NEWS Dearden: I enjoyed my time at the Broncos

Newly minted Cowboy Tom Dearden gives his first exclusive interview post-Broncos to the Courier Mail's multi-award-winning journalist Peter Badel. He's out to finish the season strongly, particularly in Round 20, when he faces the Broncos for the first time:

"JT is a huge factor. JT has offered to help me. He obviously has a busy life but he says he is here to help and any chance I get to work with him and talk to him, I will take it with both hands."

“As I spend more time here I will get a chance to see him more. JT is someone I will be looking to help me and Michael Morgan is another guy. He is around the club and he has done so much in the game. It’s been a really good move for me. The staff, the boys at the Cowboys and Todd have been welcoming."

“I have felt at home straight away.”

“I was a bit starstruck meeting JT and Cam Smith at first, just shaking their hand was a thrill. It’s nice to know JT is someone who is always around the club. Growing up, I was a mad Cowboys fan and a mad Johnathan Thurston fan, so to get the opportunity to learn from someone like him is a massive bonus for me."

“I loved the way JT played the game, the way he competed. He is someone I modelled my game on growing up and the way he held himself, a lot of young footballers looked up to JT. I always wanted to play the game like him, so I am definitely looking forward to picking his brain.”

Screentommydearden CGYmkt1gebH

Feels at home

“Yeah, I lost a bit of confidence, you could put it that way. We struggled to get results on the field and that doesn’t help with your personal confidence. I never expected to leave the Broncos mid-season. Obviously when I made my decision, I had planned to come up (to the Cowboys) next year, but it has worked out well for me to come earlier and start my journey now at the Cowboys."

“I will always appreciate that the Broncos gave me my opportunity and it‘s been a tough couple of years for the club. I enjoyed my time at the Broncos but I’m here now and looking forward. I want to finish the season strongly.”

“I do think I’m a halfback. I enjoy the halfback role and I feel I’m at my best when I am getting the team around the park and steering the side at seven."

“The NRL is hard, it‘s the strongest competition in the world and we had a tough couple of years at the Broncos which affected me. I know I need to keep working on my game and learning as much as I can. The more experience I get playing at NRL level, the better I will get. I definitely have that belief. I believe I can be a long-term playmaker in the NRL. I have a lot to give to the game and a lot to improve on. That‘s what I am doing at the moment."

“I have the hunger and drive to become a quality playmaker and that’s what I’m working towards at the Cowboys. Speaking to the coaching staff and Todd Payten, they had a really good clear plan in place for me."

“I do feel it’s a place where I can learn and take my game to the next level. I want to get results for the Cowboys and make the club successful again.”

www.cowboys.com.au

Thurston presents Dearden with Cowboys' debut jersey

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston presenting halfback Tom Dearden with his club debut jersey, earning our Oh What a Feeling moment for Round 14 - proudly brought to you by Toyota and the North Queensland Toyota Dealers!
www.cowboys.com.au www.cowboys.com.au

McHunt
 
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It sounds like a few times he has expressed the obvious impact of the Broncos doing badly and how it mentally effected his own game. I have no doubt there are at least another dozen young ones still at the Broncos in the exact same boat. That prick Siebold definitely burnt the boats and left the young ones to sink or swim. It's also obvious that such a braindead idea was always destined to fail. The lack of seasoned vets and the constant floggings is such a poisonous, toxic environment to bring your promising youth into. I think we're still a few years away from flushing that shit through our system.
 
Jedhead said:
It sounds like a few times he has expressed the obvious impact of the Broncos doing badly and how it mentally effected his own game. I have no doubt there are at least another dozen young ones still at the Broncos in the exact same boat. That prick Siebold definitely burnt the boats and left the young ones to sink or swim. It's also obvious that such a braindead idea was always destined to fail. The lack of seasoned vets and the constant floggings is such a poisonous, toxic environment to bring your promising youth into. I think we're still a few years away from flushing that shit through our system.
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He's already had the chance to work under legendary halves in Langer, Walters and Lockyer, as well as Karmichael Hunt, Darius Boyd and Anthony Milford. Yet despite that entire brainstrust, he seems to have gone backwards since debut. He burst out of the gates full of confidence and left broken.

