Broncos Roster, Signings and Rumours Discussion 2025

[Manofoneway]

There's no reason black can't be ready as a 19 almost 20 year old. Sam walker was that age and had about a quarter of blacks kicking game. Black can probably kick better than walker now to be honest.

Not all halves are mid twenties when they start in the NRL. Here's to hoping he's ready by 2026 with Mam being the senior playmaker to guide him through

 

[Manofoneway]

Must admit, i've never seen Mam as a 7.

Last 25 of the dragons game was the closest ive seen to Mam actually playing halfback.

 

[BroncsFan]

They have to earn it though, and not all promising young players are good enough. We cant throw them in and i while i think Black is doing well, i'm not sure he's doing well enough to have earned an NRL shot yet. Needs some game time in Queensland cup imo before we go overboard on him being the answer to replacing Arey.

Speaking of Mam, the talk is always there about him being a 7 but i'm not seeing enough development in his game. I see a lot of similarities in a lot of ways with a player i really rate, Mikey Lewis. Mikey was basically a 6 with a really good running game. He's kept evolving and you watch him this year he's a 7 now with solid game management and a good kicking game on top of his running game. Thats what Mam needs to aspire to do but i dont think he has it in him personally, hope i am wrong.

I've been a bit disappointed with his running game and his work with his edge this year.

I think Kevvie wants his left edge half to just use his second rower a few times early on in the game... take it to the line and dump off the short ball with Walsh out the back or not... just to give them some easy touches early and have the defence thinking about the second rower so the half can run later in the game.

Gamble used to do it... although threw it forward all the time... and then Ezra does it at times, but does it like a training run.... or he gets the ball has a look up and just stops.

He just seems to look crowded out on his edge all the time and often stops and just lets the defence tackle him.

You watch just about everyone in our team and there is a deliberate effort to dig into the line every time they're about to pass it, but I don't really notice Ezra doing it.

I think he's just a bit of an eyes up football player at the moment and hasn't really mastered his edge at all, so he's a ways off being able to manage a team or being at first receiver and completing plays on the back of plays.

He does have talent though... his ball playing can be quite good when it clicks in front of him and he spots it, but he doesn't seem to be able to manufacture those opportunities on his own at the moment.

 

[Mustafur]

There's no reason black can't be ready as a 19 almost 20 year old. Sam walker was that age and had about a quarter of blacks kicking game. Black can probably kick better than walker now to be honest.

Not all halves are mid twenties when they start in the NRL. Here's to hoping he's ready by 2026 with Mam being the senior playmaker to guide him through

Walker had a set of circumstances such as two halves ahead of him also being injured plus him nailing his debut that worked well for him, Black would need something similar imo, like say Rogers getting injured would be grounds for him to come in(I don't think Kev would risk him having his debut as a 7 though so something else will be worked if Reyno is out).

 

[Manofoneway]

I've been a bit disappointed with his running game and his work with his edge this year.

I think Kevvie wants his left edge half to just use his second rower a few times early on in the game... take it to the line and dump off the short ball with Walsh out the back or not... just to give them some easy touches early and have the defence thinking about the second rower so the half can run later in the game.

Gamble used to do it... although threw it forward all the time... and then Ezra does it at times, but does it like a training run.... or he gets the ball has a look up and just stops.

He just seems to look crowded out on his edge all the time and often stops and just lets the defence tackle him.

You watch just about everyone in our team and there is a deliberate effort to dig into the line every time they're about to pass it, but I don't really notice Ezra doing it.

I think he's just a bit of an eyes up football player at the moment and hasn't really mastered his edge at all, so he's a ways off being able to manage a team or being at first receiver and completing plays on the back of plays.

He does have talent though... his ball playing can be quite good when it clicks in front of him and he spots it, but he doesn't seem to be able to manufacture those opportunities on his own at the moment.

Ezra has been outright shocking this year. He still has had good support play but that's about it. I'd say your right but possibly go one step further, in the opening rounds he was passing and throwing intercept passes that were killing us. I reckon Kevy has told him to just run the ball and forget everything else letting Walsh be the dominant playmaker on the left side. Ezra has basically been a highly paid decoy that cant tackle on that side of the field.

I hope he turns it around.

 

[Sproj]

Sexton really is the perfect target for us - Queenslander, established first grader with upside who isn't going to break the bank.

 

[mitch222]

Do they though? I know I don't. Maybe that's your style, i don't know but I know plenty of "fans' who would like to see him get a go. The fact we are missing a huge chunk of our star players means he gets a free ride in my books.

The youngest player to play first grade was 16 so 18 is not too outrageous especially for a half. I'd think twice if he was being put in the forwards. I don't think it's any pressure at all.

Do the media and fans put unrealistic expectations on our club every year? Absolutely they do
The youngest player to first grade is Jordan rankin and his career didn’t pan out to anything and he will even tell you he wasn’t ready to play first grade when first selected for the titans

 

[Big Pete]

You only pick Coby Black if you genuinely think he could usurp Reynolds as early as next year.

Based on everything he's shown, he's nowhere near that level.

