs partner. Maybe that blonde cheerleader with the big whatsits. Get the brunette one in there too. They would at least show some umm ballplaying skills.

Great history, great fans, average team.

 

[broncos4life]

It's 'negative' based on facts from a large enough time frame and we're sick of it, of course the forum would change if we finally started playing the way we want to but we're being realistic here.. I think you're confusing that with outright pessimism.

Can't wait for the third trial, I think Griffin will be mulling over our halves even going into Round 1 though..

tbh on think there is a middle ground that is getting missed. People like myself are probably to optimistic, but many are being far far too negative. It's easy to say the negative people are the only realistic ones on here, but when people say we are guaranteed to get the spoon, that's not being realistic, that's being overly negative not based on the facts

 

[Crazy Sam]

Have to laugh at this line on the courier mail website today regarding Barba possibly switching to 5/8:

"Transforming a star fullback into a match-winning five-eighth is old hat at the Broncos, following Lockyer’s seamless transition."


That from the paper that, for over a year when it first happened, openly bagged Wayne Bennett and Lockyer for making the switch.

 

[Socnorb]

"Dale Copley and Daniel Vidot performed strong". FMD . Is that their hit single.
written with all the class of a post match interview.

 

[Unbreakable]

Wouldn't surprise me in the least see Barba at 6 for the whole season..

1. Hoffman
2. Vidot
3. Reed
4. Copley
5. Oates
6. Barba
7. Hunt

Something like this? This is assuming Kahu is out for the season and Hodges isn't back for a while.. maybe Mills instead of Oates.. but we'll see (I think Oates is still injured?)

 

[Dexter]

tbh on think there is a middle ground that is getting missed. People like myself are probably to optimistic, but many are being far far too negative. It's easy to say the negative people are the only realistic ones on here, but when people say we are guaranteed to get the spoon, that's not being realistic, that's being overly negative not based on the facts

That's 1 people, love the generalisations the optimistic view has on here.

 

[Financeguy]

tbh on think there is a middle ground that is getting missed. People like myself are probably to optimistic, but many are being far far too negative. It's easy to say the negative people are the only realistic ones on here, but when people say we are guaranteed to get the spoon, that's not being realistic, that's being overly negative not based on the facts

Spot on B4L. I personally think we are currently an average footy side, in the mix to squeeze into the top 8 with just as much chance to miss it. Talk of us getting the spoon is no different to someone saying we will be minor premiers, both very long odds.

Regards to our halves, assuming Kahu is out for an extended period i wouldnt blame Griffin if he puts Barba at no. 6 and seeing how it goes. I really really want Barba playing fullback but i think we are at the stage now where we just need our best 13/17 on the field.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Talk of Barba playing in the 6 is back in the paper. I'm not a fan of the idea but if it's the path we go down I hope it's with the view of him being a long term 6. I don't want to see us playing musical positions.

 

[subsbligh]

Wouldn't surprise me in the least see Barba at 6 for the whole season..

1. Hoffman
2. Vidot
3. Reed
4. Copley
5. Oates
6. Barba
7. Hunt

Something like this? This is assuming Kahu is out for the season and Hodges isn't back for a while.. maybe Mills instead of Oates.. but we'll see (I think Oates is still injured?)

Does everyone remember when the Bulldogs used to hide Barba on the wing in defence when he played in the halves for them off the bench?

 

[subsbligh]

Set realistic goals and expectations.

For this Broncos squad without a recognised halves pairing, but a gun forward pack and fullback, and some reasonably talented outside backs, Top 8 is the realistic goal. A win in the finals would be a stretch target.

Long term, as fans all you can really expect is for the boys to have a go each week and not put in some of those heartbreaking ballwork training session efforts of last year, where they looked like a team playing footy but just weren't actually in the game.

 

[Unbreakable]

Does everyone remember when the Bulldogs used to hide Barba on the wing in defence when he played in the halves for them off the bench?

He's considerably bigger and more experienced than when he used to come off the bench for the Bulldogs, but the point remains, his defense would be the number one concern.