The Brisbane Broncos are coming under increasing scrutiny after their 1-3 start to the 2013 season.
With what appears to be an extremely tough few rounds ahead of them, one has to wonder how long Anthony Griffin will stick with his under-performing halves combination of Scott Prince and Peter Wallace.
Think what you will of Wallace, but let’s be honest. He had the privilege of playing with and learning from one of the greatest five-eighths the game has ever seen, yet has failed to step up and dominate as Broncos halves always have.
Despite working with experienced half and returning Bronco Scott Prince, Wallace has failed to fire.
The time has come for the 27-year-old to move back to the Queensland Cup and make way for a young half to take the reins.
Prince’s record speaks for itself and he should be given time to settle back in to the club. A plethora of experience can surely be gained from having Princey at Red Hill.
Aidan Sezer is a prime example of what playing with a footballer of Prince’s calibre can do for a young player’s confidence.
The young Gold Coast Titans five-eighth has stepped up his game in the early rounds of the 2013 season after playing only one season as Prince’s sidekick.
Subsequently, not only has good form reignited at the Titans, so too has the ‘big brother v little brother’ debate.
Enter a young half, and the Brisbane Broncos.
In what can only be described as an opportunity missed, the Broncos have lost Corey Norman to the Parramatta Eels for the 2014 season and, with him, the chance to capitalise on Prince’s proven leadership and Norman’s obvious potential as a five-eight.
That’s the beauty of hindsight.
With all signs indicating the 2014 season will be Prince’s last, there is no better way to use the short time Prince will be around the club than to milk every ounce of knowledge out of him, every bit of experience, every skill and piece of determination that allowed him to lead the Wests Tigers to premiership glory in 2005.
The final step: inject this into a rising star of the game. It should have been Norman. Now, however, is time to look to the future of the rugby league powerhouse.
After being named the inaugural Toyota Cup Player of the Year in 2008, Ben Hunt has never been allowed a genuine opportunity to cement his spot at half back.
Sure, he has played a few games here and there, but hasn’t been given a long term shot at the position he grew up playing.
The Broncos have always prided themselves on the first class players they developed staying for less money than could be earned by moving south, just to remain a Bronco.
Years and dollars have been invested into the development of Norman and Hunt and, with the Knights looming over Hunt, it will be a devastating blow to the Broncos brand of loyalty to lose two young guns, and potential legends of the game, both in the same year.
While many could argue Hunt is not up to the task, it is time to accept the reality that limited options are presenting themselves and the Broncos are in desperate need of retaining one of their young halves.
What better way of doing this than giving the 23-year-old the halfback position and some time to make it his own?
If Wayne Bennett sees the potential in Hunt, you can bet your bottom dollar that he has the ability to develop into one of the stars of the game.
Who will fill Hunt’s number 14 role on the bench? That’s a debate for another day.
Tim
Guest
That would almost amount to discrimination. And aren't player contracts with NRL at the end of the day? Surely this and deal with players union would ensure a player can't be dropped based on future contract.
Tim
Guest
Again highlights a lack of depth in rugby league in this country at the moment if you can't find 16 halfbacks that can control a game
Noel
Guest
If you are looking for a solution for the Wallace/Prince saga it is simple , allow Prince to play halfback , because that is his best position . Broncos have allowed Cory Norman to slip out of their grip , when they have spent time with him as five-eighth , he is young and big and with Lockyer still around the Broncos to help him , he could have been a successful five-eighth and Prince could be playing in the position to which he is most adept halfback .
oikee
Guest
Oh God, the Panthers, put it this way, if the Broncos made a play for him they would get him. A no Brainer. The Broncos have got to wake up, they are the Manchester United of Australia, they need to act like the Man u, not the coventry. Like i said, go offer 2 Burgess boys 1.5 million a year, watch them run to the Broncos. Mate , if i was running the Broncos, we would be the greatest club in Australia, if not the world. BB, Brizzie Broncos. The Marketing would be worldclass, the city would be worldclass, the team would be worldclass. Relaxation would be performed on the worlds greatest Eco Island, Moreton, 10 minutes down the road from Broncos central. We have a couple of hum dingers running this powerhouse club. What we need is some beautiful minds.
Mark Tickner
Roar Rookie
You have made a number of statements irrelevant to both the article and the comments, which I'm not going to get into. I'm interested as to what you disagree about with the article. The article in no way suggests the Broncos are being held to ransom by players. It, in fact, suggests that they should give a player they developed (Ben Hunt) a run before he is lured away by the almighty dollar or a greater opportunity. I think you need to see the sporting world for the way it is today. We aren't in the good old days where loyalty rules any longer. The reality is that players will be lured away unless they are offered an incentive to stay, be that financial, or a better playing opportunity. The incentive for Hunt, as mentioned in the article, is to give him a run at half back, not a pay rise.
Nostradamus
Guest
Close game to the Tiatans coz Hayne is reffing
David
Guest
Spot on. Drop Norman to Q cup. Hoffman to fullback. Hunt in 7 and Wallace to bench as back up hooker. Kahu to the wing until Yow Yeh's ready to come back.
Roarsome
Guest
Me too. Wallace and Norman to QLD cup. Prince and Hunt in the halves.
Roarsome
Guest
Why do we continue to develop Corey Norman when he's signed elsewhere? The Bronco's have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in opportunities, coaching and development on Norman with little return and nothing beyond this year. He should be playing QLD Cup for this season and the Broncos can give the opportunities to someone on contract beyond this season. Why make Norman a better player so he can beat us next year?
