I bleed Maroon
International Rep
- Apr 17, 2013
- 15,863
- 20,681
As we finally approach a brand new season with the Trials only days away, I thought it would be interesting to have a look back at what has frankly been a pretty eventful off season for the Brisbane Broncos. There were certainly some low points, such as the toxic and drawn out coaching saga, but really other than that, I feel we should be especially proud of the club and the players for being able to stay out of the headlines completely in what has been probably the worst off season for player behavior in the history of the code.
I'll try and put the news stories in the best order of significance I can. Obviously, first up, it would have to be the end of the Bennett era for good: https://broncoshq.com/threads/seibold-signs-with-broncos-for-4-years.36643/
Looking back on it now, knowing everything there really is to know about how the drama all played out, I absolutely support the club in its decision, if not the way they handled the transition, which was a media circus to say the least. I will always love and respect Wayne, not only for his history with the club but also for the take no bullshit attitude he approached his career with (**** the NRL media), but after hearing the way he conducted himself at the end, when he knew his time was up and thus decided to play hardball with the club that made him a legend, it's fair to say I was more than a little disappointed in him. I wish him the best of luck at Souffs but of course if it comes down to us vs. them in a final, I hope we eviscerate them.
As for Seibold, well his first pre-season with us has been nothing if not impressive. He has retained the vast majority of players we had to keep, despite the ravenous media practically begging the players to follow Bennett out, he has cut adrift some dead wood which I will talk about in a moment, and best of all, he's shredded the Maccas cards. Good riddance.
The next most prominent story would have to be the departure of Josh McGuire, one of the clubs elder guard: https://broncoshq.com/threads/josh-mcguire-signs-with-cowboys-immediate-switch.36753/
I would be lying if I said I won't miss his mongrel, and I won't enjoy seeing him running around for the Brokeback Mounties for the next few seasons, but after a mediocre 2018 playing in a position that really wasn't his to play, and with cap pressures forcing our hand, thankfully I feel the club made the right call. Moose departure allowed us to hang on to THE most impressive looking young playing group in the comp, who will now be playing under a young coach with an equal amount of potential. Good times ahead.
Speaking of the impressive young guns, a host of important re-signings, including TPJ, Corey Oates, Patrick Carrigan and Matthew Lodge:
https://broncoshq.com/threads/broncos-re-sign-patrick-carrigan-until-2022.36969/
https://broncoshq.com/threads/pangai-jnr-stays-a-bronco.36940/
https://broncoshq.com/threads/lodge-re-signs-for-the-fans.36919/
https://broncoshq.com/threads/corey-oates-re-signs-with-the-brisbane-broncos.36909/
So here we have arguably the three best players in the side in 2018 re-signed and one rookie with a mountain of potential who will no doubt make his debut this year at some point. And all of this with negotiations conducted in the maelstrom that was Bennett's departure. I've been highly critical of our recruitment and retention staff in the past, with good reason I like to think, but in 2018/19 I am happy to say they've done the best job they could've hoped to do. Something tells me some whips were cracked after the clearly kneejerk signing of Bird.
Lastly and comfortably the least important event of this off season, the axing of Jason Demetriou: https://broncoshq.com/threads/demetriou-gone.36928/
I'll just quote myself at the time as it really hasn't changed:
All in all a pretty underwhelming tenure in retrospect for someone who at one stage was being talked up as a worthy replacement to Bennett. And even now he still finds himself in the old man's shadow at Souths. Good luck I suppose.
-
Lets face it, every footy fan loathes the off season, not least of which myself, but I thought this one in particular was worthy of a recap, not only for how consequential to the state of the club it has been as a whole, but also how it reinforces the discipline required from players to have the right to play for us in the face of a historically awful off season for the rest of the code. During the height of the drama with Bennett in November, it had all the makings of a disaster waiting to happen, and I am quite relieved to say it seems to have gone the opposite way. I'm sure if Seibold tanks as a coach this thread will make for an interesting re-visit, however something is strongly telling me that won't be the case.
I'll try and put the news stories in the best order of significance I can. Obviously, first up, it would have to be the end of the Bennett era for good: https://broncoshq.com/threads/seibold-signs-with-broncos-for-4-years.36643/
Looking back on it now, knowing everything there really is to know about how the drama all played out, I absolutely support the club in its decision, if not the way they handled the transition, which was a media circus to say the least. I will always love and respect Wayne, not only for his history with the club but also for the take no bullshit attitude he approached his career with (**** the NRL media), but after hearing the way he conducted himself at the end, when he knew his time was up and thus decided to play hardball with the club that made him a legend, it's fair to say I was more than a little disappointed in him. I wish him the best of luck at Souffs but of course if it comes down to us vs. them in a final, I hope we eviscerate them.
As for Seibold, well his first pre-season with us has been nothing if not impressive. He has retained the vast majority of players we had to keep, despite the ravenous media practically begging the players to follow Bennett out, he has cut adrift some dead wood which I will talk about in a moment, and best of all, he's shredded the Maccas cards. Good riddance.
The next most prominent story would have to be the departure of Josh McGuire, one of the clubs elder guard: https://broncoshq.com/threads/josh-mcguire-signs-with-cowboys-immediate-switch.36753/
I would be lying if I said I won't miss his mongrel, and I won't enjoy seeing him running around for the Brokeback Mounties for the next few seasons, but after a mediocre 2018 playing in a position that really wasn't his to play, and with cap pressures forcing our hand, thankfully I feel the club made the right call. Moose departure allowed us to hang on to THE most impressive looking young playing group in the comp, who will now be playing under a young coach with an equal amount of potential. Good times ahead.
Speaking of the impressive young guns, a host of important re-signings, including TPJ, Corey Oates, Patrick Carrigan and Matthew Lodge:
https://broncoshq.com/threads/broncos-re-sign-patrick-carrigan-until-2022.36969/
https://broncoshq.com/threads/pangai-jnr-stays-a-bronco.36940/
https://broncoshq.com/threads/lodge-re-signs-for-the-fans.36919/
https://broncoshq.com/threads/corey-oates-re-signs-with-the-brisbane-broncos.36909/
So here we have arguably the three best players in the side in 2018 re-signed and one rookie with a mountain of potential who will no doubt make his debut this year at some point. And all of this with negotiations conducted in the maelstrom that was Bennett's departure. I've been highly critical of our recruitment and retention staff in the past, with good reason I like to think, but in 2018/19 I am happy to say they've done the best job they could've hoped to do. Something tells me some whips were cracked after the clearly kneejerk signing of Bird.
Lastly and comfortably the least important event of this off season, the axing of Jason Demetriou: https://broncoshq.com/threads/demetriou-gone.36928/
I'll just quote myself at the time as it really hasn't changed:
All in all a pretty underwhelming tenure in retrospect for someone who at one stage was being talked up as a worthy replacement to Bennett. And even now he still finds himself in the old man's shadow at Souths. Good luck I suppose.
-
Lets face it, every footy fan loathes the off season, not least of which myself, but I thought this one in particular was worthy of a recap, not only for how consequential to the state of the club it has been as a whole, but also how it reinforces the discipline required from players to have the right to play for us in the face of a historically awful off season for the rest of the code. During the height of the drama with Bennett in November, it had all the makings of a disaster waiting to happen, and I am quite relieved to say it seems to have gone the opposite way. I'm sure if Seibold tanks as a coach this thread will make for an interesting re-visit, however something is strongly telling me that won't be the case.
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