Selbold’s bench strategy will suit Staggs

[Gaz]

Seibold's bench strategy will suit Staggs

Author
Joel Gould NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Tue 22 Jan 2019, 04:46 Email
Anthony Seibold has unveiled his selection philosophy on the make-up of the Broncos' four-man bench where he is set to include one player who can cover the outside back positions due to the HIA protocol.
That means Emerging Blues squad member Kotoni Staggs, who impressed in his rookie season for the Broncos last year, will be one of the favourites to claim the role, that is if he does not force his way in the starting side.
Staggs is a centre who can cover most positions in the backs, as he proved for Brisbane's under 20s several seasons back, and was even used last year by the Redcliffe Dolphins in the back row.
NRL coaches have differing philosophies on their bench makeup.
Melbourne, for example, went with a four-forward bench in the grand final last year, as they did for the majority of the season.
Former Broncos coach Wayne Bennett mostly favoured having one utility with back line capabilities and used Staggs and Tom Opacic in those roles in 2018.
Seibold used Lebanese international Adam Doueihi at Souths last year in the position with success and played him at fullback, wing, centre and in the halves at various stages of the season in the starting line-up.

Broncos pack comes of age in 2018
"Last year we did some stats when I was at the Rabbitohs and there were 15 out of 24 games where we had to make a change to an outside back," Seibold told NRL.com.
"Essentially, if a winger takes a carry out of the back-field and cops a head knock and has to go off for an assessment there is 15 minutes where you are without a winger.
"The No.14 for me is someone who can play multiple positions and if you get an outside back who goes off for an HIA you need someone who can cover that position.
"I think you need a utility-type player someone who can play in the outside backs, a couple of middle forwards and potentially a player who can float between the edge or the middle."
Seibold rates Staggs highly as a player and as a potential bench utility. James Roberts and Jack Bird are front-runners to start in the centres but Staggs will also be in the mix.
"I hope that Kotoni keeps pushing Jack Bird and Jimmy Roberts for a centre position, but if they were in front of him there Kotoni has shown he can play multiple positions," Seibold said.
"I think Kotoni is a talented kid and certainly he will be competing for a 14 role if he wasn't one of the centres, and there are a couple of other guys in the same position, but I'd rather they all challenge for a starting 13 berth."
Fensom's experience to boost Broncos pack
Jordan Kahu, who has played fullback, five-eighth, centre and wing, looms as another candidate for the number 14 position if he does not make the starting side.
Matt Lodge, Joe Ofahengaue and Tevita Pangai jnr are the favourites to fill the starting three middle forward positions with the two middles on the bench set to be a showdown between Payne Haas, Shaun Fensom, Sam Tagataese, Patrick Mago and two highly rated props yet to play in the NRL in Patrick Carrigan and Thomas Flegler.
Test forward Matt Gillett will hold down one of the back-row starting positions. The other will be a race between Alex Glenn, David Fifita and Jaydn Su'A with one of that trio a likely candidate for a bench role.

Source : NRL.com

 

[Alec]

Our forwards depth is pretty exciting this year. They might not have a lot of experience, but they do have a lot of potential.

 

[Thelmus]

It doesn't appear a lot different to last season really. There was a lot of whinging about a spot wasted for a utility back but thats exactly what he is proposing. There's just more depth this year to choose from for various roles. We have a few more that can fill that back utility role and few less for the middle forward spots.
Still, we'll have plenty to choose from come round 1. Lets just hope they have a good pre-season and no one gets hurt leading into the season start.

 

[BroncsFan]

I'm not sure how the rules are, but can our utility play in NRL and QCup on the same weekend??

I completely agree that we need a utility on the bench specifically for those HIA situations, but the issue I have with that utility bench spot is they typically get 10mins of junk time a game, which doesn't help their development if they're not able to back up and play QCup at the same time.

I think they can play QCup if they don't make the field during an NRL game and I believe they can play NRL even if they've already played QCup (ie brought up as a last minute emergency), but not sure if they can play reserves after playing in the NRL and I suspect they may not be able to play QCup if named in the NRL squad.

 

[Cult]

Didn’t he quite often only use 16 players last year? I wonder if we will see the same reactions Hook used to get when he’d do the same thing

 

[Wolfie]

Staggs is more than capable of playing second row.

I still think anyway we are more likely to see somebody like Glenn as our utility.

 

[Wolfie]

I'm not sure how the rules are, but can our utility play in NRL and QCup on the same weekend??

I completely agree that we need a utility on the bench specifically for those HIA situations, but the issue I have with that utility bench spot is they typically get 10mins of junk time a game, which doesn't help their development if they're not able to back up and play QCup at the same time.

I think they can play QCup if they don't make the field during an NRL game and I believe they can play NRL even if they've already played QCup (ie brought up as a last minute emergency), but not sure if they can play reserves after playing in the NRL and I suspect they may not be able to play QCup if named in the NRL squad.

Didnt Rheese Martin start a game in the NSW ISC, come off straight away then play for the Bulldogs? If so then they probably can play in both. Not sure if its a loophole thats been closed now.

I'm also pretty sure i can recall a player at Souths playing for the U20's, then a 1st teamer went down and they filled a spot on the bench.

 

[Nashy]

Can't wait to see more of this kid. Think he's going to be a well known name in a few years.

 

[holdzy]

Didn’t he quite often only use 16 players last year? I wonder if we will see the same reactions Hook used to get when he’d do the same thing

Wayne did it a few times I believe. It doesn’t matter if you are winning.

 

[broncos4life]

Didn’t he quite often only use 16 players last year? I wonder if we will see the same reactions Hook used to get when he’d do the same thing

No one will care if we are winning and/or the forwards aren’t gassed.

