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My take on the Broncos: Round 8

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Roar Rookie
27th April, 2021
22

The Brisbane Broncos are undoubtedly in the process of a huge rebuild.

Kevin Walters is not the issue, though it would help for him to get into the boys a bit more. It’s the team itself that’s the real issue. This week will be season defining for this reason.

As we all know, the halves are our priority and need to be sorted as soon as possible. The addition of Tyson Gamble to halfback in Friday night’s clash with the Titans was risky but nonetheless the right move. He now really needs to prove himself.

With Anthony Milford back in the squad, Gamble has to show that he is Broncos material, otherwise I can’t see him at the club after this year. Hopefully Milford and Gamble can really impress this weekend to give the team some hope.

Kevin Walters

Kevin Walters has a big job on his hands to rebuild the Broncos. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

After the Cowboys signed our halfback Tom Dearden, we needed to drop him completely from the side – if he isn’t going to be here next year, why bother with him now.

Now to the centres. I’m confident in our centres, with the likes of Herbie Farnworth and Jesse Arthars, Farnworth is undoubtedly a young player with a very bright future ahead of him. Arthars really needs to play well this round to cement his spot in the side, with the likes of David Mead very capable of making the side. With Kotoni Staggs back within a few weeks, the centres really need to work for their spot.

I see Staggs and Farnworth as the logical choices for the centres as of right now.

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Staggs’s impending return asks the question: where does David Mead sit in this situation? Xavier Coates is very safe and highly unlikely to be removed from the side. If we monitor Corey Oates’s gameplay, we will be able to determine whether he or Mead is most worthy of the spot.

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The fullback is arguably the most crucial position in the modern game, which is why each team needs a quality player in this position. Jamayne Isaako is one of our safer players in the side, and unlike last year he is reasonably consistent in the No. 1 jersey. Many argue that he’s a winger rather than a fullback, but the reality is he is our best bet. His speed, agility and playmaking ability have made him a high-quality asset.

Our props have been putting in the hard yards for us all year round. Matthew Lodge is a very strong player when he’s on his game. He can make all the difference. Since Payne Haas’s return from injury in Round 4 he has been consistently running hard, and his defensive game not too bad either.

These two lads are very important to us playing our best footy in 2021. It seems in our recent encounters with the Panthers that when these boys get going so does the whole team!

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Jake Turpin this week will be working to keep his grasp on the No. 9 jersey after the signing of Danny Levi. Levi showed some real sparks of energy against Parramatta, and that’s just what our team needs. Turpin’s defensive game is strong and his attack not too shabby, but if Levi can show consistently good defensive reads, proves he knows how to mark his own man and shows well in the offence, I would be putting him right in for sure. This could be a real arm wrestle for the hooker position.

Tevita Pangai Jr and Jordan Riki are our second-rowers for Friday night. These two powerhouses have been consistently hard workers this season. TPJ in particular seems to be the guy to get the squad going when they are at their lowest point, while Riki never seems to disappoint.

Our lock is Patrick Carrigan. He’s a workhorse but simply drops too many balls. When these three are on their game, however, they are virtually unstoppable!

Our bench consists of Danny Levi, Thomas Flegler, Ethan Bullemor, Rhys Kennedy, Tesi Niu, John Asiata, Brodie Croft and David Mead, who all need to work for a starting position.

Let’s see how the Broncos go this Friday.

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