Wayne Bennett’s resurrection of the Brisbane Broncos appears to already be over before it’s even started.
In a major blow to the glamour club’s hopes of landing a seventh premiership, star recruit Darius Boyd snapped his Achilles during pre-season training early on Friday morning, and faces between six to nine months on the sidelines.
The best case scenario would see him miss at least the first half of the season, and possibly only the opening game of the State of Origin series. The worst case scenario would be missing the entire season.
Boyd had returned to the club after three-year stints at each of the St George Illawarra Dragons and Newcastle Knights, winning a second premiership medallion and the Clive Churchill Medal at the former club in 2010.
His return to the side with which he made his NRL debut, and was part of the club’s most recent premiership in 2006, was met with much fanfare by Broncos fans who are currently enduring their longest ever premiership drought.
The club also signed Anthony Milford and Adam Blair from the Canberra Raiders and Wests Tigers, respectively, among others, as it seeks to rebuild under Bennett after a couple of unsuccessful years under Ivan Henjak and Anthony Griffin.
Ben Barba, who only lasted one season at the Broncos before subsequently returning to Sydney and signing with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, was rendered surplus to Bennett’s requirements, while Josh Hoffman, David Hala and Martin Kennedy have also packed their bags and left Red Hill.
The super coach made it clear once he returned to the Broncos in September that he wanted to build his new-look team around a skeleton similar to how the Melbourne Storm (think Slater-Cronk-Smith) operates.
That consisted of Darius Boyd playing at his preferred position of fullback, as he did at the Dragons and Knights, and partnering fellow new recruit Anthony Milford at five-eighth alongside Ben Hunt at halfback.
But Boyd’s long-term injury has all but put paid to those hopes, and now Wayne Bennett will have to find a new fullback to fill in for at least the first half of the season, while Boyd undergoes his rehabilitation.
Not only will it be a huge blow to the Broncos, but it will also cause a bigger blow to Queensland’s hopes of regaining the State of Origin shield, having had their eight-year stranglehold on the series broken by New South Wales this year.
It’s not the first time the Broncos have been struck by the worst of injuries – in the 2010 pre-season, Justin Hodges ruptured his right Achilles which subsequently sidelined him for the year, while in 2013 he ruptured his left Achilles in a match against the Dragons and again his year ended prematurely.
Both injuries proved fatal for the Broncos on those occasions – in 2010, the club missed the finals for the first time in almost two decades while last year they suffered their worst ever season in their illustrious history, finishing 12th.
It shows how important Hodges is to the team, although the Maroons weren’t affected by his absence as they clean-swept the Blues for the fifth of their eight consecutive Origin series victories that year.
Now, the Broncos will probably have to rely on him to fill in at fullback for most of next season, or even rest their hopes on either Lachlan Maranta or Jordan Kahu, both of whom have played over 50 games between them.
Hodges is more than capable of playing fullback – late in the 2006 season when the club endured its post-Origin form slump, he was shifted into this position leaving Karmichael Hunt, returning from injury, to play on the wing.
The formula worked, and the club broke out of its form slump and went on to win the premiership at the expense of the Melbourne Storm with Hodges scoring a vital first-half try in the grand final.
Maranta and Kahu both made their debuts in 2012 and last year, respectively, and both have scored 19 tries between them in their careers. Both players regularly play on the wing but will each get a chance to shine at fullback.
While those are the options, the big question now is who will slot into the fullback position while Darius Boyd undergoes his recovery and rehabilitation? The bigger question is whether he can make it back on the field at all in 2015.
As stated before, the best case scenario is that he may only miss six months, which means he could be back on the field as early as Round 14. However, it’s unlikely the Broncos will rush him back into the starting side then, unless injuries strike the club’s other options.
All that Broncos fans can hope for now is a positive prognosis, after his Achilles injury has crushed their dreams that the side can return to the premiership dais after almost a decade.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
His salary still counts. They were out of pocket paying YowYeh for the two and a half years he was out. Only way they can get around it would be for Boyd to retire or for Brisbane to buy out his contract. The latter I think can't be done to an injured player unless he agrees to it.
Albo
Guest
Looks like a team with definite bottom 8 prospects !
nerval
Guest
I've seen Eden play a bit, Scott. He's an exciting footballer alright, quick, agile, skilful, sharp attacking instincts... but, alas, he's also an accident waiting to happen. He has a habit of making some of the most extraordinary and inexplicable mistakes anyone has made this side of Paul Carige. The Nathan Brown quote comparing Eden to Slater appears to have done the man no favours. I'd be very interested to see if Wayne Bennett can make a disciplined and consistent footballer out of him. If he can, then Broncos fans could be in for a bit of excitement in the coming season.
