Having assessed the chances of Wayne Bennet’s new team in a previous post, I’ll now turn to the squad he has left behind after being at the helm for the last 532 games, The Brisbane Broncos.
Old Man Bennett…Gone
The first thing that springs to mind is there has to be some hangover from the departure of such a long serving coach. The club has known no other leader since it entered the competition 21 years ago, and the indelible mark he has left at the club is not something that can be replaced overnight.
Add to this the fact that along with Bennett, 13 of last years players have left the club and you are looking at a squad that barely resembles the 2008 version.
But if there is any