The Wayne Bennett Super thread!

[austin71]

I might be alone here but I really hope Bennett is looking for a quality prop or 2 for next year. Kaufusi seems to be the only logical choice on the market. Unless he's looking at super league props or Willy Mason on a 1 year deal. Thoughts?

 

[Big Pete]

There seems to be a lot of concern over it but I don't think it's an issue in the long term.

I especially don't think the Broncos should be so desperate to sign a hack like Kaufusi. I'd rather persist with a Hala, Molo or Ofahengaue than him. That just has Fa'alogo written all over it that signing.

 

[Russell Coight]

There seems to be a lot of concern over it but I don't think it's an issue in the long term.

I especially don't think the Broncos should be so desperate to sign a hack like Kaufusi. I'd rather persist with a Hala, Molo or Ofahengaue than him. That just has Fa'alogo written all over it that signing.

How much more persistence can Hala be given before we just admit he is useless?

 

[Big Pete]

More than what Kaufusi deserves.

 

[Donald]

How much more persistence can Hala be given before we just admit he is useless?

I dont think he deserves anymore time. That guy is a unit. He should be doing what George Burgess does week in week out but instead he is a complete let down. For somebody with so much size and power he should be a weapon.

 

[coreyh88]

I wouldn't mind Willie for a year with molo and ofenhague in qld xup

 

[CaptainHook]

Wayne is definitely not mucking around. Hoffman has been told to look elsewhere and Hannant is off to the Cowboys. I expect a few more to go as well. The Hannant move I think was for the best. He's been a very mixed bag the last few years - often does a lot of work but is just so prone to soft errors with ball handling that put us under a mountain of pressure. Hoffman has had years to cement his supposedly cherished fullback spot and has been unable to do so. He might kick on at another club - good luck to him.

I wonder what's to become of Reed. I'm not so sure he's an NRL-level centre but considering he's on such a massive, long-term deal and no club being silly enough to take him off our hands we have to use him somehow. Our second row as well. I don't want to harp on it but Glenn, Gillett and Thaiday are not a good combination, regardless of their talent.

I suspect by the end of the three years we will have a vastly different team to what ran out this season.

 

[Cult]

More than what Kaufusi deserves.

Why?

 

[Kimlo]

Wayne is definitely not mucking around. Hoffman has been told to look elsewhere and Hannant is off to the Cowboys. I expect a few more to go as well. The Hannant move I think was for the best. He's been a very mixed bag the last few years - often does a lot of work but is just so prone to soft errors with ball handling that put us under a mountain of pressure. Hoffman has had years to cement his supposedly cherished fullback spot and has been unable to do so. He might kick on at another club - good luck to him.

I wonder what's to become of Reed. I'm not so sure he's an NRL-level centre but considering he's on such a massive, long-term deal and no club being silly enough to take him off our hands we have to use him somehow. Our second row as well. I don't want to harp on it but Glenn, Gillett and Thaiday are not a good combination, regardless of their talent.

I suspect by the end of the three years we will have a vastly different team to what ran out this season.

Reed is on a 250k per year contract, hardly massive. And in a salary cap of over 5 million, he's taking about 1/25th of the space. That's not what I'd call a huge contract.

 

[CaptainHook]

Reed is on a 250k per year contract, hardly massive. And in a salary cap of over 5 million, he's taking about 1/25th of the space. That's not what I'd call a huge contract.

Not sure of the amount - I was more referring to the duration - we have him until the end of 2017 I think.

 

[Splinter]

There seems to be a lot of concern over it but I don't think it's an issue in the long term.

I especially don't think the Broncos should be so desperate to sign a hack like Kaufusi. I'd rather persist with a Hala, Molo or Ofahengaue than him. That just has Fa'alogo written all over it that signing.

What about Dodds BP, I would like to see him get a run

 

[johnny87]

Wayne is definitely not mucking around. Hoffman has been told to look elsewhere and Hannant is off to the Cowboys. I expect a few more to go as well. The Hannant move I think was for the best. He's been a very mixed bag the last few years - often does a lot of work but is just so prone to soft errors with ball handling that put us under a mountain of pressure. Hoffman has had years to cement his supposedly cherished fullback spot and has been unable to do so. He might kick on at another club - good luck to him.

I wonder what's to become of Reed. I'm not so sure he's an NRL-level centre but considering he's on such a massive, long-term deal and no club being silly enough to take him off our hands we have to use him somehow. Our second row as well. I don't want to harp on it but Glenn, Gillett and Thaiday are not a good combination, regardless of their talent.

