2020 Round 1 Line up

[theshed]

Billy slater said Brodie Croft is not the answer for broncos. And Danny Weiner said no interest in jack bird so far. His manager wants him to play fullback or five eighth.

Did Billy out forward a suggestion? not many good answers out there.

 

[Kooly87]

Of those mentioned, Croft + Milford, another signing at fullback and Dearden in the 14.

Putting Dearden in the 14 would be probably the very worst thing we could do for him career wise.

He's a Half, and one that's still learning the ropes at senior level. He needs to be playing week to week Queensland Cup footy at Wynnum-Manly and establishing himself at that level. If he can settle in and eventually excel in that role then we can look at him for an NRL start in the Halves, but honestly playing junk minutes off the bench for the Broncos for two years would be career suicide.

Can't help but wonder what could have become of another former prodigy in Ben Hunt if we'd shown the same patience with him and left him to dominate in Queensland Cup instead of spending 3 seasons as our Utility for 20 minutes a game.

 

[DigitalDaz]

Um, I wonder what all the LGBT, as well as those who are not Christian/religious supremacist Broncos fans think of Christian Crackpot Folau in the team?

Folau quoted the world's most read book. How does this make him a crackpot. I would say the crackpots are those who want to ban people quoting the greatest selling book of all time ... wouldn't you?

 

[rnabokov]

Folau quoted the world's most read book. How does this make him a crackpot. I would say the crackpots are those who want to ban people quoting the greatest selling book of all time ... wouldn't you?

It makes him a crackpot for using the bible, to cherry pick elements of it - all mistranslated anyway for the bible nowhere condemns homosexuality for one, as an authority to legitimise bigotry, prejudice, racism, sexism - all things which lead to violence and oppression.

His is hate speech and if one considers the bible as the word of god, and that god stands for love, inclusion and forgiveness, it makes Folau the evil bastard that his hate speech shows.

He is completely unfit to wear the Broncos colours, end of story

 

[ostin86]

It makes him a crackpot for using the bible, to cherry pick elements of it - all mistranslated anyway for the bible nowhere condemns homosexuality for one, as an authority to legitimise bigotry, prejudice, racism, sexism - all things which lead to violence and oppression.

His is hate speech and if one considers the bible as the word of god, and that god stands for love, inclusion and forgiveness, it makes Folau the evil bastard that his hate speech shows.

He is completely unfit to wear the Broncos colours, end of story

Mountain out of a molehill much.....

 

[jamesqld]

Question to those that watch more of Perese. I have read alot about people not rating his defence in the centres. If he has a chance of playing NRL next year where do people think it will be? There could be a wing or centre spot opening up for someone next year. Or does anyone think he can play an impact role off the bench like Cam Murray did before this year. Just focus on running hard and getting a quick play the ball. No idea how he would go defending in the middle but he is a similar size to Murray i think. Obviously his two 10 min stints off the bench werent enough to judge him by, but i don't think they would have blooded him if they didn't see a future in him.

 

[rnabokov]

Mountain out of a molehill much.....

Absolutely.

If Folau played for us on the wing, I hope that his centre would be gay. But then of course, gays don't play NRL nor do NRL players get pissed, fornicate, or masturbate. Heaven forbid! The entire roster would go to hell - I believe it is currently at Bankwest)

Oh and about Folau's tattoos ... I believe the relevant biblical passage is : Leviticus 19:28

"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD."

Well, there goes 99% of NRL players, straight to fire and brimstone lol haha

Ah, the fun we have ...

 

[Hoof Hearted]

Did Billy out forward a suggestion? not many good answers out there.

No unfortunately. But at the same time pretty damning for Croft.

