pick your Round 1, 2012 team

[Porthoz]

According to Andrew Gee, the Broncos want to extend Wallace's contract, so we may have to live with the worst halfback in the world (according to some) for a while longer...

 

[GCBRONCO]

Looks like Hala will be sidelined for at least 6 weeks with an ankle injury from an Australia day training mishap.

 

[mrslong]

According to Andrew Gee, the Broncos want to extend Wallace's contract, so we may have to live with the worst halfback in the world (according to some) for a while longer...

I don't think anyone thinks Wallace is the worst half back in the world - I would have him as 5 or 6 in the NRL I suppose. Hello Jeff Robson!

 

[Porthoz]

My point exactly. The best halves are either unavailable or ridiculously priced!

Thurston - Unavailable
Cronk - Ridiculously priced
Maloney - Unavailable
Marshall - Unavailable
Pearce - Unavailable (and not much better imo)
Sandow - Unavailable (and worse imo)
Carney - Unavailable (and head case that we wouldn't want anyway)
Prince - Unavailable (older too)
Foran - Unavailable (and in same mold as Wallace anyway)

The rest is really not better than Wallace imo.
DCE and Johnson still have to prove themselves in a second year, but the first could be a target in 2013 if he proves consistent this season.


If Ben Hunt or someone else from the Broncos youth pool can steal Wallace's spot, good on him.
If not, there's no sense in whingeing until we actually have a serious opportunity to get someone better.

 

[Foordy]

i'd also place Thurston in the ridiculously priced category as well

 

[Ari Gold]

I agree, though I think it's our halves and hooker. McCullough was great in the back end of last year, but realistically, he's had a total of about a dozen good games in his career. I think his continued progress is just as important.

 

[GCBRONCO]

I agree, though I think it's our halves and hooker. McCullough was great in the back end of last year, but realistically, he's had a total of about a dozen good games in his career. I think his continued progress is just as important.

I agree on our hooker situation to an extent, although as you point out I'd be more concerned if McCollough hadn't improved at the backend of last season, plus there are other options that can be utilised if required. Baptiste when he recovers from his surgery would certainly be one to consider.

 

[noisetheory]

i feel like we'll see a superior mccullough this year.

have been saying we've got the best forward pack in the game for some time. as posted above it will be a question if the halves can pull it together. i'm pretty confident they're gonna go alright.

 

[thedman]

If Norman gets the nod to partner Wallace in round 1, does anyone have any thoughts on what side of the field each of them will play?

From what I'm reading they played Norman exclusively on the left on Saturday night, with Hunt on the right. Do you think Hook will shift Wallace to accommodate this?

 

[Porthoz]

If Norman gets the nod to partner Wallace in round 1, does anyone have any thoughts on what side of the field each of them will play?

From what I'm reading they played Norman exclusively on the left on Saturday night, with Hunt on the right. Do you think Hook will shift Wallace to accommodate this?

Norman played quite often on the right side of the attack in the U20's.
I have a feeling they tested the halves in their position (ie Norman as halfback on the left, Hunt as Five-Eight on the right), so whoever gets the no. 6 will play on the right...

 

[Big Pete]

I don't think it'd be a terrible idea to shift Wallace and Norman around.

Norman could probably use Reed & Glenn's protection plus Wallace isn't exactly tearing teams apart on the left.

Food for thought.

 

[subsbligh]

1. Josh Hoffman
2. Gerard Beale
3. Jack Reed
4. Justin Hodges
5. Jharal Yow Yeh
6. Corey Norman
7. Peter Wallace
8. Josh McGuire
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Petero Civoniceva
11. Alex Glenn
12. Sam Thaiday
13. Corey Parker

14. Ben Teo
15. Ben Hannant
16. Matt Gillett
17. Mitchell Dodds

Norman went well in the trial, so let's work with that confidence IMO. If the kid is on fire coming into the season then it would be stupid not to give him a shot. Clearly he's more talented than Ben Hunt from what he's shown us in his career so far.

Also David Hala will be out for a while, so that's why I have Dodds there. Petero is might be ready also.

How good is that bench? Is that the best bench in the comp? Is there a forward pack out that that is better than ours?

Reading our season off paper, you'd think that our ONLY hurdle to winning the comp would be weather or not our halves can deliver, because quite clearly we have it in every other department.

It's a big if but how many other young (actually, any) halves would relish the thought of playing behind this pack?? Three Origin quality forwards on the bench!!!

If Wallace and Norman get an good understanding and solid playing time together on the field (which, without injury, should be 26 rounds back to back - no origin for either methinks) we could have a good crack at this.

We literally bashed teams off the field last year. We've got a team of second rowers, so fit and strong. Just need the halves and some composure and we are a very good shot.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I have a feeling we will have a hooker option on the bench.

 

[Foordy]

I have a feeling we will have a hooker option on the bench.

Honestly, i don't want to see that happen, in the second half of last year every time McCullough left the field we lost our momentum. we have enough guys that will make the 17 that have utility value in the case that we get an injury to McCullough. we have guys like Beale, Glenn, Hoffman, Gillett, Te'o; all of these guys can play multiple positions if we need them to

having said that i agree that we will likely see a hooker rotation this year, and it seems to be becoming more common that teams are having that second hooker on the bench.

 

[The Brizz]

Yep with Glenn in the side we do not require a second hooker, however I wouldn't mind Hunt being on the bench for cover for 6,7,9 for the first month just in case Wallace and Norman really do get swallowed up during a game and we need a new option out there. Our backrow all play massive minutes and McGuire proved he is a big minute prop as is Hannant so we don't necessarily need 4 big guys on the bench. But once we have a settled halves combination I am very hopeful we have no hooker or halve options on there.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I don't particular like having a hooker on the bench but with the way our forward pack is capable of playing long minutes it might not be such a bad option to have a hooker on the bench to provide some spark. McCullough should be close to being an 80 min hooker though IMO.

 

[Coxy]

Yep with Glenn in the side we do not require a second hooker, however I wouldn't mind Hunt being on the bench for cover for 6,7,9 for the first month just in case Wallace and Norman really do get swallowed up during a game and we need a new option out there. Our backrow all play massive minutes and McGuire proved he is a big minute prop as is Hannant so we don't necessarily need 4 big guys on the bench. But once we have a settled halves combination I am very hopeful we have no hooker or halve options on there.

^^^ This. While Macca, Wallace and Norman are all capable of playing 80 minutes, they're also capable of being crap. So having an option to change it up if necessary is important. Hunt is the only player we've got that's capable of covering those positions.

 

[Meat77]

^^^ This. While Macca, Wallace and Norman are all capable of playing 80 minutes, they're also capable of being crap. So having an option to change it up if necessary is important. Hunt is the only player we've got that's capable of covering those positions.

Except for the fact that Hunt is capable of being even more crap than all of them...