Josh Hoffman admits he’s disappointed at switching from fullback to centre
February 18, 2016 4:03pm
TRAVIS MEYNThe Courier-Mail
JOSH Hoffman is ready to relaunch his career as a centre despite admitting he was disappointed by Titans coach Neil Henry’s decision to shift him from fullback.
Hoffman will be pitched at left centre this season, allowing new co-captain William Zillman to wear his preferred No. 1 jersey. Hoffman, 27, joined the Titans last year seeking more opportunity at fullback due to the impending arrival of Darius Boyd at the Broncos. He was one of just three players, Luke Douglas and James Roberts the others, to play every match for the Titans in 2015, pushing through knee and ankle injuries which required off-season surgery. A setback with his knee has limited his pre-season, paving the way for Zillman to move ahead of him in the fullback pecking order after being limited to 10 games last season with a back injury.
Henry rotated Hoffman and Zillman between fullback and centre last season but has put his faith in Zillman making the position his own. An honest Hoffman admitted it was a hard pill to swallow but he was determined to have the same impact from the edge. “I was a little bit disappointed,” he said. “I trained a bit at fullback during pre-season. I was training my butt off and trying to get my body right so I could be accustomed to the position. Centre is a different role. You don’t do as much as fullback. I try to keep busy when I’m on the paddock and I like to return the ball as hard as I can. The players feed off that. “It was disappointing but it’s kind of hard to fit other players in the squad. I’m happy to fill in in the centres to allow players to fit in the team as well.”
Roberts’ defection to Brisbane has left the Titans low on centre options, with untested duo Nathan Davis and Brian Kelly to face the Rabbitohs in Saturday’s trial at Burleigh. In some ways, Hoffman is a victim of his own versatility having played fullback, wing, centre and five-eighth in his 133 NRL appearances. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m pretty excited,” Hoffman said. “It’s a shame I missed a few of the trials and didn’t get to trial at centre. We’ll see what happens come round one. I’m not new to it. I’ve played in the centres at the Broncos and here at the Titans. It’s pretty familiar. It’s about learning the position and defensively reading the attack and making the right decisions. I like to attack on the left side. I’ve played a bit on the wing there too.”
Right centre Nene Macdonald is also battling a knee issue which has him in doubt for Round 1, making the Rabbitohs trial even more important. Davis scored 24 tries in 40 under-20s games for Parramatta while Kelly has been a standout during the pre-season and is still eligible for the NYC. “The young fellas have really surprised a lot of people with what they did in the Nines,” Hoffman said. “Brian Kelly and Nathan Davis showed some good skills along with Greg Leleisiuao. There’s a lot of pressure on a lot of players for positions.”
