We need a halfback

[Professor47]

Ok bleeding obvious

I know we got the young guns in Deardon and Sull but are we in position to get a halfback at all?
I mean we could probably challenge the comp next year/2-3 years
Surely we have a good window before milf gets too old?

 

[Huge]

We don't need any more half backs. We have more than enough already.

 

[lynx000]

We don't need any more half backs. We have more than enough already.

I don't know old mate, I think someone like Maloney for a year with an option in our favour for another year might be just what we need. Just to give those young halves a bit of guidance. He brings with him issues in defence, but he is a competitor.

 

[broncos4life]

If we could afford Maloney he would be amazing for a year. However we still haven’t re-signed Fifita and he has to be retained so I doubt we would be able to afford Maloney.

 

[lynx000]

If we could afford Maloney he would be amazing for a year. However we still haven’t re-signed Fifita and he has to be retained so I doubt we would be able to afford Maloney.

If there is any truth to the rumour Bird wants out, that may be the answer re cap space.

 

[Huge]

I don't know old mate, I think someone like Maloney for a year with an option in our favour for another year might be just what we need. Just to give those young halves a bit of guidance. He brings with him issues in defence, but he is a competitor.

Nothing wrong with that observation. It's just that I think I answered the question about a 'need' rather than a want. It would indeed be good to get a Cronk type specialist at the end of their career but truthfully a halfback really learns by doing and not sitting in ISC. Alfie learned his trade in the lower grades and then on the job in firsts. I liked Dearden but SOS really added spark. I think we'll be okay.

 

[Waynesaurus]

We don't need to be shelling out coin for overpriced mercenaries who just come here for the money.

Lets keep building a culture, we want players who are here because they love the club, lets back our youth pathways and give those young players opportunities and passage ways to the first team if they work hard and perform.

This is our way forward.

 

[Culhwch]

I'm more than happy to roll with Dearden and SOS for 2020, with Milf providing a steadying hand from fullback. I don't think we need to import a dominant, game managing half, to be honest - at least not at the price one would cost. I think we can play off the back of a dominant pack, and if these two guys can execute Seibold's game plan and get time to develop and form a combination, I see a pretty rosy future.

 

[Locky’s Left Boot]

I don't know old mate, I think someone like Maloney for a year with an option in our favour for another year might be just what we need. Just to give those young halves a bit of guidance. He brings with him issues in defence, but he is a competitor.

I had been tossing this idea in my head during our rudderless opening month of the season but didn’t really delve into it thinking it would be an unpopular opinion and probably wouldn’t suit our club and thought that would be the end of it. Then he gets that NSW recall and also kills it at club land and all of a sudden I have been given it a train of thought again.

And it wasn’t until watching the Matty Johns show last night and he floated the idea that I realised the pundits have now thought about it and the more I think about it now, I think it’s a good idea for a couple of reasons.

Delving into the Panthers recruitment strategy, I think the plan with Maloney all along from what I have put together was to attract him to the club with a 3 years deal, get those 2 good years out of him and then offload him in the final year of his deal when he has outstayed his welcome and the team get sick of him, which at that stage they would have a ready made Jerome Luai more accustomed to first grade so that they still maintain a bit of experience in the halves whilst freeing up some cap to spend elsewhere in the team.

In essence this means that the Panthers have been openly willing to chip in to offload him. Matty Johns described it best last night “The Broncos are like a V12 engine but with no steering wheel” Whilst I am comfortable enough to give SOS and Dearden a crack together moving forward, we have to remember Dearden is only 18 and between him and SOS have barely played a dozen NRL games in total.

We have a forward pack right now that has the potential to win a comp I have no doubt about that in my mind. It’s all about consistency with them and with more experience that will come. Payne Haas is only 20 and he has already found that level of consistancy already!

This is where having a big game experienced top level half who can take control of a team on his own would be absolutely critical in us taking the next step. If we had Maloney in this team since Round 1, you could make a pretty reasonable argument that we would have won another 3 games and been equal on 22 points with the top 4. We would have beaten Dragons, Tigers and Warriors with him in the side. We just have no one like that to close out those type of games.

My thinking is, try to get Panthers to chip in half of his wage, bring him in for 12 months before he goes to England whilst he is still in his prime, play him alongside whichever half is showing the most at the time, and keep developing the other for another year and then we would be in a good position moving forward. His experience would be invaluable for guys like SOS and Dearden and would at least provide us with a more reasonable expectation of giving the comp a shake in 2020. Would be $400,000-$500,000 well spent if we can get him for that.

Like others have said, you could probably offload Bird to get Maloney but then we would have some pretty skinny decent depth at Centre. But then again we can’t keep Bird on the field anyway as it is so what is there to lose? Maloney and SOS in the halves fills me with a shit load more confidence and I reckon our backline would finally be able to take advantage of the platform our forwards can provide. Milford continues at 1 with a full pre season training there could be great for us in 2020. Maybe get Darbs to play centre. I have been very critical of him but I could live with him at centre if he can defend out there like he has done at 6. Plus he has a good draw and pass which would help our wingers.

1. Milford
2. Oates
3. Boyd
4. Staggs
5. Isaako/Farnworth/Coates
6. Maloney (Offload Bird)
7. SOS
8. Lodge
9. Turpin
10. Haas
11. Gillett
12. Glenn
13. TPJ

14. Segeyaro
15. Ofahengaue
16. Flegler/Carrigan
17. Fifita

18. McCullough

This side would make me optimistic we could at least challenge next season.

 

[Nashy]

Boyd over Bird is heartbreaking.

