Round 1 - Bulldogs vrs Broncos; Pre-Match Discussion

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Yeah I'm not sure what the go with Reed is, a couple of years ago I was really impressed with him, really fast, good under the high ball, but last year especially he just seemed.. fat
 
This could be either a masterstroke or stroke-inducing

No Cookies | The Courier-Mail

Josh Hoffman and Ben Barba to switch between five-eighth and fullback for Brisbane Broncos

CHRIS GARRY
THE answer to the Broncos’ missing five-eighth is . . . two five-eighths.
Deposed captain Sam Thaiday let the cat out of the bag yesterday, revealing Ben Barba and Josh Hoffman would interchange between five-eighth and fullback this season.
However, Broncos legend Steve Renouf says the Broncos are making a mistake by playing the two fullbacks out of position.
Renouf said coach Anthony Griffin should back rookie Kodi Nikorima, who has been the most impressive Bronco during the trial period.
Renouf said Hoffman and Barba were excellent outside backs but Nikorima deserved to be rewarded with the Broncos No.6 jersey and Griffin should stick with him throughout the season to develop him.

“I think Josh and Ben (Hunt) could work (at five-eighth), but I have become a real fan of Kodi Nikorima and they need to give him a shot,’’ Renouf told The Courier-Mail.
“There is this thing of giving a rookie a taste and then bringing him back but they should just put Kodi in there.
“Chuck him in there. Let the kid get some consistency.
“It will take him a couple of games to adjust but from what I have seen of him he can handle it.
“I don’t want to talk negatively because I love this club but I think they should pick Kodi.’’

Thaiday said he understood Griffin would play former Mackay juniors and best mates Hoffman and Barba at five-eighth at different stages of each game.
Speaking at the Broncos’ announcement of an extension of their Deadly Choices program, which helped significantly increase health check-ups among the Indigenous community last year, Thaiday said the interchanging roles would bring the best out of both players.
Barba is likely to play five-eighth in attack and fullback in defence, similar to the roles Ewen McKenzie had Quade Cooper playing during the Queensland Reds’ 2011 Super Rugby premiership-winning season.
“We can have Ben play there and have Josh play there and I think Hook’s idea is for those two to chop and change (between fullback and five-eighth) and feel their way around it,’’ Thaiday said.
“Even though they will have a number on their back, they might not be playing that position.
“It is a great option to have those guys swinging in and out of fullback and five-eighth because they both have their own great qualities in both positions.”

Thaiday is also a fan of 19-year-old Nikorima and said he had shown how bright his future was during the trial period.
“Kodi Nikorima has been fantastic for us,’’ Thaiday said. “He will only build in confidence. He had a fantastic Nines tournament and he’s really put his hand up.”


Thaiday said he had no doubts Hoffman was committed to the club for the remainder of his contract.
The 25-year-old’s manager asked the Broncos for a release from the remaining two years of his contract before all parties decided Hoffman would see his deal out.
“He’s a Broncos man,’’ Thaiday said. “Right now, he’s at our club. In the future if he wants to go elsewhere he will do that.
“For the 2014 season he’s a Broncos player.’’
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It's not going to work, because we all know what Griffin is going to do. He is going to use Hoffman at 5/8 in attack, and that's just going to be a disaster. He will not see pass the fact that Hoffman does not have ball playing skills and is not a 5/8, he is a winger.

It's a desperation move, and a move that's not really necessary.

I pray that I am wrong, but based on what I've seen lately, I'm not going to rule out the possibility of that happening.
 
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hayseed said:
Which is why I was questioning his new 4 year deal penned last season, he has never been more than a solid centre who will have his shining moments but more often than not, has very little impact.
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To be fair though his four year deal was actually on a pretty cheap wage, with the new salary cap structure already in place. Even if you don't rate him that highly he's basically on a depth-player's wage.
 
Bucking Beads said:
So I've been thinking a lot about this and I've come to a few conclusions. Thaiday is going to be used as a lock similiar to Glenn Stewart. Good passing skills and decent ball playing skills. Parker to prop allows that to happen. If this is the plan it gives us an extra guy to do some ball playing which I think Thaiday is quite capable of. Hoffman to fullback which is a shame but it is our best option. Barba in the 6 with the long term view of him staying there. Obviously it leaves us with 2 shitty wingers but hopefully they step up or someone does.
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Parker doesn't need to move to prop to allow Thaiday to play a Stewart role though, as Stewart is a right-side exclusive backrower that just wears the 13. Their real lock is Watmough. All Parker to prop does is it allows us to start Gillett and Glenn, which isn't really that crucial.
 
Art Vandelay said:
Parker doesn't need to move to prop to allow Thaiday to play a Stewart role though, as Stewart is a right-side exclusive backrower that just wears the 13. Their real lock is Watmough. All Parker to prop does is it allows us to start Gillett and Glenn, which isn't really that crucial.
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I agree but Hook seems desperate to have them all in the starting 13
 
hayseed said:
You're not telling me anything that I don't know, he was obviously a lot skinnier back then because if you have been paying any attention, you would also know that his pace is much too slow to be playing on the edges.
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Well what I was hinting at is that he isn't a naturally slow runner, but once again, due to the poor development on behalf of the Broncos, weight is another reason he has never looked comfortable on the wing. This would of been closely linked to his low confidence.

He looked to be playing a couple of kilos over his optimal playing weight. This didn't exactly help on the wing, unless your already naturally big. To make a fast skinny bloke into a fast big bloke without affecting pace, is a lot harder than turning an already fast big bloke into a bigger bloke with the same speed.
 
THE answer to the Broncos’ missing five-eighth is . . . two five-eighths.
Deposed captain Sam Thaiday let the cat out of the bag yesterday, revealing Ben Barba and Josh Hoffman would interchange between five-eighth and fullback this season.
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Well that's that. I'll see all you fine gentleman in 2015.

Bravo to the fans that will stay and watch this trainwreck.
 
Rabbir said:
Well that's that. I'll see all you fine gentleman in 2015.

Bravo to the fans that will stay and watch this trainwreck.
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That's the spirit. With the boys through thick and thin!

May I suggest Manly or the rabbitohs, perhaps even the warriors? they will be alot easier for you to 'support' over the next few years. See you back here in a few years when things have turned around, we'll know it's you because you will be proudly proclaiming how you were there for the hard times...
 
Hoffman at 5/8 in defence would be more solid than Barba.
 
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