Broncos Roster, Signings and Rumours Discussion 2024

[Wolfie]

I heard a whisper we have signed Jeral Skelton from bulldogs for next season. He play wing or centre. I think he played rugby sevens for Australia. Big unit.

He could well be a very handy pick up with the loss of Peirera and probably Hoeter as well.

I'd also look at bringing back Tommy Opacic from Hull KR. He's had a tough few years off the field for one reason or another, and with the birth of their new baby I think he's cutting his Hull deal short to be back around family.

He's the sort of bloke who knows what his role will be, is low maintainence and happy to sign one year deals that won't be that expensive. Plus side as well is he can cover quite a few positions and is comfortable playing both side of the field as well. Adds a bit of experienced cover.

 

[BroncsFan]

The Broncos are a destination club so the recruitment of a dime a dozen forward the Roosters didn't want, a player the Cows were happy to get rid of and a player the Dragons didn't want was underwhelming at best...need to do better in this department to offset the high contracted players.

Are we a destination club anymore though??

There's more competition for QLD players than ever before and we rarely seem to venture down into NSW recruits.

It seems we can attract some Qld players and kiwis, but then rely mostly on development and juniors coming through.

That's fine when the conveyor belt is humming along, but at the moment it looks a bit dry with no second rowers and outside backs looking dire. Even fullback is Sailor and then no one.

That becomes a very limited player pool when looking for recruits to fill the squad. I would hope someone in our R&R has connections across the comp to pick up guys that pass the eye test whilst also looking for an opportunity.

 

[BroncsFan]

Easy to look good when you have a team opposite you who didn't turn up and a ref giving a saloon ride AND you are playing in a team not dropping it every second tackle. Even so, let's look at the facts:

Haas - origin 2 - 19 runs, 186 metres, 79 post-contact metres, 31 tackles
Haas - last NRL game - 14 runs, 110 metres, 38 post-contact metres, 40 tackles

This was in a FAR inferior team up against a FAR better team than the Qld team in origin 2.

Could Haas improve? Yes but again, how many forwards would love to have numbers like that up against Penrith?

Haas was playing a different role against Panthers.

He had to play the Patty ball playing role in the middle because Patty was on an edge.

So his workrate was down due to passing more and also needing to play longer minutes.

 

[Sproj]

Are we a destination club anymore though??

There's more competition for QLD players than ever before and we rarely seem to venture down into NSW recruits.

It seems we can attract some Qld players and kiwis, but then rely mostly on development and juniors coming through.

That's fine when the conveyor belt is humming along, but at the moment it looks a bit dry with no second rowers and outside backs looking dire. Even fullback is Sailor and then no one.

That becomes a very limited player pool when looking for recruits to fill the squad. I would hope someone in our R&R has connections across the comp to pick up guys that pass the eye test whilst also looking for an opportunity.

And then we still lose some of the highest rated ones in the likes of Shibasaki and Symonds.

 

[Galah]

He could well be a very handy pick up with the loss of Peirera and probably Hoeter as well.

I'd also look at bringing back Tommy Opacic from Hull KR. He's had a tough few years off the field for one reason or another, and with the birth of their new baby I think he's cutting his Hull deal short to be back around family.

He's the sort of bloke who knows what his role will be, is low maintainence and happy to sign one year deals that won't be that expensive. Plus side as well is he can cover quite a few positions and is comfortable playing both side of the field as well. Adds a bit of experienced cover.

I love him as a player, his defensive commitment is amazing. Something we haven’t had out wide in a long time.

 

[Financeguy]

Are we a destination club anymore though??

There's more competition for QLD players than ever before and we rarely seem to venture down into NSW recruits.

I still think we are yes. We are still the glamour club in Qld and i would argue the NRL in general. Biggest supporter base, highest tv ratings, highest crowds, most amount of publicity and media opportunity. We offer strong ability to break into rep sides (Piakura and Man in Qld camp for example) . We just made a grand final, have more social media followers than any other club etc

Even when we were shit we still polled high in the club other than your own you would most like to play for question in the players poll. Our players would be treated more like superstars around Brisbane than 3 in a row GF winning Panther players in Penrith.