 

[Locky’s Left Boot]

Further to my last post, not in the same ilk as Maloney and I’m not all for this but you could also have a look at Josh Reynolds as a short term fix if you could get the Tigers to pitch in over half his wage.

In a perfect world though you would offload Boyd to to get Maloney and keep Bird

And you would offload McCullough to upgrade Turpin and Segeyaro

 

[ostin86]

Call me crazy but I think we have a good enough team to make a play for the title this year. We have so many weapons it's not funny. We are a danger to any team in the comp when we are defending well. We will only get better once out playmakers start becoming available again.

 

[Old Mate]

If there is any truth to the rumour Bird wants out, that may be the answer re cap space.

I’d hope that space is used on Fifita, Turpin and Seggy.

 

[Battler]

I had been tossing this idea in my head during our rudderless opening month of the season but didn’t really delve into it thinking it would be an unpopular opinion and probably wouldn’t suit our club and thought that would be the end of it. Then he gets that NSW recall and also kills it at club land and all of a sudden I have been given it a train of thought again.

And it wasn’t until watching the Matty Johns show last night and he floated the idea that I realised the pundits have now thought about it and the more I think about it now, I think it’s a good idea for a couple of reasons.

Delving into the Panthers recruitment strategy, I think the plan with Maloney all along from what I have put together was to attract him to the club with a 3 years deal, get those 2 good years out of him and then offload him in the final year of his deal when he has outstayed his welcome and the team get sick of him, which at that stage they would have a ready made Jerome Luai more accustomed to first grade so that they still maintain a bit of experience in the halves whilst freeing up some cap to spend elsewhere in the team.

In essence this means that the Panthers have been openly willing to chip in to offload him. Matty Johns described it best last night “The Broncos are like a V12 engine but with no steering wheel” Whilst I am comfortable enough to give SOS and Dearden a crack together moving forward, we have to remember Dearden is only 18 and between him and SOS have barely played a dozen NRL games in total.

We have a forward pack right now that has the potential to win a comp I have no doubt about that in my mind. It’s all about consistency with them and with more experience that will come. Payne Haas is only 20 and he has already found that level of consistancy already!

This is where having a big game experienced top level half who can take control of a team on his own would be absolutely critical in us taking the next step. If we had Maloney in this team since Round 1, you could make a pretty reasonable argument that we would have won another 3 games and been equal on 22 points with the top 4. We would have beaten Dragons, Tigers and Warriors with him in the side. We just have no one like that to close out those type of games.

My thinking is, try to get Panthers to chip in half of his wage, bring him in for 12 months before he goes to England whilst he is still in his prime, play him alongside whichever half is showing the most at the time, and keep developing the other for another year and then we would be in a good position moving forward. His experience would be invaluable for guys like SOS and Dearden and would at least provide us with a more reasonable expectation of giving the comp a shake in 2020. Would be $400,000-$500,000 well spent if we can get him for that.

Like others have said, you could probably offload Bird to get Maloney but then we would have some pretty skinny decent depth at Centre. But then again we can’t keep Bird on the field anyway as it is so what is there to lose? Maloney and SOS in the halves fills me with a shit load more confidence and I reckon our backline would finally be able to take advantage of the platform our forwards can provide. Milford continues at 1 with a full pre season training there could be great for us in 2020. Maybe get Darbs to play centre. I have been very critical of him but I could live with him at centre if he can defend out there like he has done at 6. Plus he has a good draw and pass which would help our wingers.

1. Milford
2. Oates
3. Boyd
4. Staggs
5. Isaako/Farnworth/Coates
6. Maloney (Offload Bird)
7. SOS
8. Lodge
9. Turpin
10. Haas
11. Gillett
12. Glenn
13. TPJ

14. Segeyaro
15. Ofahengaue
16. Flegler/Carrigan
17. Fifita

18. McCullough

This side would make me optimistic we could at least challenge next season.

With Maloney's experience we could also afford to play TPJ on an edge and either bench or drop/ flick Glenn. Glenn has been great this year for as a cool head, but there's no way he's in TPJ's league on an edge. That would also allow us to start either Carrigan (who has been getting better and better of late) or Fifita (freak who will demand a starting spot soon enough).

 

[Kimlo]

I would absolutely sign Maloney for 12 months. I couldn't give a shit about his so called weak defence.

He's a winner. That's what this team needs, an out and out winner and halves leader. He would be a fantastic buy and would go a long way to giving our team the confidence in the big games.

 

[Dazza 92]

um....didn't we like already have a experienced half with us a year or 2 ago with Benji? If the club were thinking along the same lines id imagine he'd still be here...?

Anyways; its unfortunate that the injuries we've experienced have really held back SoS and Deadens development. With so many players being moved on this year just to fit under the cap i am under the impression the club have already allocated most if not all of it towards our cap next season. I mean we haven't yet signed our current starting 13 and you want to know go out and add another one.>?

Lets keep the faith with the halves we have. And next lets sign everyone else who is coming off contract in that starting 13 (Fifita & Turps particularly..)

 

[NSW stables]

I get why people want to get another half in but given potential cap constraints, i would just like our halves to work with a halves specialist coach, preferrably one that has experience with current defensive structures.

You can see how much our halves benefited from working kevvie regularly in 2015. And keary's development since working with cronk and johns.

Then also work with kicking specialists like milf has.

 

[Kimlo]

Benji is not comparable to Maloney. Benji has always been more of a classic 5/8 that needs an organiser around him rather than being the main guy in the middle. Maloney has always excelled by being the star of the show, taking all the pressure and still coming up clutch.

There's a reason he's a winner and every single club he's been at has improved with him.