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https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/04/19/boyd-says-hes-no-five-eighth-and-lockyer-agrees/
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Boyd says he's no five-eighth and Lockyer agrees
Author
Joel Gould NRL.com Reporter
Broncos captain Darius Boyd has reiterated he is not moving from fullback to five-eighth and has the backing of club legend Darren Lockyer who famously made the successful switch back in 2004. In the wake of the Broncos winning just one of their opening five games, league greats Johnathan Thurston and Andrew Johns have called on the Broncos to switch Boyd with five-eighth Anthony Milford, who burst on the scene at Canberra in the custodian's role. Boyd has not started at five-eighth in any of his 297 NRL games.
He has previously pointed out he does not have the long kicking game of a five-eighth and the stats back him up. Since returning to the Broncos in 2015 Boyd has averaged 7.2 metres per game with his kicks across 93 matches. Almost all of those kicks have been short grubbers near the line.
Boyd, a master at organising the defensive line from the back and chiming in from fullback and throwing the final pass for left winger Corey Oates to score, said his game was not suited to a positional switch to five-eighth.
"Fullback is definitely my best spot," Boyd said.
"It is just the way I play naturally and where I have been playing my whole career. You don't do that for 13 or 14 years and then try and change positions.
"If anyone knows rugby league they know there is a lot more game management in the halves. Fullback is a lot more free running, and with the last pass option it is the [halves] on the inside who have to create that for the last pass. "[In the halves] there is a lot more creating and straight line running I guess, and there is kicking involved."
Lockyer, who made a successful transition from fullback to five-eighth, had a raking left boot kicking game and relished the playmaking role. He backed Boyd's stance while recognising the Brisbane fullback was not a natural playmaker.
"I agree with Darius. Where he is now is his best position, and secondary to that left centre, but I don't think moving him from fullback is the answer," Lockyer told NRL.com.
"He needs to have a kicking game to play five-eighth, which he has put up his hand for and says he doesn't.
"Darius is a great three-on-two exponent out the back but I don't think he is equipped to play short balls to his back-rowers, but then also throw that pass out the back to his fullback. I just don't think he is a natural playmaker." While Milford and Kodi Nikorima have come in for plenty of criticism, especially in the wake of the bungled set of six against Wests Tigers where no-one took a shot at field goal late in the match, Lockyer said the pair weren't that far off the mark.
"I know they are not that far away. Tactically the halves' short and long kicking game, when they are kicking it and how, is much improved," Lockyer said.
"It is now just getting Milford to bark some orders around the place and give them more direction, and once they get that down pat I think they are starting to look real good."
Boyd has also come under fire for missing several tackles at the back but said his form was not as bad as has been portrayed. He said the club would not be pressured into making changes.
"Everyone is going to have their say, but if we were three [wins] from five no-one is going to be saying the things that they are. It comes with the territory but that is the world we live in," Boyd said. "A lot of [the criticism] is unwarranted but you've got to move on and listen to the guys in house.
"I have been pretty happy with my game. I've been making some good metres, I've been really involved and I think I've been working in the attack line well. I've probably missed a few tackles which I need to pick up on definitely. It is about working hard at training, which I do every day, and making sure I am loud with the halves with my talk and leading the team."
.......
Boyd says he's no five-eighth and Lockyer agrees
Author
Joel Gould NRL.com Reporter
Broncos captain Darius Boyd has reiterated he is not moving from fullback to five-eighth and has the backing of club legend Darren Lockyer who famously made the successful switch back in 2004. In the wake of the Broncos winning just one of their opening five games, league greats Johnathan Thurston and Andrew Johns have called on the Broncos to switch Boyd with five-eighth Anthony Milford, who burst on the scene at Canberra in the custodian's role. Boyd has not started at five-eighth in any of his 297 NRL games.
He has previously pointed out he does not have the long kicking game of a five-eighth and the stats back him up. Since returning to the Broncos in 2015 Boyd has averaged 7.2 metres per game with his kicks across 93 matches. Almost all of those kicks have been short grubbers near the line.
Boyd, a master at organising the defensive line from the back and chiming in from fullback and throwing the final pass for left winger Corey Oates to score, said his game was not suited to a positional switch to five-eighth.
"Fullback is definitely my best spot," Boyd said.
"It is just the way I play naturally and where I have been playing my whole career. You don't do that for 13 or 14 years and then try and change positions.
"If anyone knows rugby league they know there is a lot more game management in the halves. Fullback is a lot more free running, and with the last pass option it is the [halves] on the inside who have to create that for the last pass. "[In the halves] there is a lot more creating and straight line running I guess, and there is kicking involved."
Lockyer, who made a successful transition from fullback to five-eighth, had a raking left boot kicking game and relished the playmaking role. He backed Boyd's stance while recognising the Brisbane fullback was not a natural playmaker.
"I agree with Darius. Where he is now is his best position, and secondary to that left centre, but I don't think moving him from fullback is the answer," Lockyer told NRL.com.
"He needs to have a kicking game to play five-eighth, which he has put up his hand for and says he doesn't.
"Darius is a great three-on-two exponent out the back but I don't think he is equipped to play short balls to his back-rowers, but then also throw that pass out the back to his fullback. I just don't think he is a natural playmaker." While Milford and Kodi Nikorima have come in for plenty of criticism, especially in the wake of the bungled set of six against Wests Tigers where no-one took a shot at field goal late in the match, Lockyer said the pair weren't that far off the mark.
"I know they are not that far away. Tactically the halves' short and long kicking game, when they are kicking it and how, is much improved," Lockyer said.
"It is now just getting Milford to bark some orders around the place and give them more direction, and once they get that down pat I think they are starting to look real good."
Boyd has also come under fire for missing several tackles at the back but said his form was not as bad as has been portrayed. He said the club would not be pressured into making changes.
"Everyone is going to have their say, but if we were three [wins] from five no-one is going to be saying the things that they are. It comes with the territory but that is the world we live in," Boyd said. "A lot of [the criticism] is unwarranted but you've got to move on and listen to the guys in house.
"I have been pretty happy with my game. I've been making some good metres, I've been really involved and I think I've been working in the attack line well. I've probably missed a few tackles which I need to pick up on definitely. It is about working hard at training, which I do every day, and making sure I am loud with the halves with my talk and leading the team."
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