Hodges out for most of Season! Link included

[Bucking Beads]

Hey TOMANE is a wicked centre.

Potentially yes, but in general I think the Titans lack a gun centre.

 

[Donny]

All arguements on Hodges are flawed because he is never on the field. If he does get back then great but at the moment it is unlikely we will see the Hodges we have grown to rely on. We really need to sign Inglis or a gun centre because we are lacking strike power outwide and we could turn into a Titans like side with no Punch in the centres.

Agree 100%

I think we will need more strike power out wide if Hodges isnt fit. But i dont want the Broncos to go out and pay 600k for Inglis either. I dont really know of any "Blue chip as the Broncos put it" centres off contract next year. Like Beads said without another gun centre next year we will struggle to score points IMO. The only two i know that could come to the Broncos i would consider are Ferguson and Inglis. Inglis wants more cash so he can get stuffed. Ferguson is young quick and strong. Add another 10kg onto him and he will be a very strong powerful centre.

Hodges is off contract end of next year isnt he? Hodges will have to take a pay cut IMO, when he is on the field he is great but he hardly has played more then 10+games a season the last 3 or so year. Not very good value for money.

 

[Donny]

Hey TOMANE is a wicked centre.

Wicked at missing tackles..........

 

[Coxy]

I think Tomane is a very good potential player, as Beads said, but I worry that he might've bulked up TOO much in the offseason. He lacks the speed he had last year.

needs to find that balance between strength and speed IMO.

 

[Anonymous person]

Hodges is off contract end of next year isnt he? Hodges will have to take a pay cut IMO, when he is on the field he is great but he hardly has played more then 10+games a season the last 3 or so year. Not very good value for money.

hopefully we dont resign him, hes just wasted money.

and its hasnt just been the last 3 or so years - hes averaged less than 15 games a season over his entire career! just over 150 games, 11 seasons.

i think we would be worse off with him THIS YEAR because he will not be a shadow of the player that he was if he comes back. his step is the ONLY thing he has in attack, and he will not be anywhere near confident enough in that achilles to use it. itd be michael devere dummy half runs galore. hes also a lazy defender.

 

[Bannermania]

I think Tomane is a very good potential player, as Beads said, but I worry that he might've bulked up TOO much in the offseason. He lacks the speed he had last year.

needs to find that balance between strength and speed IMO.

Like Vatuvei but with better hands?

 

[Coxy]

Maybe, but Vatuvei would be useless in the centres. You need some mobility and agility to know when to rush out of the line to snuff out a play when an overlap is presenting itself.

Tomane lacked agility from what I saw of him this year.

 

[tkday]

That's dissapointing about Hodges. If he comes back at all this year he will not put in a good performance if they are still that worried about him.

 

[john1420]

I love Hodgo and think that we are a better team with him in it, but of course, only at full strength. But I am very concerned that with that injury and at this stage in his career, he'll never be the same again.

 

[m1c]

Hodges > Inglis in the NRL

[icon_lol1. That'll do me. That has to be a bait for AP!

haha a little from column A a little from column B. IMO Inglis is probably the worst value player on the market. He is a sleeping giant, needing an occasion or a massive prod via criticism to awake. It's a shame really because on his day there is none better. Through the illegal tactics used by the Storm he has an inflated view of his market value. As an elite finisher I don't think he is entitled to any more than 450k.

Hodges has his injury and judiciary problems but when fit offers much more on a week to week basis than Inglis.

 

[Jeba]

Hodges > Inglis in the NRL

[icon_lol1. That'll do me. That has to be a bait for AP!

As far as consistency goes over the last few years, Inglis has Hodges well covered for sure. But Hodges on his day is just as good if not better IMO. Hodges's 2006 season was better than any full season Inglis has produced, IMO.

But yes I realise that was a few years ago now and he hasn't produced anything near that consistency since. But I don't agree with the ridiculous statement that we are less chance of winning a Premiership with Hodges in the side. That's just crazy. It seems like as soon as anyone says a Broncos player is better than one of AP's man-fantasies from the Queensland team, said Broncos player is instantly a crap player in his eyes.

 

[Donny]

But yes I realise that was a few years ago now and he hasn't produced anything near that consistency since

Thats because he is always injured of suspended. He cant help injuries but he better pick his act up in the other area

 

[Anonymous person]

But Hodges on his day is just as good if not better IMO.
.....
But I don't agree with the ridiculous statement that we are less chance of winning a Premiership with Hodges in the side. That's just crazy. It seems like as soon as anyone says a Broncos player is better than one of AP's man-fantasies from the Queensland team, said Broncos player is instantly a crap player in his eyes.

