Boyd can fire for Broncos at wing or centre: Hodges

BrentTatesChin

BrentTatesChin

QCup Player
Jul 30, 2016
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Broncos great Justin Hodges insists club captain Darius Boyd still has plenty to offer the side at either centre or on the wing next season where his experience will be vital for a young squad.
The 32-year-old will return to training next week and while it is yet to be decided where he will play, NRL.com understands centre or wing are both possibilities with Anthony Milford likely to partner Brodie Croft in the halves and Jamayne Isaako set to have a crack at fullback.

Boyd, who moved from fullback to five-eighth this year, won a premiership with the Broncos in 2006 on the wing where he also scored 16 of his 17 tries for the Queensland Maroons. He has played in the centres at NRL level and also with success for Queensland.
Hodges spoke to media about Boyd's future in Brisbane on Wednesday as he prepared for a boxing showdown with Toronto Wolfpack forward Darcy Lussick in Sydney on December 6 where the duo will be on the undercard of the Tim Tszyu v Jim Brubaker event.
Hodges said Boyd's move from fullback to five-eighth "disrupted him a little bit" this year but said he would handle another backline positional switch.
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Former Broncos tell young bucks to step up
"I think he wants to try and have a go in the centres which is not a bad position when you get older. He has done a lot of yardage at the back as a fullback," Hodges said.
"I think he can go back to the centres or even the wing. He has played a lot of wing for Queensland where he is our second highest try scorer after GI.
"I think he is valuable in that position as well where you can bring him off the wing, especially in good ball where he can play a fullback role and link up. There are different options that Seibs can play around with."
With Matt Gillett now retired, Boyd and Alex Glenn are the only players in Brisbane's squad over 30 with many of the rest in their early 20s or even younger. It is the value of Boyd's vast experience in 317 NRL games that Hodges said could not be underestimated.

"I know people are asking that he be demoted as captain and to retire but you still need that older head and experience, and that is what he brings," Hodges said.
"He is a guy that you still need around the club. He has won premierships and done everything in the game and deserves the right way out on his terms.
"Obviously he didn’t have the best year but you can’t put him down for having one bad year when he’s had 13 other good seasons. Hopefully he will prepare well and get to work… and everyone gets behind him."
Justin Hodges and trainer Craig McCullen in an open training session at Lang Park PCYC.
Justin Hodges and trainer Craig McCullen in an open training session at Lang Park PCYC.
The Broncos are expected to announce the signing of Storm half Brodie Croft in the near future and Hodges, who has coached the 22-year-old, said he would be a valuable acquisition.
"I have spent a bit of time with Brodie with the Queensland 20s and I think it is a wonderful thing for the Broncos. He is still young but he has been around some great players and been through a wonderful system down there at the Storm," Hodges said.
"For young guys coming through like Tom Dearden and Cory Paix, having a guy like Brodie there is going to help them. He is like a mini-Cooper Cronk.
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Payne Haas in focus
"Hopefully he can control the side and that frees guys up like Milford to roam around and play his natural game which is eyes-up football."
Hodges had his eyes-up in the gym on Wednesday as he prepared for what he predicted would be a tough battle with former Sea Eagles and Eels forward Lussick.
"He is a big aggressive guy and likes to intimidate people. We’ve seen that on the football field. He is going to come out hard but we’ve got to keep our distance, wait for him t get tired and then hopefully take him to work," Hodges said.
"The prep has been good. I am really looking forward to getting it done and having a beer afterwards."








GOD JUST F**CK OFF DARIUS!
 
Boyd is returning to training next week? Was he injured or something? I thought non-rep players started a while ago.
 
Surely even Boyd can see the writing on the wall that he’s well past done when he’s being moved around more than a Pikey does when running from the authorities.

The Roosters never moved Mini or the Eagles Stewart, even though they had RTS and Turbo respectively waiting their turn. We don’t have a player of such proven calibre or experience waiting for a chance but Boyd stunk it up so bad he was moved anyway and seems no chance of returning.