David
Guest
I'm jumping on the "give Hunt a crack at 7" band wagon.
eagleJack
Guest
Oikee did you see that the Panthers went after Sam Tomkins and he rejected their offer immediately? He's thinking of switching to Union.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Give Hunt a crack at 7, Prince to mentor him. I actually think Wallace is a handy player but they can't lose another young star.
dubblebubble
Guest
Why are the Knights are chasing Hunt? Roberts did pretty well last season and has played well so far this season as Gidleys back up. Or is he being looked at as a utility?
David
Guest
Remove the coach. One D. Lockyer made him look good in his first year. He's just not up to it. Why did he let Ben Theo? Whom did he plan to repace him with? That joker called Gillett? And why is he playing a half back from the bench, a five eight at full back and wasting a real good fullback on the wings? To see Broncos struggle like this hurts all of their fans incuding those of us in PNG. It's time for Hook to step up or ship out.
ken oldman
Guest
Assume that this is the same Oikee. that suggested that the Sharks could possibly merge with the Redcliffe Dolphins and play in the NRL..and also wants a second Brisbane team in addition to the above to be part of the proposed expansion...to create a local derby. Where do you believe the quality players to come from....seemly the Bronco,s are short of them now. To Oikee and all those other dreamers with similar views ....there just is not enough quality players in Brisbane and environs to make up a second Brisbane team which would be competitive Believe it for the Golden Era is over Yes I am a Queenslander and support Redcliffe and follow the Intrust Super Cup and believe me apart from a few of our players and a handful from other clubs....there is not much to excite talent scouts.
oikee
Guest
At least the Cowboys have their heads screwed on right. They are hanging onto their star players no matter how much it hurts. Good on them. What the Broncos have to do is wait until a superstar comes up, or even better is go and have alook around France and England. The first player to sign is Tomkins, and his younger Brother, bring them out on a package deal. Like Crowe did with the Burgess boys. Then look for the biggest most angry huge humans god has ever put life into and sign them up as our Front rowers. If that is Bailey from Leeds, then sign him, if that is the Rock from America, good, then sign him. But sign someone who T-Rex and Kasiano,Tamou and the Storm prop Bromiitch wont run over the top every hitup. We had the most feared forward pack in the comp once, Thorn Webke Petro and Tallis, now we have a second rower busting his guts at Prop and poor Ben Hannett. This coach will kill these 2 players. Fhaiday and Hannett, he will burn them out, Hannnett is gone now.
doubledutch
Roar Pro
I disagree entirely with both the article and what has been said thus far. The Bronchos have been one of the most successful and more importantly one of the most consistent teams in not only the NRL but all sporting landscapes throughout the world. You can take any snap shot in time when things are bad and come to any negative conclusion you like, but great clubs do not make knee jerk reaction decisions to current events until they become a trend. This is how you build powerful football clubs and you only have to look around the world and within our own country to see this. This is not to say great clubs do not reform club policy to go with the times, but weak clubs react very differently and never maintain good consistence discipline and structure with in the football club. The Bronchos just like Manchester United and closer to home Collingwood have always made it policy to never pay over the odds for ANY one, despite who they are. They have always considered junior development the corner stone of sustained success. When you make this policy you can never be held to ransom by mercenary warriors who come and go (Sonny Bill comes to mind). If someone does not want to play for the Bronchos then so be it, out the door. If a suitable replacement is not found at the time then a junior is asked to step up to the plate. Of course recruiting staff will always look for talent outside the system, this is a given in a modern football landscape, but this is always going to happen to EVERY club. The difference is players WANT to play at the Bronchos. Juniors WANT to play at the Bronchos. Great players WANT to play at the Bronchos because they have such great history and tradition of treating their players the right way. You can not under estimate the Lochyer factor. I defy anyone to come up with a player who has had a more illustrious career than this man. He has won everything that is possible at club level, along with captaining his state and country to victory in everything also. This man is irreplaceable in quite possibly the most important position in the game. He WILL become an immortal in 10-20 years time and if he was a NSW man he would probably be considered the best of all time. Hunt and Folou, the two best players in their respective positions at the time of defection were both pillaged from the same club. Both players had achieved everything in the same at such a young age, can you just imagine what type of records these guys could have broken had they stayed in the game. These two players a match winners, and ONE club suffered the loss of both in a matter of two years. My goodness, people wake up and look at what you are saying. This club is what other clubs in the NRL should be striving to become and I'm not even a NRL fan. The Brochos will be fine. They may not win the premiership, hell they may even with the wooden spoon this year, but one thing is for certain... They will challenge for the premiership again in the next 5 years. They always have and they always will.
Mark Tickner
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately, I have the same fear.
Mark Tickner
Roar Rookie
I absolutely agree that they need to spend some money and look outside of their own development. I was extremely disappointed they didn't make a genuine play for one of the top three Qld halves who were to be off contract at some point over the next two years. All have now renewed their contract. It may be a bit of a head in the sand approach, but I am big on the Broncos having good Qld players at the club. That is not to say having some of the English players you have mentioned wouldnt have its reward. At the moment, there doesn't appear to be too many options for them. They really missed the boat for a big signing for the start of the season and need to work with what they've got. With that said, if the opportunity to sign a gun playmaker presents itself, they would be silly not to consider it. They do, however, need a playmaker. They already have a game breaker in Hodges, so I was relieved when the Dugan deal fell through. Perhaps there is a Qld gun half out there who has gone unnoticed???
Robz
Guest
"While many could argue Hunt is not up to the task" I have never been able to fathom how people can have this opinion. As you correctly pointed out, he's never been give the opportunity to show how good a half he is at the Broncos in the NRL arena. Even in his limited opportunities from the bench, the team looks crisper in attack and much more likely to score, when Hunt is on the field. Wallace, again as you point out, has been given more than ample opportunity at the Broncos and has not shown any reason for the club to persist with him the role - and yet for some reason we still do. I really fear my club is in for a number of very long seasons ahead.