The Brisbane Broncos have a Darius Boyd problem on their hands.
Thankfully it’s not a disciplinary problem like I expect any time now. The NRL and the Broncos are due for one.
Instead, Anthony Seibold claims he has a selection headache and it’s a good one, but I can’t agree with that.
The facts are this: Darius will be 33 in July. In 2019, he missed 56 tackles. He averaged a little over 11 metres per kick. Five line breaks. Three tries and six try assists. These are not the numbers of a game breaker, those days are gone. As the adage goes, Father Time is undefeated.
Working against Boyd is a young core that’s arguably the best in the competition. The forwards get the noise with David Fifita, Payne Haas and Tevita Pangai Jr but the backs have Jamayne Isaako, Xavier Coates and Kotoni Staggs. Add Corey Oates, Jordan Kahu, Jack Bird, Anthony Milford and Brodie Croft and you’ve got a logjam for spots.
Croft is bolted on at seven, Oates on the wing, and Bird in at centre. Milford can play either one or six. Personally I’d put him at fullback. The word on the street is Isaako has first crack and it’s hard to argue he doesn’t deserve it. Milford takes six. Staggs takes the other centre spot. Modern strategy runs a 14 and Boyd has zero value at utility, which leaves the lone wing spot.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
I cannot justify putting Boyd on the wing with Kahu and Coates on the roster. Kahu is a proven commodity, however Coates is the logical choice. He proved enough last year to justify the start and was an excitement machine when on his game.
The concerns with Boyd are striking. His defensive numbers talk for themselves. I won’t go as far to say that he shirked contact in 2019 but there were times when he was caught flat-footed and let in easy tries.
Yes, there are players missing more tackles, but they are powerhouses with the ball. It felt like whenever the Broncos rolled Boyd out wide behind two decoys, it was a coin flip whether he’d look like creating something or simply kill the momentum.
Darius supporters will point to the Queensland try-scoring record that he held for a while as proof he can get the job done. The catch 22 is that he last played in 2017 at fullback for an injured Billy Slater and got rotated to left centre for Game 2 before getting dropped for the decider.
The other argument I hear regularly is that he’s on $800,000 a season, which is good for third-highest paid at the Broncos. The issue here is that rugby league should be the ultimate meritocracy. If you are good enough, you play. If there are others that are better, they play. It’s not as black and white as that many times, but in this case, it absolutely is.
To be clear, I have no issues with the man himself – I applaud his candour regarding discussing mental health and respect him greatly for that.
For too long, the Broncos have been living and dying by experience. It has its place, every team needs it and it’s rare for champions to win without it. Let Milford, Alex Glenn and Oates teach young players how to be professionals and instead of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Michael Waldron
Roar Rookie
You missed the following sentence - "The NRL and the Broncos are due for one.". Darius is least likely to attract that sort of issue but I've been proven correct re: club being due for one, see Joe Ofahengaue. A cynical view but ultimately a correct one.
Bulldog53
Roar Rookie
I'm confident Bird will be centre. I think you could put money on it. Bird is contracted for this year with an option in his favour for 2021 and takes a $1m out of the Broncos salary cap. He is there for 2 years as no-one else would pay that sort of money for him. He is a far better option than Boyd.
Bulldog53
Roar Rookie
Boyd's contract was Benny's final **** you to the Broncos. It was a masterstroke from the former coaching great to look after his closest player and at the same time create a squad issue for the Broncos. In an act of trying to calm the relationship between the Broncos and Bennett, Paul White agreed. My bet is even if he does start the season in 1st grade he won't make the 15 games required to trigger his contract for 2021.
Walter White
Guest
New York are slated to join England's third division not second.
#Longstone
Roar Rookie
Should have just retired and save his face rather than continue playing- is a liability to himself & the team.
ken gargett
Guest
Nat, first mention of perese in the comments and spot on (unless i missed something earlier). i'll be stunned if perese is not a full time first grader, or very very close, by end of season. serious talent. farnsworth? not so sure but they seem to like him. also a lot of positives emerging about arthars as a challenger to izzako. if that happened, he is back to the wing and one less option for boyd. huge respect for boyd and the way he has conducted himself in recent years. far less respect for the quality of his play. he has a career the envy of 95% of the league and a shame if he tarnishes it by hanging on too long. i think we'll see a bit of him due to injuries. anyone really want to put their house on bird finishing the season? i gather oates is out for the first game or two but when back, i'm thinking croft, milford, centres bird and staggs, wings oates and coates with izzako fullback. perese next cab (do not know enough about arthars). and look for dreaden or paix if croft or milford fall short.
Larry1950
Guest
All those people calling for Boyd's voluntary retirement would be hypocrites who wouldn't consider walking away from a legitimate right to $800k a year. It's surprising with the bronco connections that they haven't found him a nice job like that New York franchise in the English second division. Michael, I'm also surprised you never considered Perese in the centres, he's an up & coming gun from all I've seen.
JGK
Roar Guru
I think you are reading too much into that comment.
G Len N
Roar Rookie
“ Thankfully it’s not a disciplinary problem like I expect any time now.” You show your bias about the man immediately. Darius maybe in the twilight of his career, questions can be asked of how he fits into the roster for 2020 but your speculation that he is about to go off the rails seems out of line
Nat
Roar Guru
Are you going for a gig with 'New Idea' now? You go and call him "disgraceful" for something you made up. Let's play 'The Papi Game' My take is Latrell will be a terrible signing because he's an Easts boy through and through so his heart will not be in it. But his inclusion will put off every other young fella in the team and they will move elsewhere when they upgrade his contract next year. Richo and Rusty should have known this and now their club will stuggle this season and barely make the finals. :thumbdown:
3 bags empty
Guest
Captain of the Redcliffe lawn bowls team .
Barry O'Donnell
Guest
Mate no way you would give up 800k if it's your last big pay cheque . You would have to be silly to do that in reality.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Exactly, Milford needs to be got into just as hard as Darius for his lack of effort in many games last year, his were just better camouflaged.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
When you say "retire", do you mean actually retire? Or retire by faking a career-ending injury so that the club loses money and not him?
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
On the transfer list. The Broncs shouldn't have any NSW-eligible players on the payroll.
Big Moose
Guest
He might be finished and I agree he performed poorly last year but he is one man and there were a number of things wrong with that team and the structure. Seibold used all of last year to either blame the players or Wayne Bennett and took no personal responsibility. They are my team and I hope they improve given all the power players and talent they have at their disposal - if it doesn’t click Seibold has no where to hide. Ps - Darius wasn’t dropped for the 3rd SOO in 2017. He broke his hand early in the second match playing at left centre but completed the game. For all the bad press he got last year and deservedly so, it’s still worth noting that in his day he was a very capable player.
Nat
Roar Guru
They announced this morning it will just be Glenn as Captain. Thus leavung the door open to treat Boyd as any other player.
Nat
Roar Guru
Of course he does and at the time the amount was probably justified. No doubt it is in conjuction wiht the board but if Bennett has the whole team to consider and I doubt he would be a passenger when discussing the club captain and his longevity. However, if you can show me that direct quote from Bennett I'll reconsider.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It's amazing the people who think football players should act in a way they never would in their own careers.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
No! Manly should sign him to play 5/8. With Cade Cust at HB you can then finally get to play DCE at hooker like you always wanted. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: