PLAYER Billy Walters

[theshed]

I sort of agree- Paix is entering his fifth season of ISC and fourth season of NRL and we are still seeing the same performances and having the same conversations that we saw/had in 2019. An upwards movement in 21 season but still talking about improvement and conditions.

Paix problem continues to be he is between jobs. He never plays 20 NRL games and he never plays 20 ISC games so it's always hard to get a read on anything or track improvement.

In 2021 I thought he improved his green light play his positioning everything went upwards when he played 10 games for Souths.

Then last season it's back to six ISC games and 12 NRL games off the bench. So you don't really learn too much more.

I thought last season in ISC he was mostly poor- came back at the end of the year and just went back to a 1980's hooker- pass and tackle.

Two runs against against Dolphins for 1m. He was timid and stand offish which was like he was from 19-20.

I think Paix has been mishandled. He was playing his best NRL footy when he was getting 40ish minutes early in the season. I obviously don’t think he’s going to be anything but serviceable and a squad filler but he has better service than Walters imo - at least while his gas tank isn’t empty.

I actually have no issue with Walters being in the team but I am just of the strong belief that he should get max 30 minutes (accept for injury cover). 20 in the beginning and 10 at the end if Paix is the 14 or the last 20 minutes if Smoothey starts.

 

[1910]

I think Paix has been mishandled. He was playing his best NRL footy when he was getting 40ish minutes early in the season. I obviously don’t think he’s going to be anything but serviceable and a squad filler but he has better service than Walters imo - at least while his gas tank isn’t empty.

I actually have no issue with Walters being in the team but I am just of the strong belief that he should get max 30 minutes (accept for injury cover). 20 in the beginning and 10 at the end if Paix is the 14 or the last 20 minutes if Smoothey starts.

The Broncos need to find the best combination to use what they have. They have three part time hookers so have to work out the best way to use all three to make up one hooker.

All three have something they can contribute, you can't carry three, so you need to find two and get their minutes and role right to their strengths. Give up the dream of developing an 80-minute hooker and work with what you have in the three you have.

Paix is like Piakura he keeps having things in his way that stop you making a call. He takes a few steps forward and then gets injured or plays seven minutes off the bench or Covid takes away a season.

 

[Blindside Bronco]

Are there many kids these days who want to play hooker growing (not much hooking in league anyway)?
Maybe change the name for the new generation
IAHBIDHA+ identify as hooker but I don't hook anymore

 

[McHunt]

Smoothy has to start. He's not an impact hooker, rotation hooker, 14 or whatever you want to class this position we seem to have accepted. He's basically Macca with momentum, and a couple more kicks up his sleeve. I don't think anyone's going to get excited by his style of play, but as long as the ball is making its way to Staggs/Cobbo/Farnworth/Oates before the opposition is all over them, he'll be doing his job. He also seems to have the awareness to follow his forwards after he passes to them. That would make a pleasant upgrade.

Walters has to play on the bench if the coach requires his son must get a game each week. That shunts Paix back to the Cup. I can't see a scenario in which Billy is back in the Cup, replaced by Paix.

**** knows what has to happen for Mozer to get a game, but it won't be starting. I guess it will only happen if Billy gets injured.

 

[HarryAllan7]

Hookers cannot run and attack unless they have the space and time around the ruck to do so. The key to attack in the modern NRL is simply about momentum in the middle of the field - nothing more. Creating quick PTBs, space and fatigue around the ruck creates opportunities for hookers to run and capitalise on that forward momentum and opens up opportunities to let our spine players work their magic. No dummy half, no matter how dynamic, is able to run and gain metres and be an attacking weapon if the forwards are getting hammered, on the back foot and not winning their tackles.

The last few seasons it has baffled me how often the hooker will pass off the ground to a forward literally standing still. How can that happen? I watched the trial on the weekend and Smoothy simply consistently throwing flat passes from dummy half that get forwards over the defensive line is such a simple and easy element that the Broncos have been sorely missing for some time.

Now, if we could teach some of the forward to actually run hard onto the ball so they receive the flat pass while barrelling down on the opposition, rather than totally flat footed, then suddenly we're halfway there.

It's amazing how good our dummy half options will look if we manage to get these little things right.

 

[McHunt]

The last few seasons it has baffled me how often the hooker will pass off the ground to a forward literally standing still.

Or run in front of Haas and pass directly back to him (at least once a set) then take a breather. This is how we make metres like empty calories. I like to see the entire team advancing forward, not spectating in turn.

 

[1910]

Smoothy is going to have to the problem of defence and being gassed and the quality of his service then suffering. He started one NRL game for the Storm and made 26 tackles by half time. He had the goal kicking against the Dragons and had to lose that to Hynes he was so far gone.

He played 80 minutes every week for Falcons but the defence will tire him. He's fit, he made the most tackles in the ISC last season and touched the ball more than anyone in attack but applying that to NRL and much bigger fitter bodies is the catch.

 

[Harry Sack]

Smoothy has to play this next trial imo. He showed a little too much to miss out.

 

[kman]

Smoothy definitely did enough to get a small game time maybe 20 minutes to end the 2nd half. Then give Walters and Paix 30 min each, that's what I would do.

 

[pagey]

Smoothy definitely did enough to get a small game time maybe 20 minutes to end the 2nd half. Then give Walters and Paix 30 min each, that's what I would do.

or let paix and Walters have their go and bring smoothy back for the last one

 

[pagey]

Smoothy definitely did enough to get a small game time maybe 20 minutes to end the 2nd half. Then give Walters and Paix 30 min each, that's what I would do.

or let paix and Walters have their go and bring smoothy back for the last one

 

[Harry Sack]

or let paix and Walters have their go and bring smoothy back for the last one

Or that.

