The next Big Thing

[pennywisealfie]

Most of our team is made up by players who in the last 1-2 years have been tagged as "the next big thing" by some obscure section of the media and then theres even guys in the 20s such as Gagai & Sims who are being built up as eventual first graders.

But we also know that the Broncos organisation never stops churning out the young talent. So, I ask to the Broncomatts & Micks of the forum, who are the young talent coming through at the moment that some of us may not have heard of....

 

[Big Pete]

Let's see...

Lachlan Maranta - Grandson of founder Barry who's earnt himself quite a rap at fullback. Currently playing wing but with Gagai's likely promotion will get a chance to shine in 2011.

Aaron Whitchurch - Former Australian Schoolboy centre who plays A LOT like Brent Tate.

Kurt Baptiste - Half turned hooker who's been a star of our 20's side since last year.

Kurtis Lingwoodock - An absolute man mountain who can hit hard and run good lines. If he avoid serious injury he will play first grade...eventually.

Mitchell Frei - Highly touted second row who's been in our system for years. Has all the skills to make it as a first grade second rower.

Korbin Sims - Regarded as the best Sims brother. An absolute machine who takes a lot of stopping and can smash people in defence.

Mboya Adams - Another man mountain, this time with dreadlocks. Still a little raw for 20's but showed a lot of promise.

Cameron Cullen - Not related to Bruno (as far as I know). Current schoolboy who has been a stand-out this year in all his junior footy. Specialises at halfback.

Jerome Leedy - Star centre who's been in our system for ages.

 

[Kimlo]

Is Korbin signed for next year?
I vaguely remember one of them still being with us next year as well.

 

[rnabokov]

Korben Dallas

Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg


Ooops ... wrong movie

 

[Jeba]

Whitchurch can bloody well hit too. At the trial against Easts this year he put on an absolute bellringer on a big hard running front rower. Was one of the biggest hits I've ever seen.

 

[Big Pete]

He sure can, the boy can make good contact and is capable of grassing any opponent. If he continues to take the right options in defence he could potentially become a great replacement for Hodges.

 

[lyn]

Is Korbin signed for next year?
I vaguely remember one of them still being with us next year as well.

Yea, his contract runs out at the end of next year.

I wonder if he will follow his brother up north or stick with us?

 

[Kimlo]

Is Korbin signed for next year?
I vaguely remember one of them still being with us next year as well.

Yea, his contract runs out at the end of next year.

I wonder if he will follow his brother up north or stick with us?

Well perhaps if he gets a fair go in first grade he might stay with us. Hopefully he does if he's anywhere near as talented as what some make him out to be.

 

[Abe The Cop]

We usually have one youngster per year who seemingly comes from nowhere, this year it was Gillett.

 

[ningnangnong]

Corey Norman was talked up somewhat, as was Ben Hunt.

 

[m1c]

Palmer Wapau...

A couple of paragraphs long puff piece in the courier fail is all most people on here need to talk someone up.

 

[ningnangnong]

Palmer Wapau...

A couple of paragraphs long puff piece in the courier fail is all most people on here need to talk someone up.

There you go again with your 'people on here' spiel. Get a new line.

 

[Coxy]

Palmer Wapau...

A couple of paragraphs long puff piece in the courier fail is all most people on here need to talk someone up.

There you go again with your 'people on here' spiel. Get a new line.

m1c's an expert.

 

[m1c]

I wouldn't really call stating the obvious 'expert' opinion

 

[Big Pete]

Rookies that seemingly came out of no where...

2010 - Matt Gillett (Although if you asked anybody who watched the Qld Cup they'd tell you he was a good 'un)

2009 - Antonio Winterstein - Roosters reject who impressed everybody with his off-field application.

2008 - Reece Robinson - Bennett rated him...

2007 - No one really. Instead, the Broncos experimented with Hunt at Halfback.

2006 - Darius Boyd. Rose from schoolboys to first grade in a flash.

2005 - Leon Bott. Converted from Union and had quite the cult following.

2004 - Karmichael Hunt. Straight out of school into a Broncos jersey. He was insanely popular that year.

 

[lyn]

Rookies that seemingly came out of no where...

2010 - Matt Gillett (Although if you asked anybody who watched the Qld Cup they'd tell you he was a good 'un)

2009 - Antonio Winterstein - Roosters reject who impressed everybody with his off-field application.

2008 - Reece Robinson - Bennett rated him...

2007 - No one really. Instead, the Broncos experimented with Hunt at Halfback.

2006 - Darius Boyd. Rose from schoolboys to first grade in a flash.

2005 - Leon Bott. Converted from Union and had quite the cult following.

2004 - Karmichael Hunt. Straight out of school into a Broncos jersey. He was insanely popular that year.

Yea, I watched quite a bit of QLD Cup last year and he was my favorite player by far. I was expecting him to debut this year but i really didn't expect him to debut in round 1 and transfer his QLD Cup form straight into first grade with no problems.

Reece Robinson... He is the biggest dud we have ever produced IMO. Would Kemp count for 2008? He was sort of known but he blew everyone out of the water with his 2008 season of football.

Also what year was it when Michaels was playing really well but then did his knee (I think 2008)? He would probably count for that year too.

Back on the topic of future stars, I haven't seen much of him lately but David Hala really impressed me and had big wraps on him back in his U20s days. Unfortunately injuries crippled his 2010 first grade opportunities. I reckon Hala and Lingwoodock were two players from our U20s who would have turned out better than the others (Dodds, McGuire, Lui etc) but injuries have ruined their opportunities. Hopefully they can recover well from their injuries. I'm sure Big pete would agree with me on that.

 

[Big Pete]

BIG DAVE!

Definitely, if Hala can keep working on his fitness he'll be there in 2011 and will be blowing teams away off the bench.

Lingers will take a bit longer. An ACL injury is a b***h to recover from and considering he was already pretty green I don't think we'll see him until 2012. But yeah, definitely a promising prospect IF he can get over his injury.

As for my list, I didn't consider Kemp or Michaels because they'd played first grade prior to their break-out years, so I couldn't consider say they came from no where as they'd obviously been considered prior to that year. I did consider naming Kemp in 2007 BUT he only played 3 or so games and two of them came around the Origin period. In comparison the likes of Gillett, Winter, Robinson, Boyd, Bott and Hunt were there from the first game of the season and played a number of games for the first grade side.

Next season, I expect to see Gagai as the Round 1 Rookie wonder.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Next year is likely to be Gagai or a smokey in Rohan Ahern.