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After 20 rounds of the NRL competition, it’s clear that there’s only one man this season worthy of accepting the Dally M – and it isn’t Johnathan Thurston.
Thurston has all the individual stats to back up his case. Among the intangibles that he brings to his side he also leads the league in try assists and line break assists, and is in the top five point scorers so far this season.
Thurston has dominated most matches this season with his own brand of champagne footy and he constantly looks like he’s got the ball on a string. He’s taken his game to another level and has genuine claims to be called the greatest of all time.
However, as incredible as Thurston has been, his efforts still pale in comparison to the on-field work of a man who has already been there and done that, a man whose mere presence on the football field has turned his team from a directionless, borderline top-8 club into a legitimate premiership contender.
Ladies and gents, I give you the man who should win the 2015 Dally M medal: Allan Jeffrey Langer.
In 2012, the Broncos finished eighth and put in a meek performance against the Thurston-led Cowboys to be bundled out of the finals in the first round. With Anthony Griffin at the helm and the writing on the wall that the club was headed in another direction, Allan Langer put his hand up and resigned from his coaching role at the club to become informal mayor of Caloundra and purveyor of fine steak and seafood.
Fast forward a couple of years and some things have stayed the same. Caloundra is still sunny, the seafood is still fresh.
But some things are a little different.
At the end of the 2014 season, when it was confirmed that the great Wayne Bennett would be returning to coach the Broncos, it was also announced that Alfie was coming with him, welcomed back into the fold as the Great One’s assistant coach.
Which brings us to 2015, the year that the Prince of Lang Park strapped on the boots again, filled up the water bottles and donned the hi-vis blue bib to once again do what he does best: lead the Broncs to victory.
If you’ve watched a Broncos game this season you’ve no doubt seen Langer floating behind the attacking line keeping the players hydrated. But Alf has many strings to his bow, not only does he run the drinks, he also runs the attack.
They used to call him the Little General and never has that nickname been as fitting as it is in 2015.
He is a prescient influence and, like a general standing over a map of the battlefield moving pieces around to his advantage, little Alf steers the Broncos’ cattle from behind the line, sending wave after wave of perfectly-directed attack to stampede the opposition’s defence. New South Wales may have their own interpretation of the ‘Cattle dog’ catch-cry but Alfie is more Babe than Blue Heeler.
He’s similar to the blokes that he shepherds on the field – at times you think he should be wearing jersey 18 – but Alfie is one of a kind: a 5’5” human cheat code in water boy’s clothing.
Wise with age, ripe with experience and loaded down with water bottles, the Banana-bending Napoleon leads his troops to victory without ever having to touch the ball.
Under Alf’s guidance the Broncos have prospered, not least the forwards who have benefited immensely from his ability to read the game.
It took Adam Blair a few weeks to start listening to the Little General but heading into Round 21 the crafty Kiwi has become an integral part of the Broncos team. Langer practically assured Josh McGuire an Origin jersey by making sure he was lined up and hitting the right holes game after game so the Big Show could fulfil the potential he’s shown in previous campaigns.
The older heads of Sam Thaiday and Corey Parker, and the fringe combination of Matt Gillet and Alex Glenn, have been around long enough to know that listening to Alfie’s orders paves the road to glory.
To get a crystal clear indication of Langer’s value, a quick glance at the success of Brisbane’s new halves combination is all that’s required. In Ben Hunt and Tony Milford, Alfie has turned a duo that hadn’t played first grade football together into the most dynamic attacking combination in the competition.
Milford was playing in the boondocks of Australia last season and now he’s got one arm in Thurston’s Origin jersey. Hunt was already becoming a gun player but with Alfredo whispering sage advice into his ear like a guardian angel, he is playing out of his skin.
The Broncos have scored more tries than any other team in the comp, are second only to the Warriors in line breaks, and have the fourth highest number of completed sets of all teams.
They’re also on top of the table and on track for their first minor premiership in fifteen years.
All thanks to Alf.
While many don’t notice the nuggety bald guy running water to the young fellas, it’s about time Langer gets the plaudits that he deserves for rejuvenating the Brisbane Broncos.
Thurston may be better than Andrew Johns, Wally will always be the King, but no one can argue that Alfie has been the most influential bloke running around on a footy field this season.
I tweet @brinpaulsen
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