The eye
Guest
It was a slaughter Scott,he can thank his lucky stars...a google of Greg Eden makes interesting reading..5 different clubs in 5 years,one club took him on loan..dropped for disciplinary reasons and threatened with termination in July,soon after picked up by Broncos..fan messages into him for his poor defence...here's a challenge for Benny the super coach..
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Eye, Dont recall Milford playing
Wayne
Guest
I really don't see this as too big of an issue to be honest, it is a loss but the broncos main problem last year was a reliance on ben hunt. As awesome as he was, being solely reliant on him drained his capability to be creative especially on the last tackle, with milford at 5/8 they will remove some of that pressure and create spark. We should see an improved broncos for the first half of the season and a polished broncos for the back half with a superb finisher like boyd back in the fold
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
Maybe, but I think he could retire before then. The guy is a walking war wound. He's an exceptional talent, but honestly I cringe (probably with him) every time someone goes near him. I dont want him to do another injury. ive been saying since this happened the more I think about it (and remember I innitially thought about it, the first one...) Hodges should go no where near full back this season. even though at the stage last season he showed up again from his little holiday in hospital, he indeed kicked the team up a gear when he donned the gernsey and went up there gazalee and showed them his might. wrong sport. remember, im an expert. why hodges when you've got the next 10 years to worry about and 25 full backs planning various assortments of leg injuries on their fellows.... remember what Hodges said....He said "I shouldn't play fullback because its just too much (read: cant keep getting others to taste test my food before I eat it), and maybe I should play out on the wing and give another a crack (read: in case he tries to jump me after training)." This is a highly competive squad, and very good one. You know that feeling you got at the start of last year -- before a ball had been kicked, before the trials, and around the time of the nines, maybe before that even? It was a time of high hopes for the broncos, and they looked like guns. Then NZ happened..... That time is here again, and this time I think the boys are capable of top 4...and I am not just saying that. This is a squad on the cusp of being really on fire. - Von Prophet.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Maybe a 2016 trade for Hodges. Butthey won't be able to match the Sydney offers, so they would have to play the family card...
Jay C
Roar Guru
Maybe the Roosters/Souths.
Johnny1
Guest
Nah , Jay C you could be spot on the money,that would be par for the course ,expect something that no other club would get away with.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Look out for Eden to have a blinder in the away match in Canberra.
Jay C
Roar Guru
He should in 5 months, plus by March the worst is over. They should come do a week in Cairns in January
Jay C
Roar Guru
Maybe Folau will sign next week. Now that would be cause for salary cap scandal
Jay C
Roar Guru
For all of your posturing it actually meant very little to most Broncos fans I would think. Glass houses. stones. Drug scandals.
The eye
Guest
Doesn't look much different to the side the Sharkies B side thumped mid season..
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
This is a good side: 1. Greg Eden, Darius Boyd (6 months), Kodi Nikorima, Jordan Kahu 2. Lachlan Maranta 3. Dale Copley, Jack Reed 4. Justin Hodges 5. Daniel Vidot 6. Anthony Milford, Ashley Taylor 7. Ben Hunt 8. Adam Blair 9. Andrew McCullough, Matt Parcell 10. Josh McGuire 11. Sam Thaiday 12. Matt Gillett 13. Corey Parker 14. Alex Glenn 15. Corey Oates, David Stagg, Ajuma Adams 16. Joe Ofahengaue , Todd Lowrie, , Mitch Dodds, Brendon Gibb 17. James Gavet, Mitch Garbutt, Jarrod Wallace
Mike from Tari
Guest
Broncos, who cares.
Noel
Roar Rookie
NIkorima is the man. The issue the Broncs had in attack last season was Hoffman. You can't fault the man for heart and ripping in, but he was hopeless at reading the game and sniffing out opportunities. The Walker Brothers at the Ipswich Jets have instilled a genuine ball playing game plan. They really are a good squad to watch. Nikorima, as part of this squad, is a natural at playing what's in front of him, rather than 1, 2, 3, 4 hit ups, spread it on 5, kick on 6 which is pretty much the play book of the modern team. Having said that, I've not seen Eden. Either way, Hodges is not the answer. Kahu doesn't have the speed, and Maranta seems to me to be another fellow well suited to the wing - huge effort and heart, but not a ball player in the way the modern game demands.
Andrew
Guest
I live in Queensland, but I despise the Broncos & I'm not too fond of the Titans. Cowboys I like! I bleed blue & yellow (eels)
dayer
Guest
**news flash** Broncos wins 2015 NRL Title