Broncos Roster, Signings and Rumours Discussion 2023

[McHunt]

It has to be said, it's been an awful recruitment drive so far.

They failed to hang onto their two hottest free agents, let their hottest prospect walk and so far they've only been able to hang onto bench players.

The year is only young, but they're going to have to rebound like they did with their 2021 recruitment drive. That was catastrophic until they got Reynolds.

I don't get the sense the Broncos are going to go on the front foot like they did with Adam. I get the sense that they're going to try their luck with Mariner & Willison and let the cards fall where they may. If they pick up a solid fringe first grader that will likely do them.

The 2019 rebuild is the gift that keeps on giving.

If we're to give the club the benefit of the doubt, or credit their inside knowledge, maybe we'd feel more hopeful.

I think we all agreed with their foresight to cut Isaako, Milford, Niu, Lee, Lodge, TPJ and Hopoate. We all understood why we didn't get into a bidding war over Coates. Most of us disagreed with the decision to release Walsh (though we weren't privy to how far we were over the cap). Many of us disagreed with the decision to release Dearden. A few wonder about the decision to cut Turpin, Croft and Levi. In most cases, the club has got it right, and the club at the other end has got it wrong.

Both Herbie and Thomas are players seen as having higher potential, more than delivering now. Flegler, in particular, has been highly problematic.

Perhaps the club can see their limitations better than Bennett. Just as it did with all those other players, none of whom we regret losing.

 

[Battler]

It has to be said, it's been an awful recruitment drive so far.

They failed to hang onto their two hottest free agents, let their hottest prospect walk and so far they've only been able to hang onto bench players.

The year is only young, but they're going to have to rebound like they did with their 2021 recruitment drive. That was catastrophic until they got Reynolds.

I don't get the sense the Broncos are going to go on the front foot like they did with Adam. I get the sense that they're going to try their luck with Mariner & Willison and let the cards fall where they may. If they pick up a solid fringe first grader that will likely do them.

The 2019 rebuild is the gift that keeps on giving.

How has it been a disaster? We picked up Walsh, probably the most exciting young fb in the comp, for 400k and re-signed Mozer who obviously has massive wraps on him. We also picked up madden who was being chased by the reigning premiers and taupau who the eels were after.

We lost a centre and a prop to insane overs. It’s not the end of the world, especially not if the club uses that cash to sign someone like fifi.

 

[Foordy]

I tend to agree and believe Payne is more likely to stay however, if they haven’t extended him you can bet the dolphins, roosters, bulldogs, knights and titans will go pretty hard for him. Unfortunately you cannot take peoples ‘word’ any longer with regards to if they’re going to stick around or not.
Dolphins would be pretty attractive for him, they will chuck a lot of money at him (potentially the captaincy also?) and he wouldn’t have to move anywhere..
It’s taken a while but the dolphins are finally really knocking the broncos around. Even the timing of Herbie and Fleggs signing, will be something the dolphins love. We are less than a week away from our season opener and now all week the chat will be about how our players are leaving for our rivals.
And the dolphins won’t stop here, they still have a fair bit of coin to spend.

if they keep spending in this fashion, they won't have shit to offer Haas when he is off contract.

besides, it's been over 20 years since you have been able to take someone's word that they want to play for x club for life.

the million dollars that we'd be offering Payne, would be enough to get almost any forward in the game.

people will give themselves a stoke if they start worrying about what happens if we lose players that are off contract in 2 years time.

 

[BroncsFan]

It has to be said, it's been an awful recruitment drive so far.

They failed to hang onto their two hottest free agents, let their hottest prospect walk and so far they've only been able to hang onto bench players.

The year is only young, but they're going to have to rebound like they did with their 2021 recruitment drive. That was catastrophic until they got Reynolds.

I don't get the sense the Broncos are going to go on the front foot like they did with Adam. I get the sense that they're going to try their luck with Mariner & Willison and let the cards fall where they may. If they pick up a solid fringe first grader that will likely do them.