 

[Bongo]

Before we work out the team for next year, we need to know where the spots are in this squad that need to be filled with new blood. Additionally, if we are going spill blood this off-season, I reckon we need to go all-in. I have listed the following players who I believe we could afford to lose in anticipation of strengthening this squad and being more competitive next year. If any or all of these players leave, I believe our squad would not be any worse than 2019 and we would also have a significant war chest for retention and purchase in 2020 and beyond.
THE POSSIBLE DISCARDS
Jack Bird
This is a disappointing outcome because he seems to fit the criteria of being a winner and an effort player. Since he has reportedly asked permission to negotiate with other clubs, we should let him go in the interests of freeing up cash. Unfortunately, Jack has not established himself due to injury, so we will never know how good he could have been for us. As it stands, even if fit, there were only two possible positions in the team that he may have filled next year. You can discard fullback for reasons of fitness and confidence after the ACL. He would be a handy running five eighth but we don’t need one of them. We need two halves that can kick and control the game. Likewise left centre just does not suit his game. He is a right side centre like Staggs, and it appears that Seibold is happy to persist with the younger man for the future which is fine. That leaves the lock position. I think he would have been perfect for this role as a link man and runner in attack but I am also pretty happy with our forward pack as is. So the loss of Bird certainly hurts in terms of what might have been, but at the end of the day, and assuming a club picks up the contract in full or close to it, there is $600K - 800k we can allocate more efficiently next season and beyond.
(Running total of savings for 2020 = $600k - $800K)
Corey Oates
It is time to let Corey Oates go. Given that a contract has yet to be signed, the Broncos have an easy out on this one. We can certainly use his contract money (approx. 500K) next year and beyond. In my view, Oates’s involvement and contribution to the team falls well short of both his desired pay range and the perception of fans as to his value to the team. When Seibold talks about needing winners and effort players, Oates is the player I think least represents these two criteria. From my observations, he is the barometer player that tells me whether the Broncos are turning up or not. When he is switched on, he is very good. More often than not though, his mind is elsewhere and I don’t think he has a natural feel for the game. Despite the significant fan love for Oates, he is not a good finisher. I would love to see a statistic that highlights the ratio between tries scored and the times he has either spilt the ball in a try scoring opportunity or found himself pushed over the sideline. There are many better finishers in the NRL. He has also become very cumbersome when asked to changed direction and many of the good playmakers are seeing the benefit of kicking in behind him and asking him to turn and recover. His ball security has become atrocious. My observations of him at training suggest that he is a reluctant trainer and this is generally reflected in his performance on game day. The last straw was that ridiculous article he ‘wrote’ in the lead up to the Parramatta game where he implored the younger boys to ‘come with us’ when even the most blinkered of fans could see that it was the other way around. He’ll find a club and probably get himself a better deal.
(Running total of savings for 2020 = $1.1m - $1.3m)
Andrew McCullough
I think most people agree that Macca’s time is up in this team. His skill set just does not cut it in the NRL anymore. This team needs a busy, speedy and creative hooker capable of passing 15 metre spiral balls effectively on both sides with a decent short and long kicking game. Not sure Turpin is the man for this just yet but he will have to do for now. I have no doubt that a good manager would be looking to find a club willing to take Macca on a 3 year deal be it in England or in the NRL. His chances of finding a retirement contract will diminish if he digs his heels in at the Broncos so I expect he will go before the start of next season. A loyal and hardworking servant, but his time is up.
(Running total of savings for 2020 = $1.5m- 1.8m)
Matthew Gillett
Gillo’s situation is similar to Macca’s. The longer he stays, the less chance that another club will see value in signing him. I just think this team would be much better served by having TPJ running wide on the right side of the field. Gillett’s attack has become ineffective as compared to what TPJ is capable of and his defence this year at times was very ordinary. Whilst his neck injury has undoubtedly played a role in this, we don’t have the luxury of nursing him until he comes good. His best, I believe, offers nowhere near the best of a wide running TPJ or Fifita. The argument that he offers much needed experience can be offset by the fact that his influence this year and last did not prevent some of the insipid performances that he was involved in. If we keep him we probably have to play him which stifles our attack. You’ve been great Matt but it’s time to move on. We need to facilitate this.
(Running total of savings for 2020 = $2.0m - 2.4m)
Darius Boyd
Again, I think most people agree that Darius’s time is up with the Broncos however it seems that he is going to be difficult to shake and for this reason, I think we may just have to suck it up for another year with him. If he does get a game, my preference would be that it happens on the wing where defensively he is less likely to be burned by the speed of his opponents. I really hope though that behind the scenes there are discussions going on regarding a mutually beneficial divorce settlement. The last thing we need to see next year is a Broncos champion being booed by fans when his name appears on the big screen at our home games. Sadly, I reckon our ‘fans’ will do this. I think that despite all the stubborn bravado from Darius, he has played his last game.
(Running total of savings for 2020 = $2.4m – $3.0m).
Further on Darius, there was a rumour at some stage this year that Darius’s contract for next year was being front-ended using the money saved from the early departures of Niko, Roberts and Sua. I cannot recall where I heard or read this sorry, but I am wondering whether there is some truth to this and that his immunity to being dropped during 2019 and the very public and unwavering support he received from the coach was part of a sweetheart deal that sees him retire once next year’s contract period kicks in and we are forced to pay the remainder of his 2020 contract out, which may be far less than it otherwise could have been???
Jamayne Isaako
Despite winning the rookie of the year in 2018, I just don’t see much in Isaako, aside from his goal kicking. He is not a good finisher and is prone to a brain snap or three every single match. To me, he is one of those players whose head is never in the game and is far too inconsistent. Having signed a lengthy contract, it will be unlikely that he will go but I would not be surprised if he starts the year in Q Cup. Perhaps another ego pumping letter to Wayne would be enough for Souths to take him on for the remainder of his contract. If not, he stays here as a depth signing at best.
(Running total of savings for 2020 = $2.6m – 3.5m)
Anthony Milford
I love Milf and I would prefer that he stayed but there is no doubt that he is at the crossroads of his career at the Broncos. At 25, he should have established himself by now as a leader and the ‘go to’ half that we have been craving since Lockyer retired. Unfortunately, he is not that. A good half organises his forwards and sets up plays with deft passing and kicking. Milford’s passing game is very poor for a first grade five eighth let alone a million dollar five eighth. One of the contrasting features of our capitulation by Parramatta was the ease and skill with which the Eels halves and hooker could distribute the ball wide to each other and or to wide running forwards and outside backs to take advantage of our lazy defence. We do not currently have this level of passing skill in our halves, but we need it. For years, now we have struggled with organising our attack inside the opposition 30 and Milf has been one of the causes of this, with the hospital pass to an unsuspecting forward one of his favourite plays. His strengths lie in his running game and his ability to sniff around in support. I have come to the conclusion that cutting him loose from the club would not hinder us on the field all that much but would certainly help us off it in terms of the salary cap.
(Running total of savings for 2020 = $3.3m – 4.5m)

