Bennett turns up the heat on Hunt

[K-Style]

These are responses to leading questions. This is the only comment I see that aligns with the headline.
“Ben’s much improved but he’s still not where we want him to be,” Bennett said.

Anyway what's Bennett going to do. Replace him with Taylor? Perhaps JNik?

;)

 

[Big Pete]

Prozone Sports Data, the company responsible for NRL.com and Big League's stats don't have Hunt on either leaderboard. Their stats show JT topping both counts with 23 LBAs and 24 TAs respectively with Maloney (15 LBAs) and Mitchell Pearce (16 TAs rounding out both lists).

I don't think there's really a quantitative measure for game management. The closest stat would be goal-line drop outs forced, but that's rarely if ever highlighted.

 

[Mr Fourex]

He's a solid hooker, I'm by no means calling him shit, he's very good in defence, and bog average in attack, although he was good for a few games at the start of the year. I don't think that's ever changing, he reached his peak like 5 years ago. He's not our biggest problem or anything like that, but he's also got the #9 locked up for years to come, which worries me as I don't think he has another level in him to really get the most out of pack.

This.

We are short selling ourselves in the long term by accepting mediocrity.

 

[Unbreakable]

Yeah the stat I saw on FoxSports news was like..

Thurston - 25 Try Assists
Hunt - 23 Try Assists

Thurston - 24 Line-Break Assists
Hunt - 26 Line-Break Assists

Or something very similar

 

[Mr Fourex]

People attribute this to an agenda, but I've said it a fair few times. Hunt is not an organiser or controlling half.
He is very much an off the cuff player with an x-factor, who can win us games with an extraordinary play, but not through constant pressure and control.
Milford, as much of a talent as he is, doesn't complement him, and the result is that we have 2 halves that can do spectacular things, but aren't able to break a team through continuous control and pressure, which is something definitely necessary at the business end of the season.
I hope they get there, but I'm far from sure they will...

A fair assessment ......

WB has hit the mark with Hunt .....he's right in everything he says. It's time for Ben to show he's got more than just the trick blind side play or a dummy and run.

 

[broncos4life]

McCullough has been a thousand times better this year than previous years. He knows when to run better than someone like Segeyaro who just runs all the time and confuses his forwards. He catches the markers offside all the time. There are a lot of times when markers stand beside each other and he will make contact with them and won't get a penalty because the refs have no idea and the Broncos crowd don't boo for 80 minutes. The Macca hate is unsubstantiated on here, because he's not a flashy hooker.

Fucking nailed it

 

[rnabokov]

There is no Macca hate, I just think he needs to step up his attack, when you compare him to what Granville is offering the Cowboys this year Macca isn't doing enough for us IMO.

Part of what is frustrating me this year is that I don't think we are getting the best out Hunt and Milford with the way we concede so many metres in defense, Hunt and Milford always seem to be working out of our own end the majority of the time.

Absolutely. For mine, this cannot be emphasised enough.

 

[Porthoz]

Hunt is 2nd in the NRL in Try assists and 1st in Line-Break assists, the only way you can rack up those sort of numbers is by being consistent and controlling. His kicking game still leaves a bit to be desired, but I can only hope he'll continue improving it and eventually get all the errors out of his game (5th tackle options is still a big problem for our halves)

Hunt is nowhere near the top in those stats. Regardless, BP already said it, but I seriously do not understand what TA and LBA have to do with organisation, pressure and control.
I would bet we are one of the lowest ranked teams in repeat sets for example, which would be a better metric for it.
In terms of consistency, you could say that Hunt is below average with his 5th tackle options on a very regular basis.

I'm not trying to bag Hunt at all. I think he's very valuable, but not as the controlling half he needs to be, due to having Milford next to him, who is even less of a controlling half. Despite how well the latter has been going at 5/8, I still maintain there is nothing he has done there, that he couldn't do from fullback, where I would have him play. (let's not bring the Boyd argument into this please)

As weird as it may sound, I think Hunt would be better served playing 5/8 alongside a player like Adam Reynolds or even Trent Hodkinson, because it would allow him to do what he does best. Use his skills and vision to grasp the moments, and leave the kicking to the side line and grubbers for repeat sets to his halfback.

There aren't many players out there like Locky, who was a fantastic clutch player, but also very capable in controlling a game. I'm not sure Hunt can get there, but I certainly hope so!

 

[Alec]

Yeah, Hunt has never shown any particularly good organisational skills. Milford has shown even far less.

