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Opinion
While the more overzealous Broncos fans are probably already heralding this season as their year, the truth is that the Broncos are still a level below what you would expect from a genuine premiership contender.
While five wins on the trot is certainly an exciting way to start the season, it is not all that dissimilar to the position they were in last year, in which they were a mainstay of the top eight until a week before the end of the season when they meekly exited the finals race.
While this team is certainly better, more experienced, and more dynamic now that Reece Walsh has returned, it still does not have near the level of maturity or composure to contend with teams like the Panthers, Roosters, and Sharks come September.
Those teams have started slower, it is true, but you can already see they are working out their formations and getting back into the swing of things. Competitions are not won in April, as any long-suffering Dragons fan will tell you.
The good news is that there are a few things the Broncos can do to immediately change this and bolster their team to the point where they could undoubtedly challenge for a premiership in the next year or two.
While there is more competition than ever to attract talent with another team in the mix and an increased salary cap, the lure of the Broncos is always going to be hard to say no to.
With that in mind, here are three signings this author thinks the Broncos should seriously target.
Cameron Mcinnes
Cameron Mcinnes was an elite-level hooker, who was constantly in the top three tacklers of the year and had great service during his tenure at the Dragons. With the arrival of Hook at the Dragons, Mcinnes seemingly felt disillusioned due to a close relationship with Paul McGregor, so he signed a contract to play lock at the Sharks, where he is nowhere near as effective (although still talented) and is now situated firmly on the bench behind Finucane.
If reports are to be believed, he is on $600k a year, and doesn’t have too long left on his contract. Billy Walters is average at best, and Cory Paix looks better as an impact player rather than an 80 minute hooker.
If the Broncos can get Mcinnnes away from the Sharks with the promise of a starting hooker role, he would immediately shore up the crucial dummy half position.
Jack Wighton
While it may be a foregone conclusion that Jack will stay at the Raiders due to a mammoth offer, the fact that he has tested the open market and seems to be keen to win a premiership before he retires could provide an opening for the Broncos to steal him.
However, Wighton does not play as 5/8 in this Broncos team, but instead fills the role of Herbie Farnworth, who leaves next year to join the Dolphins. His never say die attitude, intense competitive drive, and incredible skill level would add a huge amount to the Broncos arsenal.
Jack Wighton of the Raiders (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
On occasion, the Broncos can still look disinterested, especially when they get behind on the scoreboard. Wighton would be the burst that this team needs to always at least try.
It would require a pay cut on his behalf (albeit perhaps not too much due to the increased salary cap), but if he wants to win a premiership, this is a surefire way to throw your hat in the ring.
Tohu Harris is the ultimate professional when it comes to rugby league. He is one of the best middle defenders in the game, takes strong carries all day, and, most importantly, is a cool head in what can be a very volatile position.
The Broncos have one of the best forward packs in the game, there is no denying that, but they are all still pretty young and prone to brain snaps on occasion.
Apart from Pat Carrigan, a lot of the Broncos forwards allow their emotions to get the better of them and get dragged down into the mud. Tohu Harris is not as young or strong as he used to be, but he is, without question, one of the best leaders in the game.
He will still perform excellently, don’t worry about that, but more importantly, he will keep that middle working as a team and with a focus on the end goal, not individual battles in the game that can distract them.
While there is certainly a lot of finagling to be done if the Broncos are to get even one of these players, let alone three, if the Broncos can find like-for-like characters to fill these roles, then they will still shoot to the top of premiership contention.
All they are lacking is a little bit more maturity and rugby league intelligence, and these three players will help them in that regard instantly.
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