Super Freak
International Captain
Forum Staff
- Jan 25, 2014
- 40,526
- 29,281
BRISBANE’s famous No.7 jumper has turned into a game of musical chairs with coach Wayne Bennett putting Kodi Nikorima on notice for failing to take charge of the Broncos’ attack.
Bennett admits he needs to “think about some things” in relation to his scrumbase after Ben Hunt rocketed back into the frame to start in Friday night’s blockbuster against Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium.
Nikorima’s hopes of being Brisbane’s long-term halfback are in tatters after he was benched for the second consecutive game in the Broncos’ 30-20 defeat of the Raiders on Saturday night.
Thrust into the action in the 34th minute, Hunt produced his most complete game of the season, putting pressure on Bennett to pair him with reinvigorated veteran Benji Marshall against the Storm.
With first-choice pivot Anthony Milford (shoulder) sidelined for the next five weeks, a three-way scrumbase scrap has emerged between Hunt, Nikorima and Marshall.
When Hunt suffered a hamstring injury earlier this season, Nikorima stepped up, winning five straight games at halfback, a factor in Hunt’s shock axing a fortnight ago to the Ipswich Jets.
But Nikorima has since failed to take control against Souths and the Raiders and Bennett said he needs to see more playmaking authority from the Kiwi Test star.
“I’ve got three halves at the moment – footy is a week-by-week proposition,” he said. “We have Melbourne (this) week ... I need to think about some things.
“He (Nikorima) was getting targeted a fair bit, a lot of (Raiders players) were running at him. He was pretty solid but as I said to him, we just needed him to take control a couple of times.
“We were losing our way in the last 15 or 20 minutes of the first half.
“A halfback’s job is to take control. Kodi is a young halfback and he will get better for that. I intended to put him back in the second half but the way the game was going, it didn’t kind of work out.”
Marshall and Hunt had a collective hand in four of Brisbane’s five tries against Canberra and the former Kiwi Test captain lauded the Dragons-bound halfback’s character.
“Ben lifted everyone, including myself,” Marshall said.
“Ben changed the game with his energy and attitude, control and kicking game. The repeat sets he got us with his kicks were priceless.
“To Ben’s credit, he didn’t kick stones when he got dropped, he just did what he had to do to come back into the side.
“He has showed everyone why he is a first grader and why he deserves to be paid big money at the Dragons.”
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...e/news-story/7e30bc156414db67d2f9d19a20754717
Bennett admits he needs to “think about some things” in relation to his scrumbase after Ben Hunt rocketed back into the frame to start in Friday night’s blockbuster against Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium.
Nikorima’s hopes of being Brisbane’s long-term halfback are in tatters after he was benched for the second consecutive game in the Broncos’ 30-20 defeat of the Raiders on Saturday night.
Thrust into the action in the 34th minute, Hunt produced his most complete game of the season, putting pressure on Bennett to pair him with reinvigorated veteran Benji Marshall against the Storm.
With first-choice pivot Anthony Milford (shoulder) sidelined for the next five weeks, a three-way scrumbase scrap has emerged between Hunt, Nikorima and Marshall.
When Hunt suffered a hamstring injury earlier this season, Nikorima stepped up, winning five straight games at halfback, a factor in Hunt’s shock axing a fortnight ago to the Ipswich Jets.
But Nikorima has since failed to take control against Souths and the Raiders and Bennett said he needs to see more playmaking authority from the Kiwi Test star.
“I’ve got three halves at the moment – footy is a week-by-week proposition,” he said. “We have Melbourne (this) week ... I need to think about some things.
“He (Nikorima) was getting targeted a fair bit, a lot of (Raiders players) were running at him. He was pretty solid but as I said to him, we just needed him to take control a couple of times.
“We were losing our way in the last 15 or 20 minutes of the first half.
“A halfback’s job is to take control. Kodi is a young halfback and he will get better for that. I intended to put him back in the second half but the way the game was going, it didn’t kind of work out.”
Marshall and Hunt had a collective hand in four of Brisbane’s five tries against Canberra and the former Kiwi Test captain lauded the Dragons-bound halfback’s character.
“Ben lifted everyone, including myself,” Marshall said.
“Ben changed the game with his energy and attitude, control and kicking game. The repeat sets he got us with his kicks were priceless.
“To Ben’s credit, he didn’t kick stones when he got dropped, he just did what he had to do to come back into the side.
“He has showed everyone why he is a first grader and why he deserves to be paid big money at the Dragons.”
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...e/news-story/7e30bc156414db67d2f9d19a20754717