The 2019 rebuild is the gift that keeps on giving.

There could be a fair bit of change incoming for the roster:

Leaving
- Farnworth (starter)... Mariner anticipated to be the replacement
- Flegler (starter) ... Hope the long term replacement emerges this year... or solid players like Jensen become reliable enough to provide the value for money required.
- Palasia (depth)... was next cab off the rank for middle rotation. Hopefully to be filled with a reliable experienced forward... OR Willison emerges from nowhere
- TC (promising depth) ... was getting the minutes last year to be next cab off the rank and we will now need to start that over. Assume this will be Willison and/or Piakura, but effectively it was 12 months now wasted (at no fault of the club)

Off contract
- Taupau ... will he play well enough to deserve a spot in the 17 each week and if so will he go around again OR want to head back to Sydney (i.e. use us as a stepping stone or retirement home)
- Arthars ... just doesn't seem to be in Kevvie's plans, but looks a viable depth option moving forward. Does Arthars want that or will he move on?
- Pereira... provides solid depth, but getting older. I'd say he'd be happy to take a new deal, but do the broncos see value in retaining him
- Quai-Ward... already 23yr old but yet to crack it in Qcup let alone first grade. Does he actually have potential to be a depth player moving forward
- Bayliss... Another 23yr old who is yet to crack it in Qcup... if he does he might fill the Palasia void next year on a good value deal

That's 9 players either leaving or up for renewal heading into the season.

The club could either see it as daunting to renew or replace those players or an opportunity to really reinvent a roster that has been moving from one issue to the next since 2018 or so... possibly ever since Bhunt signed with the dragons.... I feel like we haven't really been on the front foot roster wise.

Panic re-signing of Milf... luxury signing of Bird... undesirable halves pairing of Milf / Knik... no standout player for hooker or fullback... 'exciting young' prospects in role player positions outside the spine... moving into the Bennett / Seibold fiasco and mass turnover of the roster that's been present ever since.

It feels like we've been dealing with a totally imbalanced roster for years and not getting value for money out of the top 30... bloated contracts, unrealised potential, overpaying and over-reliance on youth just to keep them (FOMO), lack of experience, etc. etc. etc.

Ikin is a moneyball man... He's just let Herbie and Flegler go instead of getting into a bidding war for them. This kind of opportunity with the roster combined with an increasing salary cap, could be a real opportunity for him to cement his philosophy on the squad... and hopefully it has us moving in the right direction with a bit more control over our salary cap moving forward.

 

[007]

It has to be said, it's been an awful recruitment drive so far.

They failed to hang onto their two hottest free agents, let their hottest prospect walk and so far they've only been able to hang onto bench players.

The year is only young, but they're going to have to rebound like they did with their 2021 recruitment drive. That was catastrophic until they got Reynolds.

I don't get the sense the Broncos are going to go on the front foot like they did with Adam. I get the sense that they're going to try their luck with Mariner & Willison and let the cards fall where they may. If they pick up a solid fringe first grader that will likely do them.

The 2019 rebuild is the gift that keeps on giving.

I am curious as to why awful in your opinion?

Herbie - agree is a bad loss. Sydney says he signed for 880k.
Flegs - should they have got in a bidding war?

There isn't much to get on the front foot for atm - except for Leniu. I think the club should have considered 800+ for Herbie, but that would have put pressure on future deals for other players.

 

[Big Pete]

How has it been a disaster? We picked up Walsh, probably the most exciting young fb in the comp, for 400k and re-signed Mozer who obviously has massive wraps on him. We also picked up madden who was being chased by the reigning premiers and taupau who the eels were after.

Apologies for the confusion, when I say recruitment drive, what I mean is the off-contract 2023 recruitment drive. So when you lose your two best free agents and your most promising rookie with nothing in return it can only be described one way.

I take your point that 2022 may off-set this. I'm not as confident considering the impact those aforementioned players had on the 2022 NRL season, but hopefully Walsh & Mozer meet their projections. I'm not sure if Madden is really that highly rated, the Dolphins signed their last depth half and nobody is going too crazy over it.

