NEWS Walters does not name his halves

[McHunt]

Contrary to the Shit Factory's consecutive spurts of premature ejaculation, budding supercoach Kevin Walters has not settled on his halves leading into the first round of the competition. This comes after Brodie Croft was spotted partnering Milford at training, following Tom Dearden wearing the 7 in Saturdays trial against the Cowboys.

Walters said:

“I am looking at different combinations at my training sessions and I will make a final decision next week. Tom and Brodie are neck and neck at this stage. Tom did some good things in the trial last week but Brodie was also very good so I have a tough decision to make. It’s a good headache to have because you want players competing for positions.”

Not today Pete, I have a headache

Milford said:

“The whole playing group needs to improve. Getting that wooden spoon hurt a lot of the boys, especially the guys in key positions - our jerseys are on the line each week and we have guys pushing for sports regularly. If you don’t perform each week, you won’t be in the starting 17. They (Dearden and Croft) both do the same thing as playmakers. They both steer the ship around and are similar players, so it’s Kevvie’s headache to have.”

“Brodie brings a lot of experience. He is from the Melbourne system and he has now had a year at the Broncos. Whoever steps up in the No.7 jumper will do the job for us.”

McHunt

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Badel is full of more shit than a music festival porta potty. Big shock.

 

[theshed]

Waiting for everyone to jump on Milf for saying “winning the spoon hurt a lot of the boys”.

 

[winslow_wong]

Dearden leaving confirmed

 

[jd87]

im unsure where in that article it says dearden is facing the axe

 

[WASSHHH]

Good to see Walters’ has come along and it’s business as usual; the 7 is up for grabs whilst Milford somehow has a mortgage on the 6.

With 3 coaches in a row now unwilling to put a rocket up him, it’s little wonder the only improvement we’ve seen from him since 2016 is his kicking game, whilst the rest of his game has gone absolutely tits up, and fast.

 

[broncos4life]

Good to see Walters’ has come along and it’s business as usual; the 7 is up for grabs whilst Milford somehow has a mortgage on the 6.

With 3 coaches in a row now unwilling to put a rocket up him, it’s little wonder the only improvement we’ve seen from him since 2016 is his kicking game, whilst the rest of his game has gone absolutely tits up, and fast.

How about we see him play a game this season before declaring with certainty it’s not the right call? Milford was one of the best players in the game when Kevvie was here last so maybe his selection is based on preseason performance.

 

[Sproj]

How about we see him play a game this season before declaring with certainty it’s not the right call? Milford was one of the best players in the game when Kevvie was here last so maybe his selection is based on preseason performance.

Yeah sure, give him a chance but the fact still remains Milford was last one of the best players in the game FIVE years ago.

 

[WASSHHH]

How about we see him play a game this season before declaring with certainty it’s not the right call? Milford was one of the best players in the game when Kevvie was here last so maybe his selection is based on preseason performance.

What about my post is inaccurate or untrue?

If you read between the lines, Milford has already been assured he will be the 6 and it’s the 7 that’s up for grabs. Why?

I’m not declaring it as the right or wrong call. What I would like to know though, is what has Milford done in the last 4 years to warrant certainty around his position whilst others have to earn theirs.

As for 2015: both Milford and Hunt were tremendous in the run to the GF under Walters, however both were subsequently terrible in Origin under the same coach.

 

[winslow_wong]

Good to see Walters’ has come along and it’s business as usual; the 7 is up for grabs whilst Milford somehow has a mortgage on the 6.

With 3 coaches in a row now unwilling to put a rocket up him, it’s little wonder the only improvement we’ve seen from him since 2016 is his kicking game, whilst the rest of his game has gone absolutely tits up, and fast.

He’s still being paid 1 trillion dollars a year so no one wants to see him playing qcup. The media would have a field day.

 

[WASSHHH]

He’s still being paid 1 trillion dollars a year so no one wants to see him playing qcup. The media would have a field day.

Who cares what the media think.

If time in QCup is what he needs to pull his finger out and get back to 2015 form, I’ll come pack his bags for him.

 

[pagey]

Who cares what the media think.

If time in QCup is what he needs to pull his finger out and get back to 2015 form, I’ll come pack his bags for him.

Milford is past the q cup G up mate , if he can't get back to his best with Walters and a wooden spoon then he either needs a change of scenery or its never going to happen.

 

[Xzei]

Milford is past the q cup G up mate , if he can't get back to his best with Walters and a wooden spoon then he either needs a change of scenery or its never going to happen.

Would probably kill it in england

 

[PNG Broncos fan88]

"..our jerseys are on the line each week.."

lovin that line coach, no-one is guaranteed a spot

 

[rnabokov]

What about my post is inaccurate or untrue?

If you read between the lines, Milford has already been assured he will be the 6 and it’s the 7 that’s up for grabs. Why?

I’m not declaring it as the right or wrong call. What I would like to know though, is what has Milford done in the last 4 years to warrant certainty around his position whilst others have to earn theirs.