If you cant sell coming to the Broncos to external players there is a problem and based on this years recruitment we haven't done that well enough. Sure there is increased competition but I feel we should be targeting Titans and Dolphins players harder as i am sure they target ours. Titans have a shit load better back depth than us, get one of them as they have no hesitation of coming after ours.

Seems to be creeping into the Women's team as well, we seem happy to be pillaged with no reaction.

 

[Sproj]

He could well be a very handy pick up with the loss of Peirera and probably Hoeter as well.

I'd also look at bringing back Tommy Opacic from Hull KR. He's had a tough few years off the field for one reason or another, and with the birth of their new baby I think he's cutting his Hull deal short to be back around family.

He's the sort of bloke who knows what his role will be, is low maintainence and happy to sign one year deals that won't be that expensive. Plus side as well is he can cover quite a few positions and is comfortable playing both side of the field as well. Adds a bit of experienced cover.

Yep would be an astute pick up that we need to do more of.

 

[Wolfie]

Yep would be an astute pick up that we need to do more of.

A few weeks ago I think it wouldn't have been realistic, but now I think he's in a much better space with a few things getting resolved. Genuinely think he will be moving on.

 

[Sproj]

A few weeks ago I think it wouldn't have been realistic, but now I think he's in a much better space with a few things getting resolved. Genuinely think he will be moving on.

Why wouldn't you, that club is a shambles as well.

 

[Sproj]

I still think we are yes. We are still the glamour club in Qld and i would argue the NRL in general. Biggest supporter base, highest tv ratings, highest crowds, most amount of publicity and media opportunity. We offer strong ability to break into rep sides (Piakura and Man in Qld camp for example) . We just made a grand final, have more social media followers than any other club etc

Even when we were shit we still polled high in the club other than your own you would most like to play for question in the players poll. Our players would be treated more like superstars around Brisbane than 3 in a row GF winning Panther players in Penrith.

If you cant sell coming to the Broncos to external players there is a problem and based on this years recruitment we haven't done that well enough. Sure there is increased competition but I feel we should be targeting Titans and Dolphins players harder as i am sure they target ours. Titans have a shit load better back depth than us, get one of them as they have no hesitation of coming after ours.

Seems to be creeping into the Women's team as well, we seem happy to be pillaged with no reaction.

Totally agree, we should be targeting some of those gun Redcliff kids coming through, they aren't going to be able to keep them all.

 

[Wolfie]

Why wouldn't you, that club is a shambles as well.

Hull KR?

 

[Wolfie]

Redcliffe have an advantage because they have a clear path where a 6 year old can go right from that level to the NRL in the same system. It's easy for a kids parent to identify that compared to us. Saying that, of course not every kid is going to find that appealing either.

 

[Sproj]

Hull KR?

Don't mind me, dumb moment.

 

[Wolfie]

Don't mind me, dumb moment.

The other Hull are pretty bad. Kind of like a worse version of West's Tigers. Carty has his work cut out there.

 

[BroncsFan]

I still think we are yes. We are still the glamour club in Qld and i would argue the NRL in general. Biggest supporter base, highest tv ratings, highest crowds, most amount of publicity and media opportunity. We offer strong ability to break into rep sides (Piakura and Man in Qld camp for example) . We just made a grand final, have more social media followers than any other club etc

Even when we were shit we still polled high in the club other than your own you would most like to play for question in the players poll. Our players would be treated more like superstars around Brisbane than 3 in a row GF winning Panther players in Penrith.

If you cant sell coming to the Broncos to external players there is a problem and based on this years recruitment we haven't done that well enough. Sure there is increased competition but I feel we should be targeting Titans and Dolphins players harder as i am sure they target ours. Titans have a shit load better back depth than us, get one of them as they have no hesitation of coming after ours.

Seems to be creeping into the Women's team as well, we seem happy to be pillaged with no reaction.

We are most definitely a big club, probably the biggest in the comp, but I don't think we act like one... we seem very passive and reactionary.

I guess it's that last part you talk about where we are seemingly happy to be pillaged, having to pay young guys overs to keep them based on potential, we don't really head hunt top line players (because our cap is seemingly always in the shit), etc.

