Tim Smith close to signing elsewhere.

[Charmamba]

The Broncos rely a bit too much on their Farm system IMHO.

They would rather blood a player that's a failure rather than keep a player willing to play, who has been purchased.

Nail on the head

You mean like Winterstein, Folau, Wallace, Anderson, Teo Setu & Sims? [icon_shru

Or um... Tallis

 

[Coxy]

Basically the Broncos have always relied on their juniors, but still chased players on the market when they needed to fill a specific need.

The way they see it, they have Wallace and Lockyer for 2010-11, so there's no desperate need to keep a first grade ready half. Nice if they can, but if Tim Smith wants to play first grade then he has to look elsewhere. So be it.

The Broncos have Ben Hunt and will have him as a succession plan for Lockyer. No doubt that's what they will be communicating to Hunt.

He may well think he can get a first grade spot sooner elsewhere, and that's another issue for the Broncos to deal with. If I was him I'd be chasing North Queensland. They desperately need a halfback so Thurston can have some pressure taken off and play at five-eighth.

But we'll see how it goes.

Matt's point that Hunt vs Smith is not part of this debate is correct. The debate is Smith vs Wallace/Lockyer, and Smith just doesn't want to hang around and wait.

 

[The Brizz]

I love the fact we generally breed the majority of our own side. Sure its necessary to outsource occasionally but it shows how good the club is that we can train and then rely on kids to come in and often fill very big shoes.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

Basically the Broncos have always relied on their juniors, but still chased players on the market when they needed to fill a specific need.

The way they see it, they have Wallace and Lockyer for 2010-11, so there's no desperate need to keep a first grade ready half. Nice if they can, but if Tim Smith wants to play first grade then he has to look elsewhere. So be it.

The Broncos have Ben Hunt and will have him as a succession plan for Lockyer. No doubt that's what they will be communicating to Hunt.

He may well think he can get a first grade spot sooner elsewhere, and that's another issue for the Broncos to deal with. If I was him I'd be chasing North Queensland. They desperately need a halfback so Thurston can have some pressure taken off and play at five-eighth.

But we'll see how it goes.

Matt's point that Hunt vs Smith is not part of this debate is correct. The debate is Smith vs Wallace/Lockyer, and Smith just doesn't want to hang around and wait.

its not just about smith vs wallace and lockyer. look at the roosters, they had carney, and changed their team to fit him in. Who would EVER think mini would lose his fullback spot, but it happened. Smith doesnt need to replace a half, but if hes in our best 17 players at the club, which i have no doubt he is, then he should get a run. He could easily play a utility spot on the bench

 

[GCBRONCO]

its not just about smith vs wallace and lockyer. look at the roosters, they had carney, and changed their team to fit him in. Who would EVER think mini would lose his fullback spot, but it happened. Smith doesnt need to replace a half, but if hes in our best 17 players at the club, which i have no doubt he is, then he should get a run. He could easily play a utility spot on the bench

Carney was signed by the Roosters and pretty much assured a position in the side, so while it was surprising he made Minichello move he was already assured a position in the side in some facility. For Tim Smith the reason his leaving and not remaining runs deeper then that, he doesn't want to wait for an opportunity behind Lockyer and Wallace and unlike Carney was never assured a position in the side from the get go regardless when he started training with the Broncos, the Sharks have made him an offer that would see him pretty much assured of a spot in their main 17 if not their starting 13, the Broncos made him an offer for 2 years but couldn't assure him of a position in the starting 13 but could see him utilised in the 17, he still went for the Sharks offer and frankly why wouldn't he, sign a short term contract that sees him play in a main side with much more certainities to get his career back on track, rather then a deal that would see him stuck between two well positioned halves and at best unless injuries or poor form come about see him on the bench until Lockyer moves on.

 

[bent]

Ben hunt vs Tim Smith on now in QLD cup on the abc. Makes for interesting watching.

 

[Charmamba]

in this game so far...


