NEWS Renouf: How Roberts can break my Broncos try-scoring record

[Super Freak]

Renouf: How Roberts can break my Broncos try-scoring record

February 1, 2018

James Roberts can become the greatest try scorer in Brisbane Broncos history if he gets the support he needs from his inside men.

For mine, and I have suggested this to Wayne Bennett, that also means playing at left centre on the same side of the field as Anthony Milford.

I get excited as soon as I see Jimmy touch the ball. I am on the edge of my seat just waiting for him to explode with that extraordinary power he has in his legs.

Prior to him coming to the Broncos I'd watch him at the Gold Coast Titans because I loved the way he created tries out of nothing.

I thought he would be even better suited here in Brisbane, but I still believe he should be playing on the left side with Milford and not on the right.

Milford needs to keep working on his game, but even when he plays naturally there have been a number of times where he's made half-breaks and is giving it to blokes like Sam Thaiday who are in support, but not going to make the line.

Imagine if Roberts was there. It would be "see you later".

I've had a couple of conversations with Wayne about my ideas, and the last one was at the Cox Plate in Melbourne after Australia beat Great Britain in the World Cup.

Brisbane had signed Jack Bird and it was probably the first positive conversation I had with Wayne that they might move Jimmy to the left, because Bird plays on the right.

Jimmy can win big games for you, but I don't think the Broncos have played to his strengths.

Kevin Walters is in charge of the attack at Brisbane now and if I was Kevvie, and Roberts does end up on the left, I'd be pairing him with Milford straight away and saying "this is what happens and this is how we score a try".

Jimmy's instincts comes naturally. If Milford makes half a break he will get himself there in support.

That is what I used to do. Kevvie would give me the ball for a move we would practise, or I would watch him make those half-breaks and be there.

You just have to be alert to it, and that is something I think Roberts and Milford can learn together.

Roberts is only 24 and is signed to the Broncos for the next four years, and in that time he could easily score 70 to 80 tries.

He scored 18 tries last year and if he stays at the Broncos for the next eight seasons I see no reason why he can't average that at least and go past my own record of 142 - if he gets the ball, that is.

The Broncos of the 1990s had a game plan that involved getting a lot of ball to the outside backs. I got a lot of ball I didn't want, but I had to go with it.

That's because Allan Langer, and mostly Kevvie, looked for me. The boys would say "get your arse there Pearl and get this ball into you". They'd make me do my thing.

I have spoken privately to Jimmy about this and he believes he doesn't get enough ball, which comes back to both halves. I don't want him to become like a Justin Hodges who has to get into dummy half and work his backside off to get the ball in his hands.

He can score from a standing start and create something out of nothing so they should be trying to bring him in as much as they can… and get him on that left side. I know I sound like a broken record, but Wayne knows what the remedy is.

Source: NRL.com

 

[Broncapz]

Renouf is 100% right. Jimmy is the most something from nothing player we've had in a long time.

 

[talanoa]

i mentioned when he first signed that they should let him roam around the middle and play off second phase from the forwards. if he played a bit off lodge and even tpj when he comes on he would be unstoppable. no one has acceleration like him and he would cut the middle to shreds late in the half with tired opposition forwards.

 

[chad01]

I think he will get a lot more space now with bird over the other side as teams knew to mark up on him but with players who can turn a game all over the field harder to man mark him Roberts milf kodi and bird genuine game breakers

 

[Brett]

Milf to Roberts - exciting 2018 ahead boys.

 

[BroncsFan]

I put this in the other thread but may as well chuck it here...

There is so much talk about moving Jimmy to the left but what about milf to the right??

He looks a right side player more so than a left and may have been kept to the left because Benny was the right side half.

At times milf would pop up on the right (mainly when playing with jnik) and just looked dangerous every time. Try against drags comes to mind. Also some decent darts against the cows in Townsville down the right side. Was there also one that put Matty G away and he threw a forward pass but we still got the try???

Moving Milf to the right would pair him with Matty G, Jimmy and Kahu (likely) which sounds lethal.

Also jnik could be more comfortable on the left with short balls to Glenn and Oates (both noted line runners) or implementing the sweep.