If he does stay and I’m confident he will, and in the absence of a quality fullback on the books, I think he can be very effective at fullback for us in what could well be his last chance at the Broncos. His role needs to be simplified though. He should spend the off season studying the way Tedesco plays. In attack, he simply tucks in behind the ruck in constant communication with the hooker looking for lazy markers and holes in which to run and run straight for a line break or a quick play the ball. Later in sets he might find himself wider and deeper for a set play but no matter what is happening, anyone who makes a break can be very confident that Tedesco will be running on in close support. Milf could do this as well. A simplified role that does not require him to kick at all would suit him too thus taking away the responsibility of planning ahead for the 5th tackle kick, a job he has not done well so far at fullback. That role should be the sole domain of the halves with the occasional involvement from the hooker.
On a side note, Milf had knee surgery today for that issue that hindered him earlier in the season and assumedly thereafter.

SIGNING TARGETS
Halves
Firstly, I think we give Tom Dearden all the time he needs to build into the role of halfback at this club and he should therefore be given the 7 jersey from day one of pre-season. Assuming he is able to get a release as suggested, I think Sezer represents the best player to take the reins at 6. He is 28 years old so brings much needed experience. We don’t need a superstar right now. Sezer is the type of player that will not bring the hype of others and therefore should be able to slip into the role without the heightened expectations of a less experienced but over hyped player like Ash Taylor or Brodie Croft. His role will be to take the general kicking duties and to organise the players around him. His kicking game is effective and exactly what we need. A two-year deal at overs will be ok.
We also need to find some cheapish back up halves who can or have the potential to play at NRL level.
Hooker
I have no idea who might be coming through in our pipeline of youngsters, But I think we need to sign someone as back-up to Turpin and Segeyaro. I understand Paix has been groomed as a hooker so that is a good start. Some additional depth for next year would not hurt. Isaac Luke as depth might be ok.
Left Centre
Would love to sign a seasoned left centre but I don’t have a clue who is available or able to fill that spot. Latrell anyone?
Others
Vunivalu might become available. Do we take him?
MY TEAM FOR ROUND ONE 2020
1. MILFORD
2. COATES
3. ARTHARS
4. STAGGS
5. FARNWORTH
6. SEZER
7. DEARDEN
8. LODGE
9. TURPIN
10.HAAS
11.FIFITA
12.TPJ
13.CARRIGAN
INTERCHANGE
14. PAIX
15. OFFA
16. FLEGLER
17. GLENN
(INSERT ANY ADDITIONAL SIGNINGS WHERE APPLICABLE)
Apologies for the long read guys. I got a bit carried away

