Broncos Roster, Signings and Rumours Discussion 2024

Hooker is a weird position across the league at the moment. It's almost like it's becoming less important compared to even a couple years ago.

There's very few teams not running two hookers nowadays, which automatically reduces their contract value... even Souths run with a Sele or someone on the bench just in case they want to pull Cook off.

But there's probably never been less talent in the position across the league.

Harry won hooker of the year at the Dally M... He's clearly the best in the comp (with Bhunt basically the other contender), but he didn't even have a good year by his standards... mostly because he wasn't playing as a pair with Bsmith.

JMK is probably the next best and then it's Api or Cook??

After that it's probably Robson and Egan with Mahoney dropping waaaaaaaay down the list... that's pretty much it when it comes to at least half decent hookers across the league. Outside God tier Billiam of course

So it's a position that Paix could jump at if he's got the confidence to take it on, but then are clubs really going to pay much money for a hooker nowadays?

Panthers have just won the last 2 premierships with a tackle/pass bot in the 9 jersey
Wouldn't call Korisau a tackle bot.

The problem with alot of the NRL hookers these days is that because the game has sped up considerably, its harder and harder to find elite hookers that can give you a quality 80 minutes every week. ****, I don't think there is a hooker in the NRL currently that can guarantee you that every week. 10 years ago there were a heap of 80 minute hookers with clubs barely carrying a bench hooker.
 
Wouldn't call Korisau a tackle bot.

The problem with alot of the NRL hookers these days is that because the game has sped up considerably, its harder and harder to find elite hookers that can give you a quality 80 minutes every week. ****, I don't think there is a hooker in the NRL currently that can guarantee you that every week. 10 years ago there were a heap of 80 minute hookers with clubs barely carrying a bench hooker.
Not to mention they are at the mercy of their forwards and their ability to get a qptb
 
Wouldn't call Korisau a tackle bot.
It was more how the commentary is now about Kenny winning two premierships.

2022 was such a nothing GF that I couldn't remember if Api was injured during the finals or just starting from the bench haha

Kenny didn't have much to do in 2022, but they've won one now with him just being a tackle bot.
 
Hooker is a weird position across the league at the moment. It's almost like it's becoming less important compared to even a couple years ago.

There's very few teams not running two hookers nowadays, which automatically reduces their contract value... even Souths run with a Sele or someone on the bench just in case they want to pull Cook off.

But there's probably never been less talent in the position across the league.

Harry won hooker of the year at the Dally M... He's clearly the best in the comp (with Bhunt basically the other contender), but he didn't even have a good year by his standards... mostly because he wasn't playing as a pair with Bsmith.

JMK is probably the next best and then it's Api or Cook??

After that it's probably Robson and Egan with Mahoney dropping waaaaaaaay down the list... that's pretty much it when it comes to at least half decent hookers across the league. Outside God tier Billiam of course

So it's a position that Paix could jump at if he's got the confidence to take it on, but then are clubs really going to pay much money for a hooker nowadays?

Panthers have just won the last 2 premierships with a tackle/pass bot in the 9 jersey

It's a position you don't get much credit for being good at, until you're exceptionally good at it. The casual fan isn't paying attention to the way the dummy half engages defenders with his eyes and all those subtleties, they pay more attention to the halfback/five-eight who throws the final pass or puts in the deft kick. They don't notice the defensive efforts either.

Ben Hunt is basically the perfect example, he's not an 80 minute hooker (never has been) but he's really good at doing the things I just mentioned, the last pass, the deft kick, etc. Don't know how many coaches would take him on for his tackling efforts and the like, these are the things that are basically a non-negotiable in the NRL if you want to play in the middle but get overlooked by your casual fan.

The issue for Paix is he doesn't do any of those things.
 
There's a chance Paix somehow turns it around and kicks on. He's shown flashes of being a dangerous dummy half in the past, he's still pretty young. I don't think it would take much to replace Smoothy. Mozer is a rookie and a mystery for now, doesn't sound like he ended this year particularly well?
 
With regards to Paix.... Time for someone to slip him a baggie into his training bag and have him to do a "random" check when hes walks into Red Hill.
 
Badel reckons the Dolphins are making a play for Mam. He's just stirring the pot, I think. He also says Capewell is hoping to extend another two years, and more if he can.

Bennett:

“Ezra was the best player on the ground in the grand final. If he comes onto the market, we would certainly be interested. We have four halves who can play there, but Ezra is a quality player. There is a lot of upside in him. For a guy like Ezra, there’s probably eight other clubs too who are keen, so it does become challenging to get a guy like that. But if he is available, we’ll be in the mix. We’ve signed three or four guys from the Broncos. I’m not looking at what club a guy is at, I’m just looking at whether a player has the qualities we need and Ezra can certainly add something to us.”​

Dolphins CEO Terry Reader:

“We are always interested in quality players like Ezra that will add something to the Dolphins and have been deliberate in our recruitment strategy since day one. We have signed three outstanding players in Tom Flegler, Herbie Farnworth and Jake Averillo for 2024 and beyond and we are very optimistic about the younger players in our squad, but also constantly looking to further improve our squad for the future. Our salary cap is in really good shape thanks to the patience we have shown in the recruitment market, and we are determined to make the Dolphins an even stronger team in years to come.”​
 
Badel reckons the Dolphins are making a play for Mam. He's just stirring the pot, I think. He also says Capewell is hoping to extend another two years, and more if he can.

Bennett:

“Ezra was the best player on the ground in the grand final. If he comes onto the market, we would certainly be interested. We have four halves who can play there, but Ezra is a quality player. There is a lot of upside in him. For a guy like Ezra, there’s probably eight other clubs too who are keen, so it does become challenging to get a guy like that. But if he is available, we’ll be in the mix. We’ve signed three or four guys from the Broncos. I’m not looking at what club a guy is at, I’m just looking at whether a player has the qualities we need and Ezra can certainly add something to us.”​

Dolphins CEO Terry Reader:

“We are always interested in quality players like Ezra that will add something to the Dolphins and have been deliberate in our recruitment strategy since day one. We have signed three outstanding players in Tom Flegler, Herbie Farnworth and Jake Averillo for 2024 and beyond and we are very optimistic about the younger players in our squad, but also constantly looking to further improve our squad for the future. Our salary cap is in really good shape thanks to the patience we have shown in the recruitment market, and we are determined to make the Dolphins an even stronger team in years to come.”​

Lots of luck to them. Ezra isn't leaving this playing group behind in a million years. He won't be scoring hat-tricks in Grand Finals with the Dolphins.
 
If somebody offers Mam, or any player for that matter, enough money, he will take it. Its all going to come down to money no matter what people think.
 
I'd like to believe, like our champion Patty Carrigan, that the boys would be taking a slight pay cut to stick with a gun team... As long as Broncos give them a reasonable offer

I dont think even Patty took a pay cut tbf. I just dont see if a club, say like the Phins or the Tigers come in with a similar offer to what they offered Munster ( the rumoured $1.5 million a year ) many players will turn it down. We simply cant compete financially so we are really reliant on players taking unders. And only Patty so far has probably taken unders.
 
If somebody offers Mam, or any player for that matter, enough money, he will take it. Its all going to come down to money no matter what people think.
Enough money over what we would offer, I think at this point unless the player has family in Sydney or something we will win within reason on any player soo long as they are getting game time, the ones that leave will get alot more money to justify it.

Mam is young though so as long as he isn't managed by a total idiot it would rule out clubs like Tigers, joining a team like that early in your career is suicide.
 

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