With Benny gone there is a chance to revamp the halves completely and I'd be all for Milf on the right

 

[Morkel]

I think he will get a lot more space now with bird over the other side as teams knew to mark up on him but with players who can turn a game all over the field harder to man mark him Roberts milf kodi and bird genuine game breakers

This. Remember when we had Hodges and Folau on the right, there was so much space on our left that they were carving up routinely. The two on our left were of course future immortals, Antonio Winterstein and Steve Michaels.

 

[chad01]

This. Remember when we had Hodges and Folau on the right, there was so much space on our left that they were carving up routinely. The two on our left were of course future immortals, Antonio Winterstein and Steve Michaels.

I just think with bird as the other centre they won't bunch on Roberts side so much

 

[PerthBrissy987]

I put this in the other thread but may as well chuck it here...

There is so much talk about moving Jimmy to the left but what about milf to the right??

He looks a right side player more so than a left and may have been kept to the left because Benny was the right side half.

At times milf would pop up on the right (mainly when playing with jnik) and just looked dangerous every time. Try against drags comes to mind. Also some decent darts against the cows in Townsville down the right side. Was there also one that put Matty G away and he threw a forward pass but we still got the try???

Moving Milf to the right would pair him with Matty G, Jimmy and Kahu (likely) which sounds lethal.

Also jnik could be more comfortable on the left with short balls to Glenn and Oates (both noted line runners) or implementing the sweep.

With Benny gone there is a chance to revamp the halves completely and I'd be all for Milf on the right

Sounds really good tbh ,
Gillo can be the protector for milf after coming off a bad shoulder and the right hand side attack could really explode , remember we favored our left hand side recently so maybe moving milf could get us attacking to our right more

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

I put this in the other thread but may as well chuck it here...

There is so much talk about moving Jimmy to the left but what about milf to the right??

He looks a right side player more so than a left and may have been kept to the left because Benny was the right side half.

At times milf would pop up on the right (mainly when playing with jnik) and just looked dangerous every time. Try against drags comes to mind. Also some decent darts against the cows in Townsville down the right side. Was there also one that put Matty G away and he threw a forward pass but we still got the try???

Moving Milf to the right would pair him with Matty G, Jimmy and Kahu (likely) which sounds lethal.

Also jnik could be more comfortable on the left with short balls to Glenn and Oates (both noted line runners) or implementing the sweep.

With Benny gone there is a chance to revamp the halves completely and I'd be all for Milf on the right

Really like this idea. Most of milfs raiders highlights were on the right side. I'd still like him to play both sides anyway but mainly on the right sounds the go! With him, j bird and Roberts roaming the middle at the end of halves off of tpj off loads and lodge short balls

 

[roo-ted]

There is no reason he can't break records at the broncos, he's got it all. I hope we can keep him for a long time as well

 

[Wolfie]

The big flaw in the plan is i just dont think Bird is going to play in the centers long term.

 

[BroncsFan]

The big flaw in the plan is i just dont think Bird is going to play in the centers long term.

Yeah and to me there is no point moving Roberts to the left for one year if Bird is moving to a new position next year.

If Roberts preference is right then keep him there and work the offence around that.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

On a bit of a different note from this article..... I love the passion Steve Renouf, as well as Kevin Walters and hodges actually, show for the broncos every time they speak about the club...

 

[Mr Fourex]

Renouf is 100% right. Jimmy is the most something from nothing player we've had in a long time.

Since Anthony Milford.....wait

wot?

 

[Super Freak]

Yeah and to me there is no point moving Roberts to the left for one year if Bird is moving to a new position next year.

If Roberts preference is right then keep him there and work the offence around that.

The whole point of moving Roberts to the left is to get him linking up with Milford.

I don't see why Bird probably going to lock in 2019 would impact that decision.

 

[Dexter]

I put this in the other thread but may as well chuck it here...

There is so much talk about moving Jimmy to the left but what about milf to the right??

He looks a right side player more so than a left and may have been kept to the left because Benny was the right side half.

Why does he look more a right side player? His highlight package from the raiders is probably more left than right and mostly from fullback. He steps better off his right and passes better to his left.

 

[Alec]

Why does he look more a right side player? His highlight package from the raiders is probably more left than right and mostly from fullback. He steps better off his right and passes better to his left.

Stepping better off his right is better on the right side, like Hodges and Hunt. On the left, he'll step right over the sideline. I actually do seem to recall that even at the Broncs, he got most of his breaks angling his runs more towards the right.
Agree about the passing though, most right handers prefer throwing to their left. Then again, passing isn't his strongest game anyway.