Folau quoted the world's most read book. How does this make him a crackpot. I would say the crackpots are those who want to ban people quoting the greatest selling book of all time ... wouldn't you?

Best selling is not a measure of quality. Da Vinci Code anyone?

 

[NSW stables]

Folau quoted the world's most read book. How does this make him a crackpot. I would say the crackpots are those who want to ban people quoting the greatest selling book of all time ... wouldn't you?

Mein kampf was pretty popular too, but people may take umbridge if someone started spewing that crap out on their social media/forums

 

[Kooly87]

No unfortunately. But at the same time pretty damning for Croft.

No unfortunately. But at the same time pretty damning for Croft.

Hard to tell what other motives are at play there though? Is he trying to subtly persuade Croft to stay in Melbourne as a favour to Bellamy? Does he genuinely want him to stay at Melbourne because it's good for him as a footballer? Does he not want to see him at the Broncos Does he genuinely not rate him despite playing alongside him succesfully?

Something is fishy down in Melbourne around the whole Croft thing. His sudden exclusion from the team now, on the back of 2 seasons of really limiting his role at Halfback through Smith. Now Slater talking him down in the media. Something has gone really wrong down there it would seem.

 

[Hoof Hearted]

Hard to tell what other motives are at play there though? Is he trying to subtly persuade Croft to stay in Melbourne as a favour to Bellamy? Does he genuinely want him to stay at Melbourne because it's good for him as a footballer? Does he not want to see him at the Broncos Does he genuinely not rate him despite playing alongside him succesfully?

Something is fishy down in Melbourne around the whole Croft thing. His sudden exclusion from the team now, on the back of 2 seasons of really limiting his role at Halfback through Smith. Now Slater talking him down in the media. Something has gone really wrong down there it would seem.

Indeed you make some good points. Billy may just have an anti-broncos bias for some reason.

 

[Jason Simmons]

Word is leaking out Alex Glenn is off to the Panthers apparently...

 

[john1420]

Um, I wonder what all the LGBT, as well as those who are not Christian/religious supremacist Broncos fans think of Christian Crackpot Folau in the team?

Just to be clear, most Christians don't think he is Christian :)

 

[john1420]

Word is leaking out Alex Glenn is off to the Panthers apparently...

SAUCE???

 

[Wolfie]

Question to those that watch more of Perese. I have read alot about people not rating his defence in the centres. If he has a chance of playing NRL next year where do people think it will be? There could be a wing or centre spot opening up for someone next year. Or does anyone think he can play an impact role off the bench like Cam Murray did before this year. Just focus on running hard and getting a quick play the ball. No idea how he would go defending in the middle but he is a similar size to Murray i think. Obviously his two 10 min stints off the bench werent enough to judge him by, but i don't think they would have blooded him if they didn't see a future in him.

I watch the Phins most weeks, and watching him this year he would worry me In defence in the centers in the NRL. He lacks the awareness in defence and I feel he would be badly exposed. He may improve with another pre season but the only spot I see him in currently is the wing where the game is more simple. He runs hard and is quick. He is very much a left sided player, so he is going to struggle moving Oates. Don't really see him as a bench player either.

 

[bronx89]

Croft is not the answer and I really hope we don't sign him. Would much prefer Sezer or Townsend for a couple of years.

Wash your mouth out with Townsend.
Sezer yes.

 

[Jason Simmons]

SAUCE???