We didn’t make fun of Hook leaving someone on the bench just because we didn’t like Hook, we made fun of it because our forwards were completely gassed every match and he was leaving a bench warmer sitting there.

 

[Cult]

No one will care if we are winning and/or the forwards aren’t gassed.

We didn’t make fun of Hook leaving someone on the bench just because we didn’t like Hook, we made fun of it because our forwards were completely gassed every match and he was leaving a bench warmer sitting there.

Rabbits fans complained about it last year so I imagine it was done during their losses. Plus it's a piss poor bench strategy anyway. 17 players should be used. The utility should have an impact, not just be there just in case.

 

[Kimlo]

And because Hook had no brain.
We had Granville on the bench and he'd regularly give him 7 minutes a game. Why even make the interchange? I believe he improved a lot in his time at Penrith but certainly at Brisbane his use of the bench was shockingly bad.

 

[something]

Agreed. I reckon with our roster we should defs be utilising all 17. It's not as if starting player A is better at every single facet of the game/posotion than bench player B.

 

[Big Pete]

Rabbits fans complained about it last year so I imagine it was done during their losses. Plus it's a piss poor bench strategy anyway. 17 players should be used. The utility should have an impact, not just be there just in case.

These days the players are so fit and talented you only need 16 players to interchange the forwards. The 17th is merely there for injuries, which is why I didn't have an issue with Wayne playing Mead, Staggs etc.

The difference between Bennett and Griffin is that Wayne wasn't afraid to use his bench players. Hook was virtually afraid to go to his bench and often the bench players were rarely getting more than 20 minutes, even if they were making an impact on the game. Bennett had better talent to rely on, but I put that down to Hook's recruitment. He thought the Broncos could get by with players like Luke Capewell, Nathaniel Barnes, Liam Georgetown, Joe Bond, Delroy Berryman, Nick Slyney, Jon Green etc. what a joke that turned out to be.

Seibold experimented with the bench. At first he went with George Burgess coming off the bench for added impact, but he was playing so well that he had to include him in the starting side. I'm not sure who Souths fans exactly wanted to see more of, their depth was incredibly poor. Outside of Murray, there wasn't anyone you'd want to grant long minutes to. I don't think he'll have the same problem here with the way Bennett left the roster, I do think Bennett will struggle down in Redfern though unless he can really get something out of Liam Knight.

 

[WASSHHH]

These days the players are so fit and talented you only need 16 players to interchange the forwards. The 17th is merely there for injuries, which is why I didn't have an issue with Wayne playing Mead, Staggs etc.

The difference between Bennett and Griffin is that Wayne wasn't afraid to use his bench players. Hook was virtually afraid to go to his bench and often the bench players were rarely getting more than 20 minutes, even if they were making an impact on the game. Bennett had better talent to rely on, but I put that down to Hook's recruitment. He thought the Broncos could get by with players like Luke Capewell, Nathaniel Barnes, Liam Georgetown, Joe Bond, Delroy Berryman, Nick Slyney, Jon Green etc. what a joke that turned out to be.

Seibold experimented with the bench. At first he went with George Burgess coming off the bench for added impact, but he was playing so well that he had to include him in the starting side. I'm not sure who Souths fans exactly wanted to see more of, their depth was incredibly poor. Outside of Murray, there wasn't anyone you'd want to grant long minutes to. I don't think he'll have the same problem here with the way Bennett left the roster, I do think Bennett will struggle down in Redfern though unless he can really get something out of Liam Knight.

You wouldn’t think he’d be getting a lift home out of him.

Aeroguard, seriously?

 

[Wolfie]

These days the players are so fit and talented you only need 16 players to interchange the forwards. The 17th is merely there for injuries, which is why I didn't have an issue with Wayne playing Mead, Staggs etc.

The difference between Bennett and Griffin is that Wayne wasn't afraid to use his bench players. Hook was virtually afraid to go to his bench and often the bench players were rarely getting more than 20 minutes, even if they were making an impact on the game. Bennett had better talent to rely on, but I put that down to Hook's recruitment. He thought the Broncos could get by with players like Luke Capewell, Nathaniel Barnes, Liam Georgetown, Joe Bond, Delroy Berryman, Nick Slyney, Jon Green etc. what a joke that turned out to be.

Seibold experimented with the bench. At first he went with George Burgess coming off the bench for added impact, but he was playing so well that he had to include him in the starting side. I'm not sure who Souths fans exactly wanted to see more of, their depth was incredibly poor. Outside of Murray, there wasn't anyone you'd want to grant long minutes to. I don't think he'll have the same problem here with the way Bennett left the roster, I do think Bennett will struggle down in Redfern though unless he can really get something out of Liam Knight.

Joe Bond. He was quite a talented player. Dont think he took his career seriously at all. I always thought Capwell was probably a little too good for QLD cup and not quite good enough for the NRL.

 

[Unbreakable]

So, based on that article we're looking at this for Round 1, barring any late bloomers -

1. Boyd (c)
2. Oates
3. Roberts
4. Bird
5. Isaako
6. Milford
7. Nikorima
8. Lodge
9. McCullough
10. Ofahengaue
11. Su'A
12. Gillett
13. Pangai Jr

14. Staggs/Kahu
15. Fifita/Glenn
16. Tagatese/Fensom/Mago
17. Haas

If it were up to me, I'd go with Staggs, Fifita & Taggers on the bench. It sucks for Glenn & Kahu, and I'm pretty sure Seibold won't go that way, but I legitimately believe our best 17 doesn't include either of them.

 

[theshed]

Joe Bond. He was quite a talented player. Dont think he took his career seriously at all. I always thought Capwell was probably a little too good for QLD cup and not quite good enough for the NRL.

Too crazy for boys town, too much of a boy for crazy town.