Broncos Roster, Signings and Rumours Discussion 2023

As it stands, looking at 23 v 24, and bear in mind there will no doubt be significant changes to our roster for 24 with no doubt one decent player from somewhere coming in but thoughts?

1. Walsh / Walsh
2. Oates / Oates
3. Staggs / Staggs
4. Farnworth / Cobbo
5. Cobbo / Mariner
6. Mam / Mam
7. Reynolds / Reynolds likely transitioning into Madden
8. Haas / Haas
9. Walters / Paix
10. Flegler / Carrigan
11. Capewell / Capewell
12. Riki / Riki
13. Carrigan / Hetherington

14. Paix / Mozer
15. Taupau / Willison or Bayliss-Brow or even maybe Taupau
16. Jensen / Jensen
17. Piakura / Piakura

I reckon Robati being a moron has really dented our succession planning in the forwards, he would have been a mainstay for sure.
Is Oates even signed on for next year??

Can recall there being talk of PO's but thought the broncos statement for his re-signing was 12 months
 
Is Oates even signed on for next year??

Can recall there being talk of PO's but thought the broncos statement for his re-signing was 12 months
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This is what zerotackle says... I hope he joins the boys and goes to Dolphins
 
Is Oates even signed on for next year??

Can recall there being talk of PO's but thought the broncos statement for his re-signing was 12 months

Good question, there are obviously conflicting reports out there but I just don't think we'll lose him. He would have had other opportunities throughout his career and he has always been loyal. It wouldn't be right seeing Oatesy in another jersey.
 
Good question, there are obviously conflicting reports out there but I just don't think we'll lose him. He would have had other opportunities throughout his career and he has always been loyal. It wouldn't be right seeing Oatesy in another jersey.
Or we could forget about sentimentality, flick him and sign a real winger
 
Yes, we made the right call on Farnworth & Flegler, but only because we were forced in to a situation where we were lose/lose. We either pay overs and **** our cap, or we lose players that suit our squad.

The clubs who offer these stupid deals are the ones to blame, but they are obviously desperate to land decent players, and have the foolish idea that paying overs will somehow benefit the team. Where time and time again we've seen how damaging it is, and those teams have trouble getting off the bottom of the ladder, let alone end up in a position to challenge for the title. Maybe those clubs have given up on being competitive, maybe they are just looking for high profile names in order to appease fans and sponsors?

It does suck that it keeps happening to us, though it has happened to every club - even the Roosters (though you could argue that, like the Storm, they have been able to keep their top-line players, but do often lose their mid-range players to other clubs).

Have other clubs lost as many as we have? Over the past decade, the below weren't all top-liners, but they were valued at their contract values at the time, and had to be enticed away:

Top liners:

Corey Norman - Eels - paid overs - fairly successful but the team had more success when they moved on from him
Ash Taylor - Titans - MASSIVE overs - his failure was epic
Jai Arrow - Titans - Paid on potential which was overs at the time, we didn't compete hard knowing Patty was coming through - has had one of the better careers and has reached his potential
Ben Hunt - Dragons - paid unprecendented overs - hasn't had team success and ultimately hasn't had the impact his contract would require, but has undoubtedly been elite.
David Fifita - Titans - One of the worst overpayments of all time - paid not just on potential, but out of desperation to finally land a top-level Broncos talent - resulted in exactly what was expected, unmotivated player, surrounded by a squad suffering from an unbalanced cap.
Xavier Coates - Storm - Premiership Potential - despite the Storm's suggestion they will develop him in to a premier all-rounded player, they have yet to ask him to do anything other than fall over the line. His defensive reads, which were his problem here, do not seem to have improved at all.
Herbie Farnworth - Dolphins - Overs - results yet to be seen, but of all the players who have left, he will be tough to beat in the always-gives-110% stakes.
Thomas Flegler - Dolphins - Considerable overs - if the refs suddenly take the blowtorch off his game (which is entirely possible) he could end up a top-level prop.

Support players:

Ben Hannant - Cowboys - Broncos under-offered - premiership
Jarrod Wallace - Titans - Overs. Not the worst loss but he was starting to hit form, Titans paid on potential - plodder
Herman Ese'Ese: Knights - Overs. Like Wallace, was doing a job for their modest salary, but was offered starting prop money to leave - has not shown to be worth his pay grade.
Joe Ofahengaue - Tigers - Overs. Whether we wanted to keep him is debateable. Was looking strong with his Origin appearance but was injured and never the same - definitely did not live up to his pay packet.

You could argue some more in McGuire, Su'a, TPJ, etc, but at the time the players were arguably seen as surplus, or replaceable by younger players coming through who worth the opportunity.
 
Or we could forget about sentimentality, flick him and sign a real winger
Sorry, are you on crack?

Bayliss Brown will cover flegler? Bayliss Brown is bog average in QCup!