 

[WASSHHH]

Hookers cannot run and attack unless they have the space and time around the ruck to do so. The key to attack in the modern NRL is simply about momentum in the middle of the field - nothing more. Creating quick PTBs, space and fatigue around the ruck creates opportunities for hookers to run and capitalise on that forward momentum and opens up opportunities to let our spine players work their magic. No dummy half, no matter how dynamic, is able to run and gain metres and be an attacking weapon if the forwards are getting hammered, on the back foot and not winning their tackles.

The last few seasons it has baffled me how often the hooker will pass off the ground to a forward literally standing still. How can that happen? I watched the trial on the weekend and Smoothy simply consistently throwing flat passes from dummy half that get forwards over the defensive line is such a simple and easy element that the Broncos have been sorely missing for some time.

Now, if we could teach some of the forward to actually run hard onto the ball so they receive the flat pass while barrelling down on the opposition, rather than totally flat footed, then suddenly we're halfway there.

It's amazing how good our dummy half options will look if we manage to get these little things right.

All very true, but there is also a bit of a chicken and egg element that you maybe haven’t touched on.

There are certainly times that any dummy half, no matter how good they are, is unable to gain momentum if their forwards are being dominated. But what they can do is take any opportunity, no matter how small it is, to regain momentum when it finally is offered.

That might be by way of identifying an opportunity or weakness in the defence, or even running a different play, to start to wrestle some ascendency back.

The fact none of the options we’ve had at 9 for seemingly the last decade had any creativity whatsoever meant that once we were on the back foot, that’s where we stayed. Case in point, the endless thrashings we took during the Seibold era.

So chicken and egg. A 9 who is good at their craft and knows what they are doing doesn’t always rely on the forwards getting (and keeping) momentum. It definitely helps, but they have a few more tools in their arsenal to not simply rely on this. Unfortunately, our recent dud 9’s need absolutely everything to go their way before they are any chance.

TBF though, how many times have we also seen us start to get some momentum only for one of our players to inexplicably drop the pill. There are certainly plenty of times you’d hate to coach this team.

 

[McHunt]

All very true, but there is also a bit of a chicken and egg element that you maybe haven’t touched on.

There are certainly times that any dummy half, no matter how good they are, is unable to gain momentum if their forwards are being dominated. But what they can do is take any opportunity, no matter how small it is, to regain momentum when it finally is offered.

That might be by way of identifying an opportunity or weakness in the defence, or even running a different play, to start to wrestle some ascendency back.

The fact none of the options we’ve had at 9 for seemingly the last decade had any creativity whatsoever meant that once we were on the back foot, that’s where we stayed. Case in point, the endless thrashings we took during the Seibold era.

So chicken and egg. A 9 who is good at their craft and knows what they are doing doesn’t always rely on the forwards getting (and keeping) momentum. It definitely helps, but they have a few more tools in their arsenal to not simply rely on this. Unfortunately, our recent dud 9’s need absolutely everything to go their way before they are any chance.

TBF though, how many times have we also seen us start to get some momentum only for one of our players to inexplicably drop the pill. There are certainly plenty of times you’d hate to coach this team.

I recall us frequently squandering field position gains on poor attacking choices in their half.

 

[McHunt]

With Paix starting, and Walters on the bench, I wonder if this is already the showdown between Paix and Smoothy that's inevitably coming?

 

[McHunt]

Smoothy on the bench with Walters.

 

[HarryAllan7]

All very true, but there is also a bit of a chicken and egg element that you maybe haven’t touched on.

There are certainly times that any dummy half, no matter how good they are, is unable to gain momentum if their forwards are being dominated. But what they can do is take any opportunity, no matter how small it is, to regain momentum when it finally is offered.

That might be by way of identifying an opportunity or weakness in the defence, or even running a different play, to start to wrestle some ascendency back.

The fact none of the options we’ve had at 9 for seemingly the last decade had any creativity whatsoever meant that once we were on the back foot, that’s where we stayed. Case in point, the endless thrashings we took during the Seibold era.

So chicken and egg. A 9 who is good at their craft and knows what they are doing doesn’t always rely on the forwards getting (and keeping) momentum. It definitely helps, but they have a few more tools in their arsenal to not simply rely on this. Unfortunately, our recent dud 9’s need absolutely everything to go their way before they are any chance.

TBF though, how many times have we also seen us start to get some momentum only for one of our players to inexplicably drop the pill. There are certainly plenty of times you’d hate to coach this team.

Agreed... my point was more that there are so few quality 9's in the entire competition who can do as you describe consistently (and we have none of them on our roster), so its imperative that we instead focus on the most simple bread and butter basics - flat passes from DH to forwards steaming onto the ball, to create the best situation to make some of these interim hooker options at least serviceable. They'll never be elite, but if we can put them in a position where they just need to do a very simple basic task and then capitalise on what the forwards are creating then they can be more than good enough for us to be competitive in September.

Perhaps most importantly, if we really think we have a good long term 9 prospect coming through the woodwork in Mozer, then I want these basic structures well and truly established and second nature by the time he comes through. The last thing I want us to do is squander another young talented playmaker's potential by putting him in a poor position where its difficult to thrive and develop.

The fact that our squad hasn't been consistently trained to have forwards hitting full speed as they receive the ball flat from DH and finding their front quickly absolutely astounds me... If you asked me what the single greatest key to a good NRL attack was - I would say it was that simple mechanic, which requires absolutely no special skill or freakish ability - just high fitness, consistent effort and focus. Any team can do it, but the ones that do it the most consistently are unsurprisingly the ones at the top of the ladder.

 

[Sproj]

Hopefully...this means Paix has been really impressive in preseason and is knocking the door down. I live in hope with this guy.