1, 6, now maybe 3 or 5. Just put him at 10 and then, maybe then, he will get the idea and pull the pin.
 
Ah I'm not one who still rates my mate Boyd. Now there is two. For where art thou sheep?
 
"I know people are asking that he be demoted as captain and to retire but you still need that older head and experience, and that is what he brings," Hodges said.

Parra and Brad Arthur were heartless in dropping their captain Tim Mannah mid season. The club should have done the same after the horror highlight reels of Boyd's ineptness in 2019.

But even after Parra **** us over by a semi final record margin of 58, this guy is still our 'experienced saviour' into 2020... FMD!!
 
The only position on the entire field that Boyd would have a slight chance of not being a complete liability is probably left centre, and that simply isn't going to happen. Bird & Staggs are 2 of the best young centres in the game, there's zero chance they're not our 3 & 4 this year.

He might be ok the right wing? When he started actually giving a shit last season towards the end he was actually making some good ground out of our own end, he's still safe under the high ball, he's still a decent finisher. The problem is that he's slow, can't jump very high and would no doubt be equally as shit defensively on the wing as he was for the past 2 seasons at Fullback. I would much rather go young with Farnworth or Arthars, as I'm sure everyone would.
 
The honest assessment is he could get a small shot on the sting and thats it. He gets Isaakos spot. If he cant hack it there i am afraid thats curtains for him.
 
The only position on the entire field that Boyd would have a slight chance of not being a complete liability is probably left centre, and that simply isn't going to happen. Bird & Staggs are 2 of the best young centres in the game, there's zero chance they're not our 3 & 4 this year.

He might be ok the right wing? When he started actually giving a shit last season towards the end he was actually making some good ground out of our own end, he's still safe under the high ball, he's still a decent finisher. The problem is that he's slow, can't jump very high and would no doubt be equally as shit defensively on the wing as he was for the past 2 seasons at Fullback. I would much rather go young with Farnworth or Arthars, as I'm sure everyone would.

And the thing about it is, blind Freddy can see everything you just said, so if Boyd is still picked despite that, it really doesn't say much for Seibold's decision making, let alone his spine.
 
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Surely even Boyd can see the writing on the wall that he’s well past done when he’s being moved around more than a Pikey does when running from the authorities.

The Roosters never moved Mini or the Eagles Stewart, even though they had RTS and Turbo respectively waiting their turn. We don’t have a player of such proven calibre or experience waiting for a chance but Boyd stunk it up so bad he was moved anyway and seems no chance of returning.

1, 6, now maybe 3 or 5. Just put him at 10 and then, maybe then, he will get the idea and pull the pin.

actually, I’m certain Mini was shifted to the wing in his last season. Sometimes swapping with RTS.
 
"I know people are asking that he be demoted as captain and to retire but you still need that older head and experience, and that is what he brings," Hodges said.

Do you need it though? Do you need need someone that has "experience" even though they are the laughing stock of the competition every week? I'd rather the the club just move on tbh, the gains to be had from Boyd range from minuscule to non-existent...
 
I really hate this bullshit notion that players "deserve to go out on their own terms". No you don't. Perform and you're in the team. Don't and the decision will be made for you.

Atleast 99% of players should fall into that category. Guys like D.Lockyer and C.Smith would be the exception but these kind of players are few and far between.
 
actually, I’m certain Mini was shifted to the wing in his last season. Sometimes swapping with RTS.
From memory Mini was always selected at 1. He and RTS often switched around during games as part of the transition, but I don’t believe RTS was ever named at 1.

I’ve looked at around 12-15 games from the 2014 season on NRL.com, selecting games randomly throughout the season and that’s certainly the case too.

Anyway, point is, good players who are still performing don’t get moved, even for ‘the next big thing’.

Boyd has been moved, and looks to be on track to be moved again, and we don’t have anything close to ‘the next best thing’ in any of the positions he’s being moved from.
 

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