It's too early to tell whether Tommy peaked young or our system is so inept we can't develop halves. My hunch is the latter given Walters' pedigree and the dreck he's been serving up in those positions. None have improved with continued exposure.

Maybe Reynolds will serve as a proxy for player coach. Maybe that might make a difference. Wally Lewis says he regretted it. Cameron Smith obviously relished it. But it's now clear the Storm wasn't relying on Smith. They're going fine without him.

We seem to go much the same no matter who we roll out. Shit.
 
Why doesn’t he just call JT his dad since he loves him so much. How many times did he mention JT...
 
McHunt said:
He's already had the chance to work under legendary halves in Langer, Walters and Lockyer, as well as Karmichael Hunt, Darius Boyd and Anthony Milford. Yet despite that entire brainstrust, he seems to have gone backwards since debut. He burst out of the gates full of confidence and left broken.

It's too early to tell whether Tommy peaked young or our system is so inept we can't develop halves. My hunch is the latter given Walters' pedigree and the dreck he's been serving up in those positions. None have improved with continued exposure.

Maybe Reynolds will serve as a proxy for player coach. Maybe that might make a difference. Wally Lewis says he regretted it. Cameron Smith obviously relished it. But it's now clear the Storm wasn't relying on Smith. They're going fine without him.

We seem to go much the same no matter who we roll out. Shit.
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Legendary halves Langer, Walters and Lockyer.

Followed by KHunt, Boyd and Milford.

Surely this is a joke?
 
JAHHW said:
Legendary halves Langer, Walters and Lockyer.

Followed by KHunt, Boyd and Milford.

Surely this is a joke?
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Langer, Walters and Lockyer all played in the halves and captained Australia. Hunt, Milford and Boyd played in the halves to less distinction but are all decorated players whatever you think of them now. Milford played the club to a Grand Final and would've/should've been Churchill medalist and he's the least of the six.

The Cowboys have JT, that's a a big plus, but Morgan compared to our past and present peer group?
 
Wait...what did Cam Smith have to do with it? Is he working with the Cows?
 
McHunt said:
Langer, Walters and Lockyer all played in the halves and captained Australia. Hunt, Milford and Boyd played in the halves to less distinction but are all decorated players whatever you think of them now. Milford played the club to a Grand Final and would've/should've been Churchill medalist and he's the least of the six.

The Cowboys have JT, that's a a big plus, but Morgan compared to our past and present peer group?
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The narrative started around Dearden being mentored by JT to which you raised the fact the Broncos have legendary halves Langer, Walters and Lockyer. If it was simply about having decorated players around him, we’ve got the Cowboys easily covered there as well with Petero, Hodges, Parker etc. But it’s not, so they’re not particularly relevant.

Equally so, neither are the rest you listed. Hunt played only a small portion of his career in the halves while Boyd was quite literally a stop gap player in 2019 (or 2020, I have tried my hardest to forget those years) with maybe a very light sprinkling of games across the rest of his career. Milford is the only one of those 3 that achieved any sustained form / success in the halves, but even he has declined at an alarming rate that no one in their right mind would want him mentoring young playmakers.

So yes, I think you must be joking to include those three in with Langer, Walters and Lockyer when talking about “legendary halves”.
 
JAHHW said:
The narrative started around Dearden being mentored by JT to which you raised the fact the Broncos have legendary halves Langer, Walters and Lockyer. If it was simply about having decorated players around him, we’ve got the Cowboys easily covered there as well with Petero, Hodges, Parker etc. But it’s not, so they’re not particularly relevant.

Equally so, neither are the rest you listed. Hunt played only a small portion of his career in the halves while Boyd was quite literally a stop gap player in 2019 (or 2020, I have tried my hardest to forget those years) with maybe a very light sprinkling of games across the rest of his career. Milford is the only one of those 3 that achieved any sustained form / success in the halves, but even he has declined at an alarming rate that no one in their right mind would want him mentoring young playmakers.

So yes, I think you must be joking to include those three in with Langer, Walters and Lockyer when talking about “legendary halves”.
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Well that's why I separated them. Breaking my balls man.
 
Reporter should have asked his thoughts on playing second fiddle behind Townsend and Drinkwater next year.
 
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