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Warrick Nicolson | 07/02/08
AUDIO - Our biggest announcement in 20 years: Cullen
STATE OF PLAY
Make no mistake, Brisbane’s chances this season hinge on the health of Darren Lockyer.
If you need any proof, just look at how meekly the Broncos fell away once the champion five-eighth injured his knee in Round 18 last year.
The 2006 Premiers will have the added incentive to perform in 2008 with long-time mentor Wayne Bennett stepping down at the end of this season.
Last 3 Finishes:
2005: 5th
2006: 1st
2007: 8th
ROSTER ROUND-UP
With established stars Petero Civoniceva, Brent Tate, Shaun Berrigan and Brad Thorn all leaving the club, Brisbane spent big money on outside players for the first time in a decade in an attempt to fill the void.
Joel Clinton, Peter Wallace and Ashton Sims have all promised plenty at their previous clubs, but they won’t be able to make up the difference by themselves.
While all three could be Round 1 starters, only Wallace looks a certainty as the team lured him north to be Lockyer’s partner in the halves.
Clinton struggled with the responsibility as Penrith’s number one prop and the maturing of Ben Hannant into a reliable workhorse could make Clinton’s transition smoother as the second banana to Hannant.
Young stud David Taylor wisely signed a short term contract with the club so he wasn’t overcome with the burden of expectation, which would have been directly associated with the size of his contract.
He could explode into representative calculations in his third season.
The experienced trio of Corey Parker, David Stagg and Tonie Carroll give the pack some stability, but Sam Thaiday, Sims and Greg Eastwood (who may find himself in the centres) will all put enormous pressure on the backrow starters to hold their positions as the year progresses.
In an ironic twist the Broncos pack looks more dynamic, now the likes of Thorn and Civoniceva have moved on. But dynamic doesn’t always mean more effective.
If the Broncos have Karmichael Hunt and Justin Hodges in the line-up they will take full advantage of anything creative Lockyer and Wallace can dish up. But outside the two Test stars the Broncos will need to manufacture another strike weapon in the three quarter line to be a high scoring team.
Steven Michaels will inherit one wing spot but the likes of Eastwood, Denan Kemp, Darius Boyd, Tom Hewitt and Joel Moon (a player with a massive future) will compete for the other two vacancies.
Michael Ennis’s dream of being Brisbane’s long term hooker took a blow in the off-season when the team picked up PJ Marsh from the Eels.
Ennis has a great deal of potential but Marsh definitely adds the spark around the rucks that the Broncos missed dearly when Berrigan got injured.
STRONGEST LINE-UP
1. HUNT, Karmichael
2. MICHAELS, Steven
3. HODGES, Justin
4. EASTWOOD, Greg
5. BOYD, Darius
6. LOCKYER, Darren
7. WALLACE, Peter
8. HANNANT, Ben
9. MARSH, Peter John
10. CLINTON, Joel
11. PARKER, Corey
12. STAGG, David
13. CARROLL, Tonie
14. TAYLOR, David
15. THAIDAY, Sam
16. SIMS, Ashton
17. ENNIS, Michael
FEARLESS FORECAST
If Lockyer can bounce back from his knee reconstruction and regain his speed and agility, his unparalleled class will carry the Broncos into the playoffs for the sixteenth consecutive season.
However the club will need more than just Lockyer fit and Bennett’s departure to spur them to their seventh title.
They need every single one of their young players to reach the end of the regular season with enough gas left in the tank for a very special September.
Unfortunately for Broncos’ fans - that rarely happens.
PREDICTED RECORD: 15-9
PREDICTED FINISH: 4th
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