OPINION who would you pick as the next Broncos number 7?

[McHunt]

Madden has a much better passing game than Croft .
Croft should play #6 as he has good running speed but is not as good at giving his runners opportunities . That highlight reel Santa posted showed Jock giving his supports an advantage that leads to tries . Croft is not that type of player .

Dearden is a #6 ie a runner .
Passing around the ruck and kicking are not his strengths . 2nd receiver with a show and go then run is his best play . He split the line several times last season doing just that .

For me, 7 is about more than passing and kicking. I want those basics from my 9.

7 is about being crafty.

 

[Santa]

For me, 7 is about more than passing and kicking. I want those basics from my 9.

7 is about being crafty.

I thought 7 these days s more about guiding the team around the park (kicking to corners, directing forwards/direction, etc.), while the 6 is the crafty one?

I guess it doesn't matter too much who is doing it, as long as someone is.

 

[Big Del]

For me, 7 is about more than passing and kicking. I want those basics from my 9.

7 is about being crafty.

A 7 needs speed of the mark and a step to keep the defence honest .
A dummy and step threatening the line keeps the defence holding and not being able to slide off and out to the runners . A #7 who catches and passes all game doesn`t give the outside men as much time and space as he is no threat himself .
I think Jock was under orders to run early and make the defence worry about him 1st . That creates the space a pass or two wider .
The #7 hardly touches the ball in the defensive half of the field . Then kicks on 5 . It`s not till they hit the attacking 40 they really start to play footy .

 

[McHunt]

I thought 7 these days s more about guiding the team around the park (kicking to corners, directing forwards/direction, etc.), while the 6 is the crafty one?

I guess it doesn't matter too much who is doing it, as long as someone is.

A 7 needs speed of the mark and a step to keep the defence honest .
A dummy and step threatening the line keeps the defence holding and not being able to slide off and out to the runners . A #7 who catches and passes all game doesn`t give the outside men as much time and space as he is no threat himself .
I think Jock was under orders to run early and make the defence worry about him 1st . That creates the space a pass or two wider .
The #7 hardly touches the ball in the defensive half of the field . Then kicks on 5 . It`s not till they hit the attacking 40 they really start to play footy .

Your 7 needs to be the brains of the team.

 

[BroncsFan]

Your 7 needs to be the brains of the team.

Usually it's the 7 doing that role, because that's how they're built... but in reality it just needs to be someone.

The fullback is the brains for defence nowadays because they can see the field... storm had CS9 as the brains, but they effectively worked as an entire team to be the brains. Billy and Cooper were obviously there helping, but even the big props were spotting up fullbacks on the goalline and aware and screaming for the ball when a crash play was on.

Storm forwards are aware of the ruck and need for quick ptbs to generate momentum... and on the opposite side the ball they're aware of needing to slow the ptb down. They're aware of when to give away a penalty to slow down the ruck.

Storm as a team are very good at winning captain's challenges, because there's brains across the entire team... and they all seem to know the intricacies and rules of the game almost better than the refs, to know when a rule has been broken to win a challenge.

When the whole team is football smart you can share the load across the squad... they don't need the 7 to tell them where to run... they just automatically get into shape. That gives the real brains time to survey the defensive line and find the weaknesses... or spot a quick ptb and setup off the back of it.

 

[Big Del]

^^^^

Um Hmmm .

 

[McHunt]

Usually it's the 7 doing that role, because that's how they're built... but in reality it just needs to be someone.

The fullback is the brains for defence nowadays because they can see the field... storm had CS9 as the brains, but they effectively worked as an entire team to be the brains. Billy and Cooper were obviously there helping, but even the big props were spotting up fullbacks on the goalline and aware and screaming for the ball when a crash play was on.

Storm forwards are aware of the ruck and need for quick ptbs to generate momentum... and on the opposite side the ball they're aware of needing to slow the ptb down. They're aware of when to give away a penalty to slow down the ruck.

Storm as a team are very good at winning captain's challenges, because there's brains across the entire team... and they all seem to know the intricacies and rules of the game almost better than the refs, to know when a rule has been broken to win a challenge.

When the whole team is football smart you can share the load across the squad... they don't need the 7 to tell them where to run... they just automatically get into shape. That gives the real brains time to survey the defensive line and find the weaknesses... or spot a quick ptb and setup off the back of it.

Is it too much to ask for us to unearth the next Alfie?

 

[winslow_wong]

Is it too much to ask for us to unearth the next Alfie?

That was Brett Seymour

 

[Big Del]

Is it too much to ask for us to unearth the next Alfie?