I suspect by the end of the three years we will have a vastly different team to what ran out this season.

Just curious who else you think will get the boot?

 

[Morkel]

IMO Parker is the only back-rower who's safe. The others will be auditioning for two spots IMO. And one of those could well be benched in favour of an aggressive Beau Scott or Jeremy Smith type. Bennett needs his Tunza.

 

[Big Pete]

Why?

Kaufusi has given way too many opportunities on a higher pay-scale with far more experience and everywhere he's gone he's been a total bust.

This is the first time since 2011 Hala was able to finish the season without sustaining a serious injury. He's agreed to terms on a extremely modest deal and still conceivably has something to offer.

Kaufusi would just be dead-wood and the type of signing we'd all be making fun of if it was the Knights or Dragons.

The only possible argument is 'but he's a rep player!' at which point really sad piano music would just play in the background and I'd just shake my head in disappointment.

Don't be that guy, Cult3.

 

[Harry Sack]

Kaufusi has given way too many opportunities on a higher pay-scale with far more experience and everywhere he's gone he's been a total bust.

This is the first time since 2011 Hala was able to finish the season without sustaining a serious injury. He's agreed to terms on a extremely modest deal and still conceivably has something to offer.

Kaufusi would just be dead-wood and the type of signing we'd all be making fun of if it was the Knights or Dragons.

The only possible argument is 'but he's a rep player!' at which point really sad piano music would just play in the background and I'd just shake my head in disappointment.

Don't be that guy, Cult3.

In short, Kafusi is crap and a baffling rep selection.

The bold is sooooo true lol.

 

[Cult]

Kaufusi has given way too many opportunities on a higher pay-scale with far more experience and everywhere he's gone he's been a total bust.

This is the first time since 2011 Hala was able to finish the season without sustaining a serious injury. He's agreed to terms on a extremely modest deal and still conceivably has something to offer.

Kaufusi would just be dead-wood and the type of signing we'd all be making fun of if it was the Knights or Dragons.

The only possible argument is 'but he's a rep player!' at which point really sad piano music would just play in the background and I'd just shake my head in disappointment.

Don't be that guy, Cult3.

That's fair enough. I kinda feel as though they're on the same level as far as chances go though. Only Kaufusi has shown that he can do more than one good hit up in a season. I'd love for Hala to give us more reasons to want him around, but unfortunately he hasn't. I was the one who brought up Kaufusi getting out of his contract and I wouldn't expect us to offer him a lot of money but he offers something we don't have a lot of in size and strength.

 

[Foordy]

Hala can be exactly the type of impact prop we need ... Bennett and the coaching/conditioning staff just need to find a way to turn his 1 good hit up a game into a good 20 minute stint.

once they do that the next step will be to find a way to turn that one good 20 min stint into 2 good 20 minute stints (one per half)

we have to remember that Hala is only young and has been plagued by injuries, I'm not even sure he has had a full pre-season in years, and the majority (if not all) of the conditioning work is done during the pre-season.

 

[Big Pete]

I kinda feel as though they're on the same level as far as chances go though.

One is nearly 30 who has been apart of six different clubs and has failed to make his mark at any of them.

The other is a 25 year old who has been struck down with serious injury after serious injury and is on his absolute last chance.

I'd say the 30 year old who Bennett sacked has his nose out infront at this stage.

Only Kaufusi has shown that he can do more than one good hit up in a season.

Back in 2006, 9 seasons ago otherwise he was basically known for his low work-rate despite being persisted with over and over again.

I was the one who brought up Kaufusi getting out of his contract and I wouldn't expect us to offer him a lot of money but he offers something we don't have a lot of in size and strength.

It's not exactly like the Broncos are short in this department to the extent they have to go out and sign somebody for the sake of their size.

Antonio Kaufusi stands at 190cm tall weighing in at 113kgs.

Martin Kennedy is 190cm, 122kgs
Mitch Garbutt is 190cm, 113kgs
Jarrod Wallace is 189cm, 108kgs
David Hala is 187cm, 114kgs
Joe Ofahengaue is 187cm, 112kgs

I understand that sometimes you do need players of a specific body type to fulfill a role. Just look at Bellamy, he has an obsession with a monster bench and really doesn't care that much about their size. But the Broncos have five big boppers there, adding another who really isn't that good in his own right doesn't help anybody.

I feel as if people are panicking and searching for any and all answers. It maybe a short term problem but in the long run, we're well equipped for front rowers and don't need to go all out and sign just anybody as long as they had one decent spat of form 9 years ago.