VOTE BroncosHQ's Best Ever 17 - Centres

[Big Pete]

The part I highlighted BP is one of my pet hates

Can't say I'm fond of buzz kill semantics on a sports forum either but appreciate the lesson in absolutes all the same.

Is Lockyer a better five-eigth than Kevin Walters?

In a Broncos jersey? Debatable.

However, it's the best ever 17. Unless we can conjure up a cloning machine, or we're willing to play with 12, there's no way you could have him in both positions.

 

[Porthoz]

In a Broncos jersey? Debatable.

However, it's the best ever 17. Unless we can conjure up a cloning machine, or we're willing to play with 12, there's no way you could have him in both positions.

The idea was to have a tie-breaker in case a player gained best position on more than one spot.

I don't think it's debatable, Locky is so far ahead in both positions, it's not funny.
However, given Walters is much more deserving of a spot in the 17 than any of the second choice fullbacks would be... Problem solved!

 

[Big Pete]

The idea was to have a tie-breaker in case a player gained best position on more than one spot.

Things changed.

 

[Allo]

Renouf and Hodges again. I can vaguely remember watching Renouf, probably about 5 years too early to form good memories, but you can't not pick The Pearl.

Same for Johns and Miles, so I can't judge them accurately.

Hodges has the advantage of being a current player. Also (perhaps at times detrimental) he's been forced to carry the team on a lot of occasions since Locky retired. You can't deny we are a different team when he's there. That's the mark of a great player.

The one thing I love with Hodges is the way he moves (moved). He just glides along with the big strides and before you know it he's picked up 15 metres and has sliced through the defensive line with some impressive speed in his prime. Also for not a big guy (as in muscular), he's one strong dude. Fends people off for fun. It's a shame his body has stopped a lot of that kind of thing recently

 

[GCBRONCO]

In a Broncos jersey? Debatable.

However, it's the best ever 17. Unless we can conjure up a cloning machine, or we're willing to play with 12, there's no way you could have him in both positions.

Agreed, it's one or the other, besides Darren Lockyer's best football was played at fullback, at 5/8th he eventually got to be in great touch but there was a lot of inconsistency and doubt to get there, but even so I think his best at 5/8th was still off from where he was at fullback. Kevin Walters from the get go at 5/8th won both player of the year and best back in his first season in that position for the club, at a time when there was a lot of heat placed on him to perform because of the Lewis scandal, he was a major part of our 5 premierships during his career and overall the best performing 5/8th the club has had.

 

[Brent81]

Renouf and Hodges for me.

I was too young to see Renouf in his prime, but I've seen the highlight reels, read about him, listened to the older generation lavish praise on him - he's one of our greatest.

Hodges on the other hand, I have had the pleasure of seeing. What a career he's had. At his absolute peak he was almost unplayable. His footwork and body strength made him an absolute beast in the centres. He was deceptively quick back in his heyday too, IMO.

One of my all time favourites.

It's the Pearl and Hodgo for me.

I'm 34 this year (so not old...I think) so I really started to get into it in the early 90's and I followed Pearl his whole career. He was fast, had an amazing fend (think Inglis but on a smaller guy), was strong and was probably the best person at getting through I gap I have ever seen. Plus he was equally with Locky as the best 'big game' player I have ever seen.

Hodgo, well, I remember his debut. Bald as a plucked chook and with arms like an Urangutan. I'm not sure any of us realised how good he'd be.

Honourable mentions to Johns (best defensive centre we ever had and could score a try too....see the Windfield cup gf in 1993), Tate, Smith (does he still hold the record for most tries in a season with Pearl?) and Geno (though never saw much of him as a was primarily in the back row when I started watching).

 

[Morkel]

Remember seeing the Pearl cross the line in the reserve-grade GF. Maybe more than once, it was a long time ago. The Broncos were already a part of my family, but this is one of my first & fondest memories, which likely got me to love them as opposed to just being familiar with them. Probably also why I love the success stories of the younger players coming out of nowhere and becoming a star.

As for Hodges, I was on a sport semi-hiatus between the late 90s and mid 2000s as my attention fell to girls & cars. Yeah, the Broncos were there, and it felt like they were on every Sunday arvo and I often watched them, but strangely enough their success made it easier for me to ignore them as there wasn't that gritty live-or-die feeling. What got me to take notice again? Obviously by 2006 they'd been in a dry spell trophy-wise, so getting deep in to the finals was intriguing, though not necessarily all-consuming. What changed that? Hodges. Sure Lockyer had a blinder, and Webcke trudging barefoot up to the commentary box cemented it as legendary, but Hodges started it all, brought back those memories, and here I am.

 

[broncos4life]

Such a tough category, we have been blessed for top shelf centres over our time and honestly anyone in that list of nominations would be a worthy winner.

For mine though it's Pearl and Hodgo without a doubt. Never got to see renouf live unfortunately but his highlights reel, accomplishments and status in the game speaks for itself. I have had the pleasure to watch Justin's whole career so far and he is one of a kind. What he has been able to do and as Port said earlier, on his day he is flat out unstoppable

 

[Mr Fourex]

However, it's the best ever 17. Unless we can conjure up a cloning machine, or we're willing to play with 12, there's no way you could have him in both positions.

^^THIS^^

end of/

 

[Harry Sack]

As for Hodges, I was on a sport semi-hiatus between the late 90s and mid 2000s as my attention fell to girls & cars. Yeah, the Broncos were there, and it felt like they were on every Sunday arvo and I often watched them, but strangely enough their success made it easier for me to ignore them as there wasn't that gritty live-or-die feeling. What got me to take notice again? Obviously by 2006 they'd been in a dry spell trophy-wise, so getting deep in to the finals was intriguing, though not necessarily all-consuming. What changed that? Hodges. Sure Lockyer had a blinder, and Webcke trudging barefoot up to the commentary box cemented it as legendary, but Hodges started it all, brought back those memories, and here I am.

Replace Hodges with Lockyer and this is pretty much me.

 

[Cult]

I have to say it was tough to choose between Smith and Hodges. I chose Smith because of his try scoring ability and his defense. Not many players can score as many tries as Renouf and defend as well as he did. I guess I just remember Hodges having a lot of bad games in more recent times and he has missed a lot of time through injury. Both are worthy but Smith got the nod from me.

 

[Broncoman]

Renouf and Hodges.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Renouf and Hodges.

Ditto

 

[BEJAZZLED]

Darren Smith.

Absolute gun.