Dave Donaghy interview

[john1420]

Proforma good wishes, though undoubtedly sincere. Xavier is popular within the group. I'm sure he would be welcomed back. I just can't see the Broncos getting into a bidding war over him. Maybe he'll get homesick, come back for a shave and prove me wrong. Guess it's not impossible.


5 Origin starts. Headhunted by Melbourne to replace Addo Carr. Those two facts alone put him in an elite group. I'll be surprised if he doesn't work out for Melbourne, even though we were all calling for him to be dropped after the Origin series.

Sorry @McHunt but that just doesn't fly.
5 Origin starts does not in and of itself make one elite. It may very well be an indicator of injuries/depth, or even lack of talent in that position. Origin is the elite level of course, but some players get picked without being elite.
Headhunted by Melbourne definitely does not make one elite. The regularly headhunt solid and steady first graders that can just do a job.
If Coates fixes his 2 deficiencies he will becomes elite, but not before.

 

[McHunt]

Sorry @McHunt

Apology accepted. If only that dictionary thumper @Sproj had your sense of grace.

 

[WASSHHH]

Sorry @McHunt but that just doesn't fly.
5 Origin starts does not in and of itself make one elite. It may very well be an indicator of injuries/depth, or even lack of talent in that position. Origin is the elite level of course, but some players get picked without being elite.
Headhunted by Melbourne definitely does not make one elite. The regularly headhunt solid and steady first graders that can just do a job.
If Coates fixes his 2 deficiencies he will becomes elite, but not before.

Tim Glasby played for the Storm and also played 5 Origins.

Hardly screams elite.

 

[Scorchie]

Tim Glasby played for the Storm and also played 5 Origins.

Hardly screams elite.

Cam Smith said he’d retire early if Tim wasn’t selected

 

[Foordy]

DD says that we have been planning for expansion for years. part of that plan is to aggressively target the areas that miss out on expansion.

here is what he said:

“We’ve got many members and fans in areas identified for expansion and we want them to keep supporting the Broncos, but if an area misses out, of course we’ll put plans in place to further grow our base there,” Donaghy said.

“Growing the game has always been part of the Broncos’ DNA, we were set up to be Brisbane’s team and to engage with and inspire the community – and our team here has done a remarkable job at that in schools and clubs right across the city and beyond.”

Donaghy said his vision was for “every boy and girl that plays rugby league to want to be a Bronco”.

“We know not many will achieve that dream but just because you don’t play for the Broncos, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a lifelong relationship with our club,” he said.

“Our connection with our fans is so important; that relationship can provide the next-best thing to running on to the park with the team.”


DD is confident that the Broncos will continue to reign as the #1 sporting club in QLD

“Our sole focus is on us, not on anyone else,” Donaghy said.

“Ultimately, expansion is a decision for the Commission; it’s out of our control. But clearly the drums are beating, so if they (ARLC) press the go button, I say, bring it on.

“We have more than 30 years of history behind us, a large loyal fan, member and sponsor base and we’ll be fighting hard to not just maintain that, but to grow it considerably in all parts of the city and beyond – we’re incredibly well positioned for growth.”


DD again on expansion

“whoever a licence may or may not be given to is up to the Commission” – “if the go button is pressed, we’re ready”.

“I can assure you from that point on, we won’t spend a further minute thinking about what others may or may not do – it will be about the Broncos delivering on our goals,” he said.

“We can only control what we can control, which means we will be focused solely on providing the best experience to those inside our club and those engaging with our club, at whatever level that may be.

“The Broncos are a massive club and we’ll always be Brisbane’s club, no matter who may join the party. We love this city and the role we play in it. We’re committed to taking that to a whole new level in the coming years, too.

“The Broncos being strong means a strong league, you only need to look at the TV ratings for evidence of that. It benefits everyone.”


DD on a local rivalry

“Suncorp Stadium is the best rugby league stadium in the world, we want it to be packed out for every local showdown with Queensland teams – whoever they may be – and we’ll be investing further into the experience to make it an even more exciting and world-class one for our members,” he said.

Donaghy also promised to double-down on community engagement programs, saying that Covid restrictions on players had made it a challenge over the past year – but that would soon change.

“When we emerge post Covid, our players will be engaging more and more with the local community,” he said.

“That’s been really difficult to do over the past 18 months with bubbles and restrictions, but it’s incredibly important to our club, our players and to our fans.”


DD on the potential for the expansion team to poach our players

But Donaghy says he is no more concerned about a new Brisbane team stealing playing talent from the Broncos as he is “any of the existing 15 clubs and other codes around the world”.

“Teams have been doing their best to steal our talent away for years now,” Donaghy said.

“We’ve invested considerably in this space as a result, we saw progress at the back end of last season and I’d like to think, with a big pre-season, we’ll continue to see that next year.

“We won’t be putting a ceiling on where this group can go.”

Donaghy said the Broncos’ academy program was “as good as any program in any sport around the world” – and noted that if there was an NRL draft the Broncos have already locked in through it the equivalent of five first-round draft picks each year for the next three or four years.

“Our responsibility is to ensure we’re making the right decisions at the right time with regards to our roster and our cap so we can continue to bring through generations of talent for years to come,” he said.

“In the short-term, we’ve prioritised leadership and experience to complement our elite young talent and we’re looking forward to guys like Adam Reynolds, Kurt Capewell and Ryan James joining the group for pre-season.”

 

[mrslong]

They really need to get into schools imo. My school for the last 4 years has had Roar and Lions affiliates every year, not a peep out of the NRL/Broncos

 

[Morkel]

Yeah, words are good, but they need to follow that up with the effort and the saturation. Last year when my son was playing footy, at the carnivals it was all Titans promotional material, despite being Broncos heartland. That was so disappointing to see, we have the resources to absolutely dominate in that department, yet like in so many other areas, we have been asleep at the wheel.

 

[Scorchie]

They really need to get into schools imo. My school for the last 4 years has had Roar and Lions affiliates every year, not a peep out of the NRL/Broncos

Broncos come to my kids high school so probably not getting around enough I guess

 

[mrslong]

Broncos come to my kids high school so probably not getting around enough I guess

Just something like Auskick or Roar soccer, the actual players don’t show up but you pay $50 and your kids get 4 lessons after school. A big rugby league hole in the market.