As for 2015: both Milford and Hunt were tremendous in the run to the GF under Walters, however both were subsequently terrible in Origin under the same coach.

Why? Maybe because we don't have a 5/8 with anywhere near the talent, skills and experience Milford has no matter which way you look at it. That those have not been on show for a few years is bleeding obvious. So he gets his last chance this year and everyone knows it, including him. He's our marquee player. So he plays. I can't fault that logic.

 

[WASSHHH]

Why? Maybe because we don't have a 5/8 with anywhere near the talent, skills and experience Milford has no matter which way you look at it. That those have not been on show for a few years is bleeding obvious. So he gets his last chance this year and everyone knows it, including him. He's our marquee player. So he plays. I can't fault that logic.

I am more than happy to consider different perspectives.

However, a few honest questions if I may: at what point do we stop picking him based on what he did more than 4 years ago? I mean, sure he might have the skill set (but honestly, we haven’t seen it for so long, is it still there?), but I’d definitely argue whilst he’s played a lot of games, he shows absolutely no signs of being experienced whatsoever. By that, as an example, I mean that he consistently fails to close out games, even though he’s been the chief playmaker since 2016.

I would also like to know, and I’m not being argumentative, this is a legitimate question: what has he consistently offered in the last 4 years that we couldn’t potentially get from Croft if we gave him a proper chance at 6. Or Dearden. Or Paix. Or Gamble. Or any one of the other halves that haven’t had the last 4 years to establish themselves and show progression and development.

As for him being our marquee player. He hasn’t performed like one for so long, so I honestly couldn’t really give two hoots. His guaranteed position in the team is a bit like a chronic gambler trying to win back all the money they’ve lost. Are we just throwing good money after bad simply to try and get something for our investment? Are we persisting with him at the expense of not giving someone else a chance to develop and show us what they might have? If we are giving Milford the chance to show us he might still have it, why can’t we see if someone else might have it?

None of this takes into account the chance he starts playing great footy again. What then? We’ve given him a chance to perform, he performs and then our hand is almost forced to offer him a reasonable contract extension (surely not crazy money / duration again though?!?) or he goes somewhere else and we are right back here looking to find a replacement.

So, sincerely, what benefit does persevering with him provide to the club?

 

[rnabokov]

Looking at your arguments one by one, and taking into account that you have a different view of Milford than I do.

1. I disagree with your assertion Milford is being picked on the basis of what he did 4 or more years ago. My view is that in general, we have always looked a better side with him in the halves than without him. As well, his form can't be simply abstracted from the context, that being, most of the team has played seriously sub-standard footie over the last 2 years, and form in general has declined progressively since Hunt left and was never replaced by a decent half, as well as the fall out from the Bennett fiasco and the Seibold catastrophe which has clearly impacted Milford as well as every other player in the squad.

About his experience in the terms you put - that he can't close out a game on his own, to me says more about the team, the coaching and the club (and your view of Milford) than him. Is he supposed to win games on his own? I would suggest that if you had put any top 5/8 into our side over the last 2 years, there would be minimal if any difference to our results. A chief playmaker has to have team structures, shapes and more simply, support players in some coherent planned formations to have any real effect. We have had, IMO pretty much zero of that, over the last 4 years and our results show that.

So, let's just pass it to Fifita Milford

2. As for your 2nd point, who knows what Croft, Dearden or Gamble might have achieved if they had 4 years to establish themselves. But more to the point, establish themselves in what? The dog's breakfast of our side? Again, in the context of our recent team's history as I described above, I doubt any one player could make a BIG difference, including CS9. They'd be shags on rocks. Compared to Croft et al, they are relatively inexperienced kids, while Milford at least has the runs on the board.

I also once again suggest that we have looked a much better team with Milford in the halves than without him.

3. Whatever the positives or negatives of the club keeping Milford, the fact is we have kept him, and he is our marquee player. He either succeeds or fails BUT at least he has a better chance of success on the assumption Walters will improve this side in every single area we have sucked over the last 2 years which, simply, is every area of the game.

Bottom line is he is here, he has credentials, this is his last chance to show them, as I suspect might be the case for a few others as well

 

[lynx000]

Looking at your arguments one by one, and taking into account that you have a different view of Milford than I do.


About his experience in the terms you put - that he can't close out a game on his own, to me says more about the team, the coaching and the club (and your view of Milford) than him. Is he supposed to win games on his own? I would suggest that if you had put any top 5/8 into our side over the last 2 years, there would be minimal if any difference to our results. A chief playmaker has to have team structures, shapes and more simply, support players in some coherent planned formations o have any real effect. We have had, IMO pretty much zero of that, over the last 4 years and our results show that.

I have to vehemently disagree on this. You cannot tell me that Locky in his prime would have made zero difference to how this side performed in the last two years? Or Andrew Johns, or Wally Lewis, etc.

I am afraid Milford is not an organising half and never has been. He is also lazy and drifts in and out of games. Some games he never actually drifts in.