Get rid of oates? Our leading try scorer (second in the entire comp), finally improved his hands and the one player in our back 5 that makes good metres every game (which we need because walsh and staggs aren't known for this, and herbie is gone).

Put down the pipe mate.
 
think Fifita is the only signing I'd make atm and then sit tight and see how some of our youngsters look before hitting the market again.
 
think Fifita is the only signing I'd make atm and then sit tight and see how some of our youngsters look before hitting the market again.
Yep, surely 800k (or 600k and some roosters inspired benefits in the form of golf games and dinners) could pry him away from the tits. The tits are insane and ought to be de-registered by the NRL if they offer him 1 mil+ again.
 
think Fifita is the only signing I'd make atm and then sit tight and see how some of our youngsters look before hitting the market again.

Agreed, I would be carefully watching Schneider, Clifford, Lam, Trindall and Weaver though.
 
Yes, we made the right call on Farnworth & Flegler, but only because we were forced in to a situation where we were lose/lose. We either pay overs and **** our cap, or we lose players that suit our squad.

The clubs who offer these stupid deals are the ones to blame, but they are obviously desperate to land decent players, and have the foolish idea that paying overs will somehow benefit the team. Where time and time again we've seen how damaging it is, and those teams have trouble getting off the bottom of the ladder, let alone end up in a position to challenge for the title. Maybe those clubs have given up on being competitive, maybe they are just looking for high profile names in order to appease fans and sponsors?

It does suck that it keeps happening to us, though it has happened to every club - even the Roosters (though you could argue that, like the Storm, they have been able to keep their top-line players, but do often lose their mid-range players to other clubs).

Have other clubs lost as many as we have? Over the past decade, the below weren't all top-liners, but they were valued at their contract values at the time, and had to be enticed away:

Top liners:

Corey Norman - Eels - paid overs - fairly successful but the team had more success when they moved on from him
Ash Taylor - Titans - MASSIVE overs - his failure was epic
Jai Arrow - Titans - Paid on potential which was overs at the time, we didn't compete hard knowing Patty was coming through - has had one of the better careers and has reached his potential
Ben Hunt - Dragons - paid unprecendented overs - hasn't had team success and ultimately hasn't had the impact his contract would require, but has undoubtedly been elite.
David Fifita - Titans - One of the worst overpayments of all time - paid not just on potential, but out of desperation to finally land a top-level Broncos talent - resulted in exactly what was expected, unmotivated player, surrounded by a squad suffering from an unbalanced cap.
Xavier Coates - Storm - Premiership Potential - despite the Storm's suggestion they will develop him in to a premier all-rounded player, they have yet to ask him to do anything other than fall over the line. His defensive reads, which were his problem here, do not seem to have improved at all.
Herbie Farnworth - Dolphins - Overs - results yet to be seen, but of all the players who have left, he will be tough to beat in the always-gives-110% stakes.
Thomas Flegler - Dolphins - Considerable overs - if the refs suddenly take the blowtorch off his game (which is entirely possible) he could end up a top-level prop.

Support players:

Ben Hannant - Cowboys - Broncos under-offered - premiership
Jarrod Wallace - Titans - Overs. Not the worst loss but he was starting to hit form, Titans paid on potential - plodder
Herman Ese'Ese: Knights - Overs. Like Wallace, was doing a job for their modest salary, but was offered starting prop money to leave - has not shown to be worth his pay grade.
Joe Ofahengaue - Tigers - Overs. Whether we wanted to keep him is debateable. Was looking strong with his Origin appearance but was injured and never the same - definitely did not live up to his pay packet.

You could argue some more in McGuire, Su'a, TPJ, etc, but at the time the players were arguably seen as surplus, or replaceable by younger players coming through who worth the opportunity.
On Coates I think he's going to be battling for a Wing spot at the storm this season. Warbrick, Anderson and Nick Meaney (when he's not filling in for papahuzen) might leap frog him this season.
 
Good question, there are obviously conflicting reports out there but I just don't think we'll lose him. He would have had other opportunities throughout his career and he has always been loyal. It wouldn't be right seeing Oatesy in another jersey.
I for one, hope he finishes his career as a 1 club player for us. He’s been real pro from last year and as maturity in his approach to footy kicked in, he hasn’t taken a foot wrong. He sure has some knowledge that he can pass on to our outside backs coming through.
I reckon there’s some cap relief/allowance for someone who finishes their career as a 1 club player. I’m sure our man in Ikin will be well aware of it.
 
On Coates I think he's going to be battling for a Wing spot at the storm this season. Warbrick, Anderson and Nick Meaney (when he's not filling in for papahuzen) might leap frog him this season.

To be honest, I think his position is quite safe. His speed, which, let's be honest, is the only reason they signed him, is going to be with him for a good few years. Unless one of those others proves that their defence or exit metres outweighs Coates' speed benefits, I don't see him being dropped. He has basically the same +/- as Addo Carr, both are super fast, but easily manhandled on exit sets and famously clueless in defence. That was good enough for the Storm.
 

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