2019 Broncos Line-up

[Alec]

Your first paragraph are my thoughts exactly.

He burst onto the scene and I thought a year or so later when he was still getting better, wow, this kid could be anything.

But as time went on, teams figured him out more and he wasn’t as good. This lead to Hodgo playing the house down at fullback and displacing Hunt to the wing.

That’s not to say Hunt wasn’t a very good player with massive potential, because he was. But I just got the feeling he maybe peaked very early and left when he did because he may have thought the same himself.

Oh, and also because of the stupid money thrown at him, that probably helped too haha!

I don't remember it being that way. I remember him only being 19, getting injured and Hodges having the best season of his career.

Hunt only got better as he got older too. There was a bit of an anomaly in his final season, where he was more reluctant to get more physical, but his ball playing and vision were still getting better. He had some classy finishing touches that year.

 

[WASSHHH]

I think you need to go watch some highlights from 2008, because no team could stop Hunt that year... led Broncos in try assists (from memory... may have even led the league) and if it weren't for a cheating storm and useless Sims we would've won it all that year.

I didn’t say he wasn’t good; if you read my post, I literally say that.

But the way I look at is quite simple; Hunt wasn’t the best fullback at the Broncos let alone QLD or Australia.

It makes me sad to think how amazing Hodges would have been at fullback given more time there and a body that didn’t fail him. Even in that knockout final up in Townsville in ‘14 (I think) - he shifted there and looked unstoppable until T Sims hit him high and late. He looked like singlehandedly stealing victory for us in that game at an age, as history shows, where he only had one season left in him.

But I digress. Hunt was good and had so much potential.

But, without ever being able to know, I genuinely feel we got the best out of his career in the time he was here. His time in rugby certainly indicates this too. That and he was starting to go off the rails a little before he left the Broncos and only went on to get worse in that regard after departing.

But look, I’m not foolish, I know this will probably be an unpopular opinion around here. But that’s how I saw things transpire.

 

[teampjta]

I think Hunt was coming back from injury and was underdone, and Hodges’ form was just too good. Hunt was crazy good at full fitness.

Also remember Wayne saying (with a very very rare smile) that hunt was the worst winger he’d ever seen,

 

[teampjta]

Your first paragraph are my thoughts exactly.

He burst onto the scene and I thought a year or so later when he was still getting better, wow, this kid could be anything.

But as time went on, teams figured him out more and he wasn’t as good. This lead to Hodgo playing the house down at fullback and displacing Hunt to the wing.

That’s not to say Hunt wasn’t a very good player with massive potential, because he was. But I just got the feeling he maybe peaked very early and left when he did because he may have thought the same himself.

Oh, and also because of the stupid money thrown at him, that probably helped too haha!

Was definitely a rare teenage prodigy, the stupid money, early NRL success along with some off field indiscretions made it an easy decision to defect

 

[JamesC]

Even in that knockout final up in Townsville in ‘14 (I think) - he shifted there and looked unstoppable until T Sims hit him high and late.

Thinking about that still makes me a bit angry

 

[Big Pete]

What I would give to have a player of Hunt and Hodges' talent vying for the fullback position. It's an interesting comparison between the two. Hunt was better at the technical aspects of the role, but Hodges natural talent and instincts almost made up for it. I'm not sure if Hodges would have been able to handle an entire season, but I certainly know without him the Broncos wouldn't have their sixth premiership. To this day, I've yet to see the Broncos score a sweeter try - and there's been some beauties.

As nice as it would be to see Darius wind back the clock, realistically his best days are behind him. I'm hoping that Isaako proves a revelation at fullback, or Bird gets a shot at some point and does a Hodgey.

 

[WASSHHH]

What I would give to have a player of Hunt and Hodges' talent vying for the fullback position. It's an interesting comparison between the two. Hunt was better at the technical aspects of the role, but Hodges natural talent and instincts almost made up for it. I'm not sure if Hodges would have been able to handle an entire season, but I certainly know without him the Broncos wouldn't have their sixth premiership. To this day, I've yet to see the Broncos score a sweeter try - and there's been some beauties.
As nice as it would be to see Darius wind back the clock, realistically his best days are behind him. I'm hoping that Isaako proves a revelation at fullback, or Bird gets a shot at some point and does a Hodgey.

I’m sure, when Hodges left for the Roosters, the feeling I had toward him is best described as hatred.

That was only matched when we re-signed him - I was disgusted.

But how wrong I was. Not only because he showed what he was capable of as a player, but just as importantly, a person. To think he’d go from a Broncos leper to captain the team, and to within seconds of premiership victory - astounding.

I honestly believe his form to end the 2006 season was the best, as a running fullback, I’ve seen. It almost seemed like there was more than one of him out there at times.

I could never have imagined he’d go from being a player that I hated to one of my favourite players ever, but he did, and some.

 

[Kimlo]

Hodges was probably the best fullback I've ever seen in his short stints.

We never got to see him stick it out, and maybe his excellence was exaggerated by opposition teams not having enough time to work him out, but man would I have loved to have seen more of him there.

That game against the cows a few years ago where he switched to fullback in the last 10 minutes (I think pushing Hoggman to wing) and setting up two trys to win it. There was a few times that year he switched to fullback to try to save us, one particular game I think as well against the Cowboys, he did the same thing was going to win us the game then Tariq Sims puts on a dodgy high shot and takes him out of the game.

 

[Alec]

Hodges was probably the best fullback I've ever seen in his short stints.

We never got to see him stick it out, and maybe his excellence was exaggerated by opposition teams not having enough time to work him out, but man would I have loved to have seen more of him there.