Consider giving Te Kura a run, maybe Semu and Leota if you're dead-set on making that work but I don't think you're doing anyone any favours playing Black at this stage.

 

[BroncosFever]

There's no reason black can't be ready as a 19 almost 20 year old. Sam walker was that age and had about a quarter of blacks kicking game. Black can probably kick better than walker now to be honest.

Not all halves are mid twenties when they start in the NRL. Here's to hoping he's ready by 2026 with Mam being the senior playmaker to guide him through

No two people are the same.

You can’t look at one bloke’s progression and expect similar from another guy, that’s not how it works.

 

[Mick_Hancock]

Colossal **** up letting him walk out the door.

Remember, this is the bloke the refused to pass the fucking ball to his winger or anyone else. At the time 99% here were whinging about it.

 

[Mick_Hancock]

He was having pain killing injections to play .
Last game we saw him he re injured his already injured hand and kept playing . Walshy does that he`s a hero ...

Not talking about legit injuries. Talking about mindset. Playing injured doesn’t make you a hero. Just means you’re an idiot costing your team.
We’re a professional sporting club, not a daycare centre for players who may or may not be wanting to play.
His effort this year with the exception of a handful of games… weak as ****.

 

[Manofoneway]

No two people are the same.

You can’t look at one bloke’s progression and expect similar from another guy, that’s not how it works.

Oh that is exactly right. I'm just saying there's no reason it can't happen to black as it did for walker. Certainly not saying that it will happen.

 

[1910]

There's no reason black can't be ready as a 19 almost 20 year old. Sam walker was that age and had about a quarter of blacks kicking game. Black can probably kick better than walker now to be honest.

Not all halves are mid twenties when they start in the NRL. Here's to hoping he's ready by 2026 with Mam being the senior playmaker to guide him through

Walker's kicking game is and was so much better than Black's kicking game.

I have said this the last two Meninga seasons- Black kicks high and long out of the right pocket and hopes the winger or fullback drop it.

Sometimes it works, round one this year against Dolphins when Kama dropped them but is Dylan Edwards going to drop three kicks?

In the Origin he kept going to it and New South Wales didn't drop a single one, Black didn't mix it up or kick short or try and upset their rhythm just kept bombing out of the right-hand corner. Stewart kept eating it up and making ground.

I think his one dimensional kicking game is a big reason he hasn't played well in finals.

Walker has kicks off both feet, both sides of his feet and catches fullbacks and wingers out every week and always has.

 

[1910]

No two people are the same.

You can’t look at one bloke’s progression and expect similar from another guy, that’s not how it works.

People forget Walker had 17 months off before his debut. He didn't play from the October Test in 2019 to March 2021 when he debuted for the Roosters.

He's a complete football freak.

 

[Big Del]

Not talking about legit injuries.

Like the ones we heard about him having injections to numb the pain so he could play ?

 

[theshed]

People putting a lot of hope in an unproven 18 year old half to be the answer to our post Arey half issues.

We’re addicted to the next hyped player, forever living in a future rather then a present.

Some forward planning is obviously needed but we are forever waiting for the next superstar. We bring through the Coates, Fifitas, Cobbos, Piakuras, Rikis but rarely sign players like Boyd and Blair.

We are constantly turning our noses up at midrange or even good experienced options because we are so scared of losing the next Lockyer.

Black could be an elite 300+ gamer, as could Mozer or Cobbo or whoever. You need to take the punt on 2 or 3 though and not pay the whole team on potential.

 

[Sproj]

We’re addicted to the next hyped player, forever living in a future rather then a present.

Some forward planning is obviously needed but we are forever waiting for the next superstar. We bring through the Coates, Fifitas, Cobbos, Piakuras, Rikis but rarely sign players like Boyd and Blair.

We are constantly turning our noses up at midrange or even good experienced options because we are so scared of losing the next Lockyer.

Black could be an elite 300+ gamer, as could Mozer or Cobbo or whoever. You need to take the punt on 2 or 3 though and not pay the whole team on potential.

Wasn’t that the idea behind the likes of Plath, Hosking, Hoeter, Baker, Palasia and Taupau, etc?

The first two there irritate me because they were legit fantastic players and we let them go but it is also a glaring example of three things in my opinion:

1. Our retention team is not proactive - this is the biggest issue
2. We do identify talent really well but we don’t move quick enough to keep them which links back to problem 1
3. Look at Palasia, Farnworth even and Hosking - any of our blokes who fill a role get exposure and then offers from other teams, heck even Sailor who has been useless has a multi-year deal from arguably the best club in the ESL

I feel like our talent scouts actually do a really good job, our lazy retention team lets them down.

What I would like to know is where the hold up happens. Is it the retention team level, is it at the senior management level or is it the board or whatever committee it is taking too long to approve offers?

Because this issue has been there since the previous regime, I’m inclined it is a rusted on staff member/s causing this to happen.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I'd like to know what we're doing to improve our squad for 2025. Nothing has happened as of yet. It is all just hoping our current younger players get better and in the meantime our backs and backrow depth is diabolical.