Corey Oates should play in the Backs

[CaptainHook]

That's pretty fair. So on that basis, what's your back line?

Boyd's injury is a major blow - I would put Kahu at fullback. Maranta played well and doesn't deserve to lose out I reckon, so he keeps a wing spot and Oates is the other winger. Vidot shouldn't necessarily be a guarantee, imo. He has was a mixed bag alternating with some real good games and out and out shockers.

I know Oates is a second rower but he was outstanding at the back end of 2013 when not a lot was going our way. Injuries hampered his start to 2014 but why change something if it's working? Another year or two on the wing would do him good as he matures. Copley and Hodges in the centres and Hunt and Milford are the halves.

 

[Huge]

Re: Kodi Nikorima emerges as shock contender for Broncos fullback role after Darius B

Boyd's injury is a major blow - I would put Kahu at fullback. Maranta played well and doesn't deserve to lose out I reckon, so he keeps a wing spot and Oates is the other winger. Vidot shouldn't necessarily be a guarantee, imo. He has was a mixed bag alternating with some real good games and out and out shockers.

I know Oates is a second rower but he was outstanding at the back end of 2013 when not a lot was going our way. Injuries hampered his start to 2014 but why change something if it's working? Another year or two on the wing would do him good as he matures. Copley and Hodges in the centres and Hunt and Milford are the halves.

I think I wrote exactly the same thing when Einstein decided to start season 2014 with his two highest tryscorers in totally different positions to which they had been the most productive. I never could understand why he thought that the forwards was the right place for a young lad of 18/19 . I thought it was common knowledge that forwards should be more towards the mid twenties and older. I thought Oates had pretty good hands, an instinct to score, adequate defence that surely would improve with practice and good if not brilliant ,pace. He would not have gone near the forwards for several years if I was in charge.

 

[Alec]

Re: Kodi Nikorima emerges as shock contender for Broncos fullback role after Darius B

I thought it was common knowledge that forwards should be more towards the mid twenties and older.

When did this become common knowledge?

How many other forwards have people tried to hide in the backs because they aren't in their mid 20s in recent times? I can only think of McQueen, and he's a numpty now.

 

[Big Pete]

Re: Kodi Nikorima emerges as shock contender for Broncos fullback role after Darius B

Yeah, it's usually a lot earlier these days.

I can only think of two players who really went onto do anything of note - Simon Mannering and Luke Lewis.

There's been others though - Joel Thompson, Mitchell Aubusson, Dene Halatau, Sia Soliola, Ben Smith etc.

Then you have players like Alex Glenn, Gavin Cooper & Ryan Hoffman who could play a bit of both but were predominately backrows.

 

[Alec]

Re: Kodi Nikorima emerges as shock contender for Broncos fullback role after Darius B

Yeah, those players were picked mostly because there were no other options. They all played worse there than in the back row too.

If we were short on players, then by all means, play Oates there as cover. He's 20 years old now though. In comparisson, Papalii and Cordner are both 22, 2 years older, but started playing rep at 20-21. The age thing usually applies to front rowers more, but even there - someone like Klemmer is 21, while another like Napa is 22.

There's no point "protecting" these players anymore.

 

[Huge]

Re: Kodi Nikorima emerges as shock contender for Broncos fullback role after Darius B

No matter if you agree or not, it's only my opinion but I'd prefer to select older guys in the really hard positions in the front and second rows. When I say older I'm really saying seasoned and matured and if that's someone 20 then okay but for me (and most of the medical profession )I'd argue they were still developing physically. Maybe it's because I remember Adam Ritson and his first games but it would also be true there were many many more serious attacks on players heads in those days.

 

[Big Pete]

Re: [Split] Corey Oates should play in the Backs

I was fine with Hook moving Oates into the backrow last year.

Naturally, the more he trained with men, the bigger he was going to get and the Broncos needed somebody of his size and skill off the bench. Despite playing a lot of first receiver, I thought he handled the responsibility quite well and was merely a victim of not receiving enough game-time.