That game against the cows a few years ago where he switched to fullback in the last 10 minutes (I think pushing Hoggman to wing) and setting up two trys to win it. There was a few times that year he switched to fullback to try to save us, one particular game I think as well against the Cowboys, he did the same thing was going to win us the game then Tariq Sims puts on a dodgy high shot and takes him out of the game.

I would have LOVED to see a fit Hodges from 2006/7 with the passing game he developed around 2015.

 

[Marty Deutschmann]

Hodges was probably the best fullback I've ever seen in his short stints.

We never got to see him stick it out, and maybe his excellence was exaggerated by opposition teams not having enough time to work him out, but man would I have loved to have seen more of him there.

That game against the cows a few years ago where he switched to fullback in the last 10 minutes (I think pushing Hoggman to wing) and setting up two trys to win it. There was a few times that year he switched to fullback to try to save us, one particular game I think as well against the Cowboys, he did the same thing was going to win us the game then Tariq Sims puts on a dodgy high shot and takes him out of the game.

I remember this vividly

 

[1910]

Hodges at fullback is interesting from his perspective and a coaching angle too.

Hunt broke his foot against the Dragons in the two point loss in round 15, He didn't come back until round 25 against the Eels.

Hodges missed two weeks as well injured and came back against the Cowboys in round 20 wasn't named at fullback but played there.

Round 23 was his big game- record 346m.

It was the Dragons finals loss that was interesting and the win against the Dogs. Brown and the Dragons did a great job on Hodges in the finals and nullified him with a terrific kicking game and bombing him and making it hard to get out of the right hand corner which Hodges hated.

Then against the Knights, Hodges played left wing in defence with Berrigan at centre and Hodges moved to left centre in attack when Berrigan went to hooker Hunt played fullback in the big win.

Stagg played left wing in attack and left second row in defence so he didn't have to field kicks.

He went to fullback against the Dogs at half time and had an immediate impact in the second half and in the Grand Final he was at fullback in attack, try off Lockyer, 10 tackle breaks and two line breaks.

That 10 weeks or so was great coaching and adapting to what the other side is doing, the Dragons did a massive favour winning that finals game. But a plan with so many moving parts and it coming off is interesting. Not too sure too many teams would do that anymore.

 

[Marty Deutschmann]

Hodges at fullback is interesting from his perspective and a coaching angle too.

Hunt broke his foot against the Dragons in the two point loss in round 15, He didn't come back until round 25 against the Eels.

Hodges missed two weeks as well injured and came back against the Cowboys in round 20 wasn't named at fullback but played there.

Round 23 was his big game- record 346m.

It was the Dragons finals loss that was interesting and the win against the Dogs. Brown and the Dragons did a great job on Hodges in the finals and nullified him with a terrific kicking game and bombing him and making it hard to get out of the right hand corner which Hodges hated.

Then against the Knights, Hodges played left wing in defence with Berrigan at centre and Hodges moved to left centre in attack when Berrigan went to hooker Hunt played fullback in the big win.

Stagg played left wing in attack and left second row in defence so he didn't have to field kicks.

He went to fullback against the Dogs at half time and had an immediate impact in the second half and in the Grand Final he was at fullback in attack, try off Lockyer, 10 tackle breaks and two line breaks.

That 10 weeks or so was great coaching and adapting to what the other side is doing, the Dragons did a massive favour winning that finals game. But a plan with so many moving parts and it coming off is interesting. Not too sure too many teams would do that anymore.

Melbourne I feel do this and did so last year

 

[Sproj]

Melbourne I feel do this and did so last year

It’s a great tactic if done right, makes it so hard for other teams to work out as it is unpredictable. Feel Bennett missed a trick with that with Boyd and Isaako this year.

 

[Huge]

For me personally I feel Lockyer was our best ever fullback with Hunt being not too far behind. I think also that a lot of posters have forgotten about the deliberate ploy that teams worked out, that is attacking Hunt's head! Hunt would run so straight and hard that he received a spate of head knocks and that may have contributed to him moving on. When combined with the enormous sums offered elsewhere and likely thinking he was going to be continually head hunted he probably thought I've achieved a lot, reached the top shelf, what's next?

 

[Browny]

Or Hunt could have adapted a less kamikaze approach

 

[1910]

Melbourne I feel do this and did so last year

At the heart of it has to be weakness that you don't want exposed.

Berrigan not having to defend in the middle.
Hodges not bringing the ball back out of his wrong side.
Stagg not fielding kicks.
Perry not being posted on his own.
Stagg not making leg tackles with Perry.

The Knights tried so hard to drain Berro in that final and making him defend they didn't go to the right and make Lockyer tackle. Johns was obsessed with getting to Berrigan.

 

[Huge]

Or Hunt could have adapted a less kamikaze approach

I think he effectively did that by changing codes. I always thought it was a factor for him and were I he I'd ask myself, was it worth getting bashed when I've already reached the top?

 

[Morkel]

I think he effectively did that by changing codes. I always thought it was a factor for him and were I he I'd ask myself, was it worth getting bashed when I've already reached the top?

The weird part about it was that he really only went that way in his last year or two. Before that he’d still go hard but step when he got to the defence. It’s not like it wasn’t effective either, so I don’t know why he decided to go Martin Lang. Maybe with the retirement of Webcke, Carroll, Thorn, and Petero leaving, he tried to take some of the leadership responsibility, showing he was willing to put his body on the line. It was enspiring, if not a little painful to watch, when he got smashed and didn’t hesitate to do it again the next kick return.