I am curious as to why awful in your opinion?

It is what it is, but the club is down two quality first graders with nothing to show for it so far.

 

[Sproj]

But seriously, we surely now have the money to chase Fifita. If we did get him back, this make it all worth it. Regardless, the balance of the squad and where the money is tied up is looking in better shape now. Losing Herbie really sucks but Mariner really, really looks the goods.

So if we could swing this for '24, I'd be pretty happy:

1. Walsh
2. Oates
3. Staggs
4. Cobbo
5. Mariner
6. Mam
7. Reynolds/Madden/Schneider/Lam
8. Haas
9. Paix
10. Carrigan
11. Fifita
12. Capewell
13. Hetherington

14. Mozer
15. Jensen
16. Riki/Willison
17. Piakura

That looks a much better balanced side. You could even shift Capewell to 13 and leave Riki in the backrow and Hetherington on the bench.

 

[Wolfie]

I tend to agree and believe Payne is more likely to stay however, if they haven’t extended him you can bet the dolphins, roosters, bulldogs, knights and titans will go pretty hard for him. Unfortunately you cannot take peoples ‘word’ any longer with regards to if they’re going to stick around or not.
Dolphins would be pretty attractive for him, they will chuck a lot of money at him (potentially the captaincy also?) and he wouldn’t have to move anywhere..
It’s taken a while but the dolphins are finally really knocking the broncos around. Even the timing of Herbie and Fleggs signing, will be something the dolphins love. We are less than a week away from our season opener and now all week the chat will be about how our players are leaving for our rivals.
And the dolphins won’t stop here, they still have a fair bit of coin to spend.

Dolphins are just like every club who has money to spend, they will target quality players off contract. I still dont think though Flegler is a huge loss for us.

 

[Wolfie]

There could be a fair bit of change incoming for the roster:

Leaving
- Farnworth (starter)... Mariner anticipated to be the replacement
- Flegler (starter) ... Hope the long term replacement emerges this year... or solid players like Jensen become reliable enough to provide the value for money required.
- Palasia (depth)... was next cab off the rank for middle rotation. Hopefully to be filled with a reliable experienced forward... OR Willison emerges from nowhere
- TC (promising depth) ... was getting the minutes last year to be next cab off the rank and we will now need to start that over. Assume this will be Willison and/or Piakura, but effectively it was 12 months now wasted (at no fault of the club)

Off contract
- Taupau ... will he play well enough to deserve a spot in the 17 each week and if so will he go around again OR want to head back to Sydney (i.e. use us as a stepping stone or retirement home)
- Arthars ... just doesn't seem to be in Kevvie's plans, but looks a viable depth option moving forward. Does Arthars want that or will he move on?
- Pereira... provides solid depth, but getting older. I'd say he'd be happy to take a new deal, but do the broncos see value in retaining him
- Quai-Ward... already 23yr old but yet to crack it in Qcup let alone first grade. Does he actually have potential to be a depth player moving forward
- Bayliss... Another 23yr old who is yet to crack it in Qcup... if he does he might fill the Palasia void next year on a good value deal

That's 9 players either leaving or up for renewal heading into the season.

The club could either see it as daunting to renew or replace those players or an opportunity to really reinvent a roster that has been moving from one issue to the next since 2018 or so... possibly ever since Bhunt signed with the dragons.... I feel like we haven't really been on the front foot roster wise.

Panic re-signing of Milf... luxury signing of Bird... undesirable halves pairing of Milf / Knik... no standout player for hooker or fullback... 'exciting young' prospects in role player positions outside the spine... moving into the Bennett / Seibold fiasco and mass turnover of the roster that's been present ever since.

It feels like we've been dealing with a totally imbalanced roster for years and not getting value for money out of the top 30... bloated contracts, unrealised potential, overpaying and over-reliance on youth just to keep them (FOMO), lack of experience, etc. etc. etc.