Smith > Hunt

 

[Broncos08]

Ben hunt vs Tim Smith on now in QLD cup on the abc. Makes for interesting watching.

And Tim is carving up, he just set up 2 tries, and just scored 1. Ben hunt is nowhere in sight.

 

[Charmamba]

to be far on Hunt they just are not getting the ball to him. You can see him setting himself up and asking for it but his not getting it.

 

[PETERN]

I sure hope the Sharks and Easts don't settle on a compensation fee, and Smith doesn't sign with the Sharks. He is the attacking style player the Broncos need, and miles ahead of Ben Hunt at this point in time.

Ben Hunt seems like another hyped up player, like Joel Moon and Brett Seymour, 'players that were meant to be saviours of the Broncos' and look what turned of them.

I'm willing to give Ben Hunt a chance but not at the expense of Tim Smith.

 

[Charmamba]

Ben Hunt grew up a Sharks fan. Always wanted to play for them as a kid.

 

[GCBRONCO]

It's funny watching both sides go in this game, completely opposite performances compared to last week for both sides.

 

[Charmamba]

yeah east are right in. last week it was like they didnt even play :P

 

[The Brizz]

Great ball from Minto to Williams 24-6 now. As soon as Central actually spread the ball they look dangerous.

 

[The Brizz]

Great play from Hunt there, breaks the line with a great short ball to Guy Williams and then draw and pass to put his man under the posts. Guy Williams really looks a good prospect for the future, I would be surprised if he doesn't come back into first grade calculations again this season.

 

[ddd]

I love the fact we generally breed the majority of our own side. Sure its necessary to outsource occasionally but it shows how good the club is that we can train and then rely on kids to come in and often fill very big shoes.

To be fair we do have a pretty big "breeding ground" for our juniors

Not that I can find anything to support that, but I remember reading it in a big league or RLW some years ago

 

[Flutterby]

Going by this article it seems the Sharks aren't going to pay compensation to Easts. but the the part of the article that i hate, is that it says the Broncos are trying to work out an appropriate compensation deal with Easts to allow Smith to return to Sydney. If that is true why should we help Cronulla, they wouldn't do the same for us.

Flutterby might know more, but I think the The Tiges want a transfer fee from the Sharks and another Broncos player allocated to their roster.

So the Broncos arent really helping the Sharks, they are more so helping Easts.

I find it odd a player like Smith didn't have a NRL Clause in his contract with Easts?? I thought it was fairly standard procedure these days

That's pretty much it Matt. The facts are Smith did not come back to Australia and seek a start with an NRL club. He sought out a start with a Q Cup club to use this year as a platform to get an NRL contract next year. The Broncos had no role in Smith coming to Easts. After seeing his early pre-season training form, the Broncos asked Easts if they would mind having him train with the Broncos senior team for the post-Christmas pre-season - Easts agreed. Smith showed outstanding form and was granted a spot in the trial teams in which he played awesome as well - the Broncos then chose to dual register him. BUT his primary contract is with Easts - they are the ones that gave him his lifeline and are the ones that need to be compensated. From what I know Easts are seeking another Broncos contracted player to be allocated.

On the subject of Hunt vs Smith. I am actually a fan of both (although I am hesitant about how Smith will go at the top level second time around) and would love for the Broncos to be able to keep both. However the reality is that we were never going to be able to keep both and I think Hunt provides a better long term proposition. Given his experience Smith is more ready NOW to play NRL, but there is no spot for him NOW at the Broncos. Hunt is being developed to be fully ready when Locky retires. However that will be my last comment on the Hunt/Smith discussion, as I have made my views well known in a few topics now.

 

[Professor47]

As if everyone did now know this was going to happen sooner or later.

T Smith wasn't going to wait 2 yrs for Locky's contract to finish to play in the halves - rightly so.

It's just the way it is. Unfortunate for us but under the current NRL system if you're a decent half you'll be playing first grade because we're short already as is.