Broncos Roster, Signings and Rumours Discussion 2023

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

So 2 rookies at hooker playing in the middle is okay but a rookie playing 15 minutes of bench prop is dangerous?

We used 7 players in the halves last year - I would advise you don’t look at what our halves depth looks like after 3 this season. Willison or Coburn off the bench doesn’t worry me anywhere near as much as if Reynolds and Mam are out of action.

And what a RIDICULOUS comparison ffs. Reynolds and mam out would worry me too! Are you suggesting we need to have halves at the same level of depth? Hahahahahaha bloody hell

And we used 7 players in the halves bcos Walters wanted to change them as well you realise.

 

[theshed]

Why are 2 rookies playing at hooker? Do you not understand mathematics? We have 30 spots, we NEED 1 dummy half a week - 2 is desirable in our system but we can get by with 1.
That's 5% of our 17.

We need 5 middle forwards in our 17 each week (6 would be nice though).
That is 30% of our starting 17.

Are you suggesting we fill our top 30 squad with 5 dummy halfs (17% of the top 30) to ensure we don't need to use rookies?

You can't have QUALITY dummy half's sitting 3rd or 4th in line. Name ONE NRL TEAM that has that outside of the storm (who develop them anyway). They want to play nrl and there's only 1 or 2 options for it. I can name you about about 7 or 8 teams who have far, far better middle forward depth than us, and what a coincidence, a lot of them finished above us last year!it's a long season, injuries happen, a strong and reliable middle in defence is imperative. HELLO 2019 AND 2020!!!!!!

While there are definitely better forward packs than ours, I don’t think anyone has outstanding depth once you get to the 9th or 10th rung.

You usually have like 4 or 5 solid options if you’re lucky and then the rest are a mix of journey men and rookies. Please feel free to post some other teams middle depth to show me I’m wrong though. Curious to see how you go.

 

[BroncosFever]

He's right though, dummy halves are hard to find in the NRL, probably the hardest spot to fill in your 17 as it takes time to develop a good one and because of that, they're even harder to find from outside of your system

If any club had a backup dummy half who was any good at all, he would surely be poached by another club for an opportunity in the NRL

 

[theshed]

He's right though, dummy halves are hard to find in the NRL, probably the hardest spot to fill in your 17 as it takes time to develop a good one and because of that, they're even harder to find from outside of your system

If any club had a backup dummy half who was any good at all, he would surely be poached by another club for an opportunity in the NRL

And if you had a top 17 worthy forward sitting 9th in the pecking order he would be poached too a la Palasia

 

[McHunt]

Middle forward is probably our strongest depth? Hooker, halves, and 2nd row is our light spots..

Three quarters is our strongest depth. We have an embarrassment of riches there.

Top Tier

Oates: QLD, Australia. Top of his game.
Farnworth: England. Top of his game.
Staggs: NSW. Purple patch, but down on form. Some concerns.
Cobbo: QLD. Purple patch, but down on form. Rising star, but lingering questions.
Capewell: QLD. 2nd Row, possibly better at centre. Questions towards season end (injured).

Second Tier

Arthars: Solid NRL standard. Prolific finisher.
Hoeter: Solid NRL standard.
Pereira: Solid NRL standard.
Mariner: Rising star.

Third Tier

Quai-Ward: Unproven.
Sailor: Train & Trial.

Rejected to Sea World

Isaako: NZ. Remarkable, but problematic.
Niu: Tonga. Remarkable, but problematic.
Lee: QLD. Unremarkable, but solid.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

And if you had a top 17 worthy forward sitting 9th in the pecking order he would be poached too a la Palasia

Didn't you rate him as our 6th best originally, now he's our 9th because that matches your theory?

The big difference is this: A good/great back up dummy half is going to leave for near guaranteed starting spots (unless it's a ridiculous amount of money or brown paper bags).

What club do you see offering our 7th or 8th best middle forwards top 17 positions STARIGHT away? Willison has immense talent but there's a reason clubs aren't promising that to poach him off of us, he might surprise and be ready but he shouldn't be getting relied upon to play >15 games in the year, which looks likely to happen if he can stay on the field.
On top of the above, what's after him? We start shifting people from 2nd row, the position you are more worried about our depth? Makes sense...

 

[theshed]

Didn't you rate him as our 6th best originally, now he's our 9th because that matches your theory?

The big difference is this: A good/great back up dummy half is going to leave for near guaranteed starting spots (unless it's a ridiculous amount of money or brown paper bags).

What club do you see offering our 7th or 8th best middle forwards top 17 positions STARIGHT away? Willison has immense talent but there's a reason clubs aren't promising that to poach him off of us, he might surprise and be ready but he shouldn't be getting relied upon to play >15 games in the year, which looks likely to happen if he can stay on the field.
On top of the above, what's after him? We start shifting people from 2nd row, the position you are more worried about our depth? Makes sense...

I really don’t care enough about this topic to keep the debate going. I also don’t think Palasia is 9th, it was just an example.

Please educate me with the far superior middle depth lists of the teams above us rather than the pointless back and forth.

 

[McHunt]

The big difference is this: A good/great back up dummy half is going to leave for near guaranteed starting spots (unless it's a ridiculous amount of money or brown paper bags).

You really need 4 dummy half/hookers to get through a season (9 & 14), particularly if none can play close to 80 minutes. Because they're relatively small, yet are asked to defend so much, they inevitably get hurt.

We're not so much fucked at hooker but locked into a holding pattern until Blake Mozer matures into Cam Smith II, if that indeed ever happens. And at that point the coach is faced with the elephant we know he'd rather not acknowledge is shitting in the room.