I also think our backs deserve more credit. Vidot was not without fault, but his ability to play as an extra forward was a strength for the Broncos and he's in a very exclusive company to make over 4000m in a season. I'm very hesitant of Vidot's long term value, but as far as 2014 is concerned, Oates didn't deserve to dislodge him.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Re: [Split] Corey Oates should play in the Backs

It almost feels wrong to suggest someone should play on the wing since everyone hates it these days. Would we risk losing Oates for even suggesting it? Is he taking pictures with Bulldogs players as we speak just because of this thread?

 

[coreyh88]

he's bigger and slower now so no

 

[subsbligh]

As a "nothing to lose" option on the wing, he was great.

He's a massive unit and knows how to run an awesome line. He belongs in the second row.

 

[subsbligh]

And it's kind of like playing genuine halves in the 14 jersey for "experience" (case in point: Ben Hunt).

Yes it is game time, but it's in a competely different position to what they should be playing.

 

[CaptainHook]

Re: [Split] Corey Oates should play in the Backs

I also think our backs deserve more credit. Vidot was not without fault, but his ability to play as an extra forward was a strength for the Broncos and he's in a very exclusive company to make over 4000m in a season. I'm very hesitant of Vidot's long term value, but as far as 2014 is concerned, Oates didn't deserve to dislodge him.

Good observation, Pete but I look at it slightly differently. I think Vidot's strong running game was overcompensating for the fact our forward pack was out muscled on a fairly regular basis. While individual players like McGuire and Parker had outstanding seasons, the forward pack as a whole I think was not good enough. It's why Bennett was keen to give it a face lift, I think.

Vidot wasn't just playing as an extra forward - he was our best forward in some games. It's why some posters think he should make a real go of it in the forwards. It's not a bad idea. Even strong wins against the Bulldogs in the back half of the year - if you re-watch the game the Bulldogs pack made easy metres.

Oates on the wing would give him ample game time. He can take a hit-up or two and has already proven he's a quality finisher. Regardless of how well he goes, I can't see him uprooting our back row - regardless of how indifferent their form is and tbh our back row in 2014 was a very mixed bag. I don't care if they're Origin or Test players - their form at club level was found wanting at several stages of last year.

 

[subsbligh]

Re: [Split] Corey Oates should play in the Backs

Good observation, Pete but I look at it slightly differently. I think Vidot's strong running game was overcompensating for the fact our forward pack was out muscled on a fairly regular basis. While individual players like McGuire and Parker had outstanding seasons, the forward pack as a whole I think was not good enough. It's why Bennett was keen to give it a face lift, I think.

Vidot wasn't just playing as an extra forward - he was our best forward in some games. It's why some posters think he should make a real go of it in the forwards. It's not a bad idea. Even strong wins against the Bulldogs in the back half of the year - if you re-watch the game the Bulldogs pack made easy metres.

Oates on the wing would give him ample game time. He can take a hit-up or two and has already proven he's a quality finisher. Regardless of how well he goes, I can't see him uprooting our back row - regardless of how indifferent their form is and tbh our back row in 2014 was a very mixed bag. I don't care if they're Origin or Test players - their form at club level was found wanting at several stages of last year.

Agree Vidot smoothed over the deficiencies in our forward pack. He probably indirectly smoothed Hunt's kicking game by giving us 10+ extra metres per set as well. I can't recall any other winger in recent times being as consistently effective as Vidot.

Disagree that correlates directly to him being a great forward.

Vidot generally takes the ball back at a staggered defensive line on the kick chase, usually against the first chasers (who are generally not prop forwards, and usually halves or centres or maybe second rowers). Usually the kick chase sees the first tackle as a bit of a gimme as well against a wing/centre.

I especially disagree that we should weaken our strength in the kick return department to "see how he goes" in the forwards or to make way for Oates.