Even on the field we are very passive... we're not leading the comp in terms of tactics on the field and we don't even adapt to latest tactics because we seemingly want to be on the higher ground and play the game 'fair'... everyone in the comp dives but we don't... everyone in the comp is offside or pushing the limit in the ruck, but we constantly get run over and concede quick ptb's.

I want this club to be ruthless because **** NSWRL and **** Sydney... back in the day our entire mantra was coming into their competition and owning it, which we did... nowadays we seem happy to pander to them.

In terms of recruitment we seem to be paying too much on potential out of fear of losing them... that never used to be an issue for us.

Harry Grant didn't start regularly playing for Storm until he was 22... Mozer is currently 20, but is he willing to bide his time. Sua Falago is signed until 2028, but what the hell is his pathway into first grade with Paps in front of him until at least next year. Those are the kind of examples we used to have.

All the juniors that rorters are able to hoover up and keep in reserves until they bide their time, but ours seemingly can't wait and put pressure on us to start playing... need to be stronger and throw our weight around more.

Willison might be a litmus test now that he's cemented himself as a top 17 player... will we succumb and give him a big payday (even though it's going to **** our cap even further), will he move clubs to get his big payday or will he bide his time for a bit in order to play for the biggest club in the comp?

 

[Financeguy]

We are most definitely a big club, probably the biggest in the comp, but I don't think we act like one... we seem very passive and reactionary.

I guess it's that last part you talk about where we are seemingly happy to be pillaged, having to pay young guys overs to keep them based on potential, we don't really head hunt top line players (because our cap is seemingly always in the shit), etc.

Even on the field we are very passive... we're not leading the comp in terms of tactics on the field and we don't even adapt to latest tactics because we seemingly want to be on the higher ground and play the game 'fair'... everyone in the comp dives but we don't... everyone in the comp is offside or pushing the limit in the ruck, but we constantly get run over and concede quick ptb's.

I want this club to be ruthless because **** NSWRL and **** Sydney... back in the day our entire mantra was coming into their competition and owning it, which we did... nowadays we seem happy to pander to them.

In terms of recruitment we seem to be paying too much on potential out of fear of losing them... that never used to be an issue for us.

Harry Grant didn't start regularly playing for Storm until he was 22... Mozer is currently 20, but is he willing to bide his time. Sua Falago is signed until 2028, but what the hell is his pathway into first grade with Paps in front of him until at least next year. Those are the kind of examples we used to have.

All the juniors that rorters are able to hoover up and keep in reserves until they bide their time, but ours seemingly can't wait and put pressure on us to start playing... need to be stronger and throw our weight around more.

Willison might be a litmus test now that he's cemented himself as a top 17 player... will we succumb and give him a big payday (even though it's going to **** our cap even further), will he move clubs to get his big payday or will he bide his time for a bit in order to play for the biggest club in the comp?

Yep, we certainly appear a placid club at the moment, at least from the outside. Could be fire and brimstone inside the walls but we seem a pushover. Feels like we have been bullied in a few games this year and has become a bit of a blue print to beat us.

Its been spoken about how we lack an enforcer or wild card on the field with Haas who has never been a lose your mind, play with emotion type of player and Patty is too exhausted to also take on the intimidator role, Riki (who improved a lot as a player last year) is a bit of a looks like Tarzan plays like Jane physically. Piakura is probably the closest we have but is more often bouncing off tackles rather than getting opposition to want to avoid him. Hetherington could/should be but seems to lack size or consistency or just gets hammered so easily himself with the ball to really scare opposition.

We also seem to lack bite off the field. Would love Kevvie or Dave to be a bit more aggressive in calling out bullshit in the media or during press events. Sure it can seem like sour grapes but how about putting Parker in his place every now and then by a simple "yeah, not sure what Corey knows about the Broncos since he was sacked from the staff 2 years ago"

TLDR, yep, would love us to get more aggressive and assert our advantages on and off the field.

 

[1910]

Nikorima sacked by Dragons. I blame Politis because Nikorima is perfect.

Just unlucky again.

 

[Xzei]

Nikorima sacked by Dragons. I blame Politis because Nikorima is perfect.

Just unlucky again.

any idea what the three were sacked for?