Ikin is a moneyball man... He's just let Herbie and Flegler go instead of getting into a bidding war for them. This kind of opportunity with the roster combined with an increasing salary cap, could be a real opportunity for him to cement his philosophy on the squad... and hopefully it has us moving in the right direction with a bit more control over our salary cap moving forward.

I think Staggs was a panic signing as well tbh. Paid him more than he was worth because of losing Fifita and Coates.

 

[007]

Apologies for the confusion, when I say recruitment drive, what I mean is the off-contract 2023 recruitment drive. So when you lose your two best free agents and your most promising rookie with nothing in return it can only be described one way.

I take your point that 2022 may off-set this. I'm not as confident considering the impact those aforementioned players had on the 2022 NRL season, but hopefully Walsh & Mozer meet their projections. I'm not sure if Madden is really that highly rated, the Dolphins signed their last depth half and nobody is going too crazy over it.


It is what it is, but the club is down two quality first graders with nothing to show for it so far.

Don't apologise mate, just genuinely interested in your opinion!

Were HQ actively trying to tie up both until this point - or had they set their line in the sand on contract value?

Mariner for me is a huge worry - i just don't see him interested in a future long term role, unless hes moved into the starting squad and developed at centre this year. He will be behind Herbie and Staggs and is still only 20 this year. Do you think he has the ability to be consistent?

 

[BroncsFan]

I think Staggs was a panic signing as well tbh. Paid him more than he was worth because of losing Fifita and Coates.

Yeah I feel like we've been fending off vulture clubs and re-signing players on promise/potential rather than what they actually deliver on the field for a while now.

Staggs was our best player before the ACL and hasn't been able to get back to that since the injury... unfortunately we panicked and re-signed him on overs and long term just so we could keep him.

I feel like Ikin has been moving away from 4+ year deals due to the risk... if Staggs was on a 3yr deal he'd be off contract at the end of next year instead of 2025... which is more palatable and aligns better with Mariner allowing the club time to make a decision.

The only long term deal that should be up for consideration right now is Patty... he's going to be rep quality for the next decade and his style looks sustainable in the long term.

 

[theshed]

But seriously, we surely now have the money to chase Fifita. If we did get him back, this make it all worth it. Regardless, the balance of the squad and where the money is tied up is looking in better shape now. Losing Herbie really sucks but Mariner really, really looks the goods.

So if we could swing this for '24, I'd be pretty happy:

1. Walsh
2. Oates
3. Staggs
4. Cobbo
5. Mariner
6. Mam
7. Reynolds/Madden/Schneider/Lam
8. Haas
9. Paix
10. Carrigan
11. Fifita
12. Capewell
13. Hetherington

14. Mozer
15. Jensen
16. Riki/Willison
17. Piakura

That looks a much better balanced side. You could even shift Capewell to 13 and leave Riki in the backrow and Hetherington on the bench.

I’m not convinced Fifita is what this club needs. While an obvious upgrade on Riki, I think he’s a luxury buy and does not bring any of the grit or experience our team is still desperately lacking. A guy like Frizell maybe or Jai Arrow

 

[BroncsFan]

I’m not convinced Fifita is what this club needs. While an obvious upgrade on Riki, I think he’s a luxury buy and does not bring any of the grit or experience our team is still desperately lacking. A guy like Frizell maybe or Jai Arrow

I think Jai would be a good shout... but moreso for the middle rotation moving forward... not sure he's suited to the edge.

His contract isn't up until the end of 2024 and will be 29 or so when that happens... a solid deal to bring him back as an experienced middle would be worthwhile... but he's not available next year when we might need him.

Frizzel is 31 so he's right in that good age bracket for us to target... although I think his days as an edge forward are running out. He's definitely got the body shape and game style to move into the middle rotation though.