:roll:

when both are playing at their best, Inglis is head and shoulders above Hodges in every way.

and you obviously just saw my post and instantly went into rage mode RE: less of a chance winning with him there. if he comes back, he will NOT be fully recovered and will not be confident in his right leg. that right there takes away 100% of his attacking game, cause thats his gun weapon - his right foot step.

so its either folau there with gillett, whos been going absolutely great guns, or glen who has played well when not injured - or folau on the other side with a still recovering hodges whos got absolutely no match fitness or confidence in his main weapon. so you either split up a good centre pairing, and centre/wing combinations that have been playing together all year, so you can rush back in an aging player whos coming back from one of the worst injuries a footballer can have.............or you leave the good combinations that have been getting the job done, and let them keep getting the job done.

but sure, having Hodges there always means we're a better team :roll:

 

[Alec]

Hodges is off contract end of next year isnt he? Hodges will have to take a pay cut IMO, when he is on the field he is great but he hardly has played more then 10+games a season the last 3 or so year. Not very good value for money.

hopefully we dont resign him, hes just wasted money.

and its hasnt just been the last 3 or so years - hes averaged less than 15 games a season over his entire career! just over 150 games, 11 seasons.

i think we would be worse off with him THIS YEAR because he will not be a shadow of the player that he was if he comes back. his step is the ONLY thing he has in attack, and he will not be anywhere near confident enough in that achilles to use it. itd be michael devere dummy half runs galore. hes also a lazy defender.

Pretty much agree 100%. I love Hodges, but he just isn't worth it unless he takes a major paycut.

 

[Jeba]

But Hodges on his day is just as good if not better IMO.
.....
But I don't agree with the ridiculous statement that we are less chance of winning a Premiership with Hodges in the side. That's just crazy. It seems like as soon as anyone says a Broncos player is better than one of AP's man-fantasies from the Queensland team, said Broncos player is instantly a crap player in his eyes.

:roll:

when both are playing at their best, Inglis is head and shoulders above Hodges in every way.

and you obviously just saw my post and instantly went into rage mode RE: less of a chance winning with him there. if he comes back, he will NOT be fully recovered and will not be confident in his right leg. that right there takes away 100% of his attacking game, cause thats his gun weapon - his right foot step.

so its either folau there with gillett, whos been going absolutely great guns, or glen who has played well when not injured - or folau on the other side with a still recovering hodges whos got absolutely no match fitness or confidence in his main weapon. so you either split up a good centre pairing, and centre/wing combinations that have been playing together all year, so you can rush back in an aging player whos coming back from one of the worst injuries a footballer can have.............or you leave the good combinations that have been getting the job done, and let them keep getting the job done.

but sure, having Hodges there always means we're a better team :roll:

How do you know he won't be fully fit? We are in round 19 now, and a few weeks ago he said he would be back in round 20, which now looks as if it won't happen, so they obviously are not rushing him. They have also indicated that he may not play this season, so it is obvious they won't play him unless he is fully recovered and 100%.

Also, as good a job Gillet and Glenn have been doing in the centres, they are more effective in the back row. Having those two on the bench with Hodges at left centre (if he is fully fit) is a good lineup. Hodges has done the job on the left before, he played there in the 2006 Tri-Nations and did it very well against the best players in the world.

If he isn't 100% then obviously he stays out of the team, but I find it incredible how little you rate him just because he doesn't play many games. I think I worded something I said earlier a little wrong though - of course, when both are at their best, Inglis is better than Hodges, but to be honest as far as a full season goes, I haven't seen Inglis dominate over the entire course of the season like Hodges did in 2006.

 

[Kimlo]

Inglis is a bit like Hayne except a lot better.
Plays 5-6 good games a year and is MIA for the other 20+

He does play good when it matters though but week to week Inglis is inconsistent as it gets.

 

[rnabokov]

I find Hodges and Inglis equally effective in their own way, as the 2 best centres in the game. I hope Hodges can stay injury free, and that his present injury doesn't reduce his ability to step around defenders.. On his day, he can turn a match. I hope he returns soon.

Having said that, and based on the way we have won some very good matches, I think we have in Folau, Glenn, Te'o and Gillett adequate talent in the centres to be competitive out wide with any side. In fact, we can easily win this comp with Folau and any of the other 3 in the centres.

The key is that our centres get enough ball, and are given sufficient width to do something with it. With Locky back, and hopefully continuing his outstanding form, there should ne problems there.

I also reckon people underrate Glenn's ability in attack. I remember seeing some very nice footwork and agility from him in a number of games where he had some space to move.

The only hurdle the team has to overcome is keep the momentum going with our recent great defence and general enthusiasm.

 

[Professor47]

it never ceases to amaze me how high of a pedestal some of the people on here put Hodges.

on his day, yes, hes a great player. the problem is that his day comes around maybe 3 times a year, and thats provided he plays at least 10 games a year. the rest of the time hes just useless dummy half runs and flat footed attack. hes not some sort of saviour for the broncos, and hes not even our best player when fully fit. we've shown that we can do just fine without him, and with the 'quality' of the competition this year theres no doubt we can give it a real shake without him. our centres have been among the best in the league to be honest, and thats with Gilett and Folau - not hodges.

quite frankly, i think if hodges DOES come back for the finals we are LESS of a chance of winning that if he doesnt.

Disagreed - understood about the comeback form through this injury - BUT if he does manage to get those 6 games under his belt before the finals... he could be vital in the play offs... keyword COULD. Whichever way you look at it - it will be a gamble.

I may one of those 'pedestal Hodges' fans but you'd be blind not to say he is a key player for the Broncs... however one cannot deny there does seem to be a real transformation with these young players now.