I saw his son play years ago .
Playing in under 14s or 15s on the Sunshine Coast .
He was a handy little player but had chip on his shoulder and played with a lot of niggle .
I guess opposition players had sledged him as a real young kid . Never heard of him again after that one day in Maroochydore .

 

[Mr Fourex]

Is it too much to ask for us to unearth the next Alfie?

Its not...and we're way past overdue. That in itself gives me hope......

it will happen.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Whoever it turns out to be......he doesn't exist within the club right now.

I haven't seen enough of young lam

to make a worthwhile comment.

I'm seen glimpses of Walker that look encouraging, but.......

Dunno.

Anthony Milford still has a season or two in him after ARey pulls up stumps. There's reports coming in already from the Dolphins that he's shown up in the best per-season condition he has for a long time. I reckon WB will ignite the confidence and passion he has been missing....... in 2024.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Anthony Milford still has a season or two in him after ARey pulls up stumps. There's reports coming in already from the Dolphins that he's shown up in the best per-season condition he has for a long time. I reckon WB will ignite the confidence and passion he has been missing....... in 2024.

 

[lynx000]

Whoever it turns out to be......he doesn't exist within the club right now.

I haven't seen enough of young lam

to make a worthwhile comment.

I'm seen glimpses of Walker that look encouraging, but.......

Dunno.

Anthony Milford still has a season or two in him after ARey pulls up stumps. There's reports coming in already from the Dolphins that he's shown up in the best per-season condition he has for a long time. I reckon WB will ignite the confidence and passion he has been missing....... in 2024.

I disagree. We already have our future half, he is just 4-5 years away. We just have to keep him, and keep him from serious injury. Coby Black.

 

[Bull Shark]

I disagree. We already have our future half, he is just 4-5 years away. We just have to keep him, and keep him from serious injury. Coby Black.

 

[YeahNahMate]

For me the main thing I look for from a 7 is their kicking game combined footy IQ/game awareness (knowing when to do what). It's critical for a 7 to take advantage of the gains made by our middles and to make the best 5th tackle option 9 times out of 10, otherwise the forwards are just busting their ass for nothing.

Yes Cleary has shown he is the full package, but I think where he stands above the rest is his elite kicking game. He always has his opposition on the back foot, starting them off in a bad position at the start of nearly every set. I also think how great his kicking game has become, has actually opened up his running game alot more because the opposition underestimate his running ability thinking he will kick or pass.

That's also what made Smith elite compared to most nines imo, he knew when to kick early and the Melbourne forwards would just smash the back 3.

Someone with a great kicking game, combined with overall good footy IQ/game awareness can single handedly change results.

With that being said It looks like the plan from the club is that Reynolds will finish off at the end of 2025, Madden in 2026 will have already been around the squad for several years so hopefully the transition will be as smooth as it can be moving on from a player like Reynolds.(and hopefully Madden has improved overall as a halfback by then). Also In 2026 Coby Black will still be early 20's so we'll still have time to assess how he's progressing. Obviously a very long time away aha, but I hope to see him and Madden genuinely keeping each other honest week in week out by that time competing for that 7 jersey.

I think this Madden/Black succession plan is also what's best for our salary cap going forward.

 

[Mick_Hancock]

Besides Cleary, all the good halfbacks lately seem to hit their peak in their late 20's, that's why I still have hope for Madden. If he has the drive, with Reynolds coaching him and our other guns around him he could be a decent/great 7.

I thought he played his role well in this game.

I keep thinking about Cronk. Not sure in his junior years, but from memory, wasn’t he a manufactured halfback?

 

[Mick_Hancock]

As for Madden, Lam and Co being mediocre?
Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you former Logan Scorpions great, Shane Perry!
The same Shane Perry that is a Premiership winning halfback.

Before you say it, he had The Immortal Darren Lockyer in his team, fair.

However, if we’re to assume the core of Patty, Ez and Walshy continue on the up and Mozer is as good as we all think he can be…. Do we need anyone other than a Platinum Perry equivalent?

 

[1910]

As for Madden, Lam and Co being mediocre?
Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you former Logan Scorpions great, Shane Perry!
The same Shane Perry that is a Premiership winning halfback.

Before you say it, he had The Immortal Darren Lockyer in his team, fair.

However, if we’re to assume the core of Patty, Ez and Walshy continue on the up and Mozer is as good as we all think he can be…. Do we need anyone other than a Platinum Perry equivalent?

Perry played 20 games in 2006 and only another 23 in the two years after that season. if you're after 20 games pick Rogers. The Broncos are after a 300-game half back. Perry really isn't an example of what they want.