Nathan Brown is another that's off contract and his time at the big time Sydney clubs might be coming to an end... he may be at the point where he needs to decide on whether to go to a Tigers, Manly, etc. or move up north and give it a crack at Brisbane. He would provide a solid experienced middle forward that could easily play off the bench for us... I think he'd be after a 2-3yr deal whilst also not breaking the bank

 

[Wolfie]

I’m not convinced Fifita is what this club needs. While an obvious upgrade on Riki, I think he’s a luxury buy and does not bring any of the grit or experience our team is still desperately lacking. A guy like Frizell maybe or Jai Arrow

I think Jai will end up at the Phins tbh

 

[Big Pete]

Don't apologise mate, just genuinely interested in your opinion!

Were HQ actively trying to tie up both until this point - or had they set their line in the sand on contract value?

Mariner for me is a huge worry - i just don't see him interested in a future long term role, unless hes moved into the starting squad and developed at centre this year. He will be behind Herbie and Staggs and is still only 20 this year. Do you think he has the ability to be consistent?

It did sound like I was throwing the baby out with the bathwater so I could see why that would irritate somebody from the outset.

This was the line in the sand. The Broncos wanted a decision either way so they could make plans moving forward. They wanted to avoid a Fifita situation which dragged on and on where they thought they had him the entire time.

Things went south when Fifita suggested he'd sign two contracts. Titans 2021, Broncos 2022-23. It was such a ridiculous idea that journalists caught wind of it and the Titans sensed they had him on the hook so they upped the ante to get him.

I don't want to jinx it because so far just about every rookie of the year pick has suffered some horrible injury (poor Kepu, Tuitavake, Dykes, Toia...) BUT if I was to make a tip it's that Mariner will play NRL in the first five rounds. I think the Broncos will give him as many reps as they can as they demonstrated last year when they rushed him in against the Tigers.

It's going to be an interesting one because the Broncos will surely look to upgrade Mariner on a long term deal with a starting spot. However that would require somebody in the backline to stink it up. If that happens to be Cobbo or Staggs, will Kev pull the trigger?

Put it this way, I wouldn't want to suffer a paper cut around Kev.

 

[theshed]

It did sound like I was throwing the baby out with the bathwater so I could see why that would irritate somebody from the outset.

This was the line in the sand. The Broncos wanted a decision either way so they could make plans moving forward. They wanted to avoid a Fifita situation which dragged on and on where they thought they had him the entire time.

Things went south when Fifita suggested he'd sign two contracts. Titans 2021, Broncos 2022-23. It was such a ridiculous idea that journalists caught wind of it and the Titans sensed they had him on the hook so they upped the ante to get him.

I don't want to jinx it because so far just about every rookie of the year pick has suffered some horrible injury (poor Kepu, Tuitavake, Dykes, Toia...) BUT if I was to make a tip it's that Mariner will play NRL in the first five rounds. I think the Broncos will give him as many reps as they can as they demonstrated last year when they rushed him in against the Tigers.

It's going to be an interesting one because the Broncos will surely look to upgrade Mariner on a long term deal with a starting spot. However that would require somebody in the backline to stink it up. If that happens to be Cobbo or Staggs, will Kev pull the trigger?

Put it this way, I wouldn't want to suffer a paper cut around Kev.

Where do you suspect Mariner plays? Left centre? Right wing?

Also, I have no idea what that last line means lol

 

[Big Pete]

Where do you suspect Mariner plays? Left centre? Right wing?

Also, I have no idea what that last line means lol

2024? Ideally right wing, but it really depends on Cobbo.

I'm worried he's in for a sophomore slump.

'Kev, I see Herbie Farnworth has been dropped from this weekend's game. Does that happen to do with him signing with the Dolphins'

'Nah not at all, Herbie suffered a minor laceration to his hand so we're going to sit him out and give young Deine an opportunity.

'How did he cut his hand?

'I believe it's when his manager handed him the Dolphins contract...

Any excuse and you're gone, shed.

 

[007]

Put it this way, I wouldn't want to suffer a paper cut around Kev.

Interesting comment. I watched 2 training sessions this week and Kev was noticeably direct, but quiet and looked very hands on with the opposed sessions management. Is he putting the nice guy card away and focusing on performance outcomes and creating competition over previous seasons?