It's fine against the dud sides or when your whole team is on fire, but in tight contests against quality sides, it's a fairly big disadvantage.

 

[Unbreakable]

Hunt is nowhere near the top in those stats.

Yes he is.

Regardless, BP already said it, but I seriously do not understand what TA and LBA have to do with organisation, pressure and control.
I would bet we are one of the lowest ranked teams in repeat sets for example, which would be a better metric for it.
In terms of consistency, you could say that Hunt is below average with his 5th tackle options on a very regular basis.

I'm not trying to bag Hunt at all. I think he's very valuable, but not as the controlling half he needs to be, due to having Milford next to him, who is even less of a controlling half. Despite how well the latter has been going at 5/8, I still maintain there is nothing he has done there, that he couldn't do from fullback, where I would have him play. (let's not bring the Boyd argument into this please)

As weird as it may sound, I think Hunt would be better served playing 5/8 alongside a player like Adam Reynolds or even Trent Hodkinson, because it would allow him to do what he does best. Use his skills and vision to grasp the moments, and leave the kicking to the side line and grubbers for repeat sets to his halfback.

There aren't many players out there like Locky, who was a fantastic clutch player, but also very capable in controlling a game. I'm not sure Hunt can get there, but I certainly hope so!

I agree for the most part, although I don't agree in regards to your Milford to Fullback agenda, that shouldn't even be in the discussion honestly, Johns just rated him as the best Five-Eighth this season in his rankings, and for good reason. He tends to drift in and out of games, as a lot of young players do, but the same would happen at Fullback - except it would be much more noticeable, at least when he's at Five-Eighth he's bound to get more touches of the ball than he would if he was playing Fullback, and the more times he touches the ball, the better we go. He's 100% a Five-Eighth now, in my books.

 

[Porthoz]

Yes he is.



I agree for the most part, although I don't agree in regards to your Milford to Fullback agenda, that shouldn't even be in the discussion honestly, Johns just rated him as the best Five-Eighth this season in his rankings, and for good reason. He tends to drift in and out of games, as a lot of young players do, but the same would happen at Fullback - except it would be much more noticeable, at least when he's at Five-Eighth he's bound to get more touches of the ball than he would if he was playing Fullback, and the more times he touches the ball, the better we go. He's 100% a Five-Eighth now, in my books.

No he isn't... at least not in the stats I can find, like NRL (Prozone Sports) or nrlstats (Sports Data).
Where are you getting those stats from?

As to Milford, I didn't say he didn't play well, because he did.
I said he hasn't done anything there that he couldn't have done from fullback, and he is not the partner Hunt needs.

 

[Super Freak]

Some stats say differently, but it guess it comes down to what people think is actually a try assist.

Simply throwing the last pass even if the player receiving the ball had to beat defenders to score? For example, Milford's try against the Dragons. Would that be considered a try assist for Hunt considering he threw the last pass?

Does it also include a piece of play that eventually led to a try? An example, Maranta's first against Tigers.

I think that's what Broncos were taking into account..

 

[Unbreakable]

No he isn't... at least not in the stats I can find, like NRL (Prozone Sports) or nrlstats (Sports Data).
Where are you getting those stats from?

As to Milford, I didn't say he didn't play well, because he did.
I said he hasn't done anything there that he couldn't have done from fullback, and he is not the partner Hunt needs.

The stats I got all came directly from Fox Sports, it was on Fox Sports News, they put up an info-graphic comparing him to Thurston. And I think you're wrong regarding the "Hasn't done anything there that he couldn't have done from Fullback", he would've been getting about a quarter of the touches at Fullback, therefore giving him far less opportunities to create magic.

 

[vertigo]

Are people forgetting that good Bennett sides will often go up another gear collectively in the finals?

Save your best for last.

 

[Alec]

Milford would still be getting a lot of touches at fullback, and more importantly, would be getting them in more space and actually running the ball instead of riverdancing.

 

[Big Pete]

You don't think the Broncos were a good side from 2001-05, vert?

Dragons 2009 or 2011?

 

[coreyh88]

I initially was very strongly in the Milford to five eighth camp.
However after seeing Hunt's limited progression as a kicker and organiser I'm not so sure as I believe his best position is second receiver.
I honestly think we may have been better served transitioning Taylor into the halves a Milford to fullback.

 

[Super Freak]

Looking at the footage.. Some problems with the amount of try assists listed on some stats sites.

Having a look at what they think is a try assist, his tally should be higher. Just enough to put him in the top 5.