Our 9 depth is so ropy we can't even differentiate between our starting 9 and a bench utility, because they both end up playing about a half each. But here goes:

Top Tier

Walters: Makeshift. Fringe NRL standard. Unremarkable, but enthusiastic. Yet to learn position. Conflict.
Paix: Makeshift. Fringe NRL standard. Unremarkable, but flashes of class. Questions about endurance, defence.

Second Tier

Smoothy: Development. Genuine hooker. QCup standout. Fringe NRL standard.
Madden: Makeshift. Green, but promising. Fringe NRL standard. Rising star.
Horne: Train & trial. Solid QCup standard.
Mozer: Genuine hooker. Barely QCup standard, but rising star.

Reject

Turpin: Solid NRL standard (some will differ). Outstanding defender. Unremarkable attack.

 

[BroncsFan]

The big difference is this: A good/great back up dummy half is going to leave for near guaranteed starting spots (unless it's a ridiculous amount of money or brown paper bags).

Unless it's BSmith or Harry Grant who were both happy to sit as second choice instead of getting paid... because .... reasons....

 

[BroncsFan]

You really need 4 dummy half/hookers to get through a season (9 & 14), particularly if none can play close to 80 minutes. Because they're relatively small, yet are asked to defend so much, they inevitably get hurt.

I think prior to Vlando rules you could get away with less hooking depth, because it was easier to have hookers going 80mins under the slower version of the game... but nowadays there are so few 80mins hookers that every team basically needs to carry someone that can play some dummy half off the bench.

That's why the utility lock forward has become so important. Teams will either turn a 'robust' spine player into a lock/hooker (Connor Watson, etc.) or turn a hooker into a lock (BSmith, Havili, Erin Clark, Mitch Kenny, etc.). For business as usual they can play some middle forward off the bench (i.e. small lock forward) OR be a makeshift spine player for emergency situations. In that way you have an extra middle for the current most demanding position on the field and a back-up hooker who can fill in for the current guy that can't quite get to 80mins anymore.

If Kobe could pass off the ground he could be our back up hooker on the bench allowing us to carry another forward, utility, etc.... we'd just need someone that can get through 60-65 quality minutes of hooker to be the main man, and when he needs a break Kobe comes on to shuffle it out of dummy half, but otherwise plays middle forward.

 

[McHunt]

I think prior to Vlando rules you could get away with less hooking depth, because it was easier to have hookers going 80mins under the slower version of the game... but nowadays there are so few 80mins hookers that every team basically needs to carry someone that can play some dummy half off the bench.

That's why the utility lock forward has become so important. Teams will either turn a 'robust' spine player into a lock/hooker (Connor Watson, etc.) or turn a hooker into a lock (BSmith, Havili, Erin Clark, Mitch Kenny, etc.). For business as usual they can play some middle forward off the bench (i.e. small lock forward) OR be a makeshift spine player for emergency situations. In that way you have an extra middle for the current most demanding position on the field and a back-up hooker who can fill in for the current guy that can't quite get to 80mins anymore.

If Kobe could pass off the ground he could be our back up hooker on the bench allowing us to carry another forward, utility, etc.... we'd just need someone that can get through 60-65 quality minutes of hooker to be the main man, and when he needs a break Kobe comes on to shuffle it out of dummy half, but otherwise plays middle forward.

Oh yeah, I forgot all about Kobe originally being a hooker. Has he ever filled in at dummy half in first grade?

I hope Jock Madden gets a run there at training. I reckon he'd be a treat for 20 minutes off the bench. I have no idea what his defence is like.

 

[BroncsFan]

Oh yeah, I forgot all about Kobe originally being a hooker. Has he ever filled in at dummy half in first grade?

I hope Jock Madden gets a run there at training. I reckon he'd be a treat for 20 minutes off the bench. I have no idea what his defence is like.

I think he filled in a couple times over the last 1-2 years, but not well enough to cover that position for 40mins every week... which is what our hookers require because they haven't really shown they can get through 60 quality minutes.

When the bench hooker / utility has to play 40mins at hooker every week, then that's their primary role for the team each week... versus having to give the main hooker a breather for 15-20mins.

If your hooker only needs a 15min break (like Api, Cook, Harry, etc.) then you need to find another role for that back up hooker to do in the team or basically be prepared to play with 16 every week.

- Havili played as a middle generating quick play the balls
- BSmith played the same role, but also played 30mins or so at hooker because he's very effective at both
- Mitch Kenny bulked up to play some lock forward in order to have a role in the team... I'd say that versatility now means Soni Luke may have surpassed him as the main hooker instead of Kenny being the understudy to Api

For our sake we need to hope that Mozer, Paix, etc. somehow turns into a primary hooker that can play 60 minutes each week... and then we just need a Kobe or similar to fill in the rest of the minutes.

 

[Big Del]

Capewell is fine, Riki is okay.

Capewell is fine ??
In what parallel universe ? Missed tackles and no tries / assist in back half of the season . His spot is up for grabs if he doesn`t improve dramatically .

 

[theshed]

Capewell is fine ??
In what parallel universe ? Missed tackles and no tries / assist in back half of the season . His spot is up for grabs if he doesn`t improve dramatically .

A hot take but if we are short on middles I think Capewell would make a great lock.

 

[Super Freak]

Capewell is fine ??
In what parallel universe ? Missed tackles and no tries / assist in back half of the season . His spot is up for grabs if he doesn`t improve dramatically .

Capewell was playing busted, it had a heavy impact on his form.

Prior to that, he was doing his job just fine. He'll improve.

 

[GCBRONCO]

 

[Sproj]

Wonder how much we are paying for him.

 

[BroncosFever]

Wonder how much we are paying for him.

He asked for a release didn't he?