RUMOUR Did Brodie Croft just become a Bronco over brunch at a Sydney cafe?

[abashii]

This antiquated notion of juniors and Wayne Pearce being born across the road from Leichhardt as the way to go has no place.

How many Brisbane players in the game against the Eels? I count zero.

You don’t have to be from where your team is located. Development has left that well behind. Development now is players being in your system and making their debut for you. No one should care if they’re from another planet.

Roosters get bagged for not having juniors but their development meant 10 players made their debut with the Roosters in a GF winning side that’s A1 development.

Yes and no. If the Storm keep recruiting out of QLD instead of growing the game in Vic, how does that grow the game? Same with the Roosters, it might work for them as a team but it doesn't grow the game to pick up the best 18 year olds other clubs have been working with for several years. Nobody's demanding the Storm field a team made up entirely of Victorians but one would hope having a top flight team in Melbourne for 2 decades would lead to more than 2 fringe first graders coming from the town.

 

[mrslong]

Croft is rubbish. What a clusterfuck out club has become if this is the best we can do.

 

[Kooly87]

Roosters get bagged for not having juniors but their development meant 10 players made their debut with the Roosters in a GF winning side that’s A1 development.

I guess the danger with this though is that the idea of the 'local junior who went to school down the road from the leagues club and went on to become club Captain' is just one of the things that has always made Rugby League a bit special.

Granted its a romantic notion and in reality its dying off, but to just cut throw it so willingly on the scrap heap may be throwing out more than we realise down the track.

The other danger for clubs who don't invest in local junior programs is that they really weaken their argument for why they should exist where they are at all, especially if the crowds become poor too.

Theoretically if the Roosters could simply manage their junior development in house, recruiting from around Australia then they could easily be relocated to Perth to do the exact same thing. What would keep them in Sydney besides a wealthy backer?

 

[Footy Fanatic]

Make it happen please.

He can easily be our long term halfback, as long as he's not signed on stupid money or for too many years, he could easily be one of our best ever signatures. A genuine halfback is what we have needed for far too long. He doesn't even need to be a superstar in his own right, he just has to have a good kicking game, know how to execute a game plan and a bit of a brain. From what I've seen, he has all those things.

As long as we're not paying stupid money, this is an excellent signing if it eventuates.

Is he a genuine halfback though? Don't think he's shown that at the Storm.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Theoretically if the Roosters could simply manage their junior development in house, recruiting from around Australia then they could easily be relocated to Perth to do the exact same thing. What would keep them in Sydney besides a wealthy backer?

The appeal of the East Coast vs the West immediately comes to mind. Nobody really moves their whole lives from the East over to the West. It's usually the other way around.

 

[Nashy]

The concern with Brodie Croft would be that he isn't in the Storm team this weekend after playing all season at halfback. I mean when they're picking Jahrome Hughes at halfback instead of him I am concerned. A good little player but is he the answer? Only time will tell. He's a more mature option than we have right now and he is a QLD lad.

Maybe he's already told them he's out and they can keep better secrets. They would have had to give permission for Brisbane to talk to him I think?

 

[Bucking Beads]

I was just wondering as you are a known fan of them.

 

[Sproj]

Wasn't Peter Wallace from Melbourne? Shaun Nona (I can't remember his name but he was a winger who I think went to rugby??) Am I just making stuff up?

 

[teampjta]

Wouldn’t it be nice if the club said **** it and went after an established under-contract 7 or 1.

I’d be tapping on Pongas shoulder, isn’t he homesick yet. He’d get a mil plus a shite load of 3rd parties

How many times have you heard that contracts don’t mean a thing,

 

[Unbreakable]

Wasn't Peter Wallace from Melbourne? Shaun Nona (I can't remember his name but he was a winger who I think went to rugby??) Am I just making stuff up?

Curtis Rona, born in NZ and grew up in Western Australia.

You weren't too far off..

 

[Sproj]

Curtis Rona, born in NZ and grew up in Western Australia.

You weren't too far off..

Clearly I nailed it.

 

[Kimlo]

Is he a genuine halfback though? Don't think he's shown that at the Storm.

Yeah he is IMO. It's hard to be a dominant halfback at Melbourne when Munster/Smith want to run absolutely every play but he's looked good when they haven't been there.

There's very few halfbacks that hit the market who are also willing to sign/live in Brisbane. There's not a lot to lose since we're not picking him over another halfback, it's either we get him or we go into 2020 with our same roster which would be a disaster.





He has the talent and it's up to Seibold to get it out of him should he sign here.

 

[pagey]

I don't mind Croft but they need a bigger name than him to lead this side around. He reminds me a lot of Nikorima, a good running game and fast but just like Kodi, his kicking game and defensive skills need plenty of work. At least he has got youth on his side.

That's because he was a winger in union and has been manufactured into a half.
If ash Taylor is being shopped I would prefer him.

 

[Dash]

That's because he was a winger in union and has been manufactured into a half.
If ash Taylor is being shopped I would prefer him.

Playing wing for your school union side means jack shit. What's important is what position he played on Sundays.

 

[1910]

I guess the danger with this though is that the idea of the 'local junior who went to school down the road from the leagues club and went on to become club Captain' is just one of the things that has always made Rugby League a bit special.

Granted its a romantic notion and in reality its dying off, but to just cut throw it so willingly on the scrap heap may be throwing out more than we realise down the track.

The other danger for clubs who don't invest in local junior programs is that they really weaken their argument for why they should exist where they are at all, especially if the crowds become poor too.

Theoretically if the Roosters could simply manage their junior development in house, recruiting from around Australia then they could easily be relocated to Perth to do the exact same thing. What would keep them in Sydney besides a wealthy backer?

The local junior was born from boundaries and import rules and they don’t exist anymore. It’s nice if you jag your Wayne Pearce but in reality the world has got smaller- you can’t miss a kid in Toowoomba because you’re focused just on Balmain.

It was largely done for you anyway. Kids were zoned for you and they had no choice who to play for.

It’s so much easier now to find that kid when in the past unless a teacher rang and had some relationship with Barnes he wasn’t going to Balmain and might have even done a Hancock and never left.

You can’t neglect your local area but you have to go wider now and I think local junior has been replaced by made his debut.

 

[ostin86]

Yeah he is IMO. It's hard to be a dominant halfback at Melbourne when Munster/Smith want to run absolutely every play but he's looked good when they haven't been there.

There's very few halfbacks that hit the market who are also willing to sign/live in Brisbane. There's not a lot to lose since we're not picking him over another halfback, it's either we get him or we go into 2020 with our same roster which would be a disaster.





He has the talent and it's up to Seibold to get it out of him should he sign here.

Bloody dog act slide by the big Fijian in the first clip.

 

[Kimlo]

Bloody dog act slide by the big Fijian in the first clip.

I make no secret I hate that ****. He's one of the grubbiest scums in the game, every time I watch Melbourne he will do something totally grubby. A few times he's pushed players who were already out of the field into the barricades. He will seriously hurt someone one day.

 

[Bongo]

He is Victorian? Sounds like a traditional Victorian name. Is Tohu Harris still the only Vic player to play NRL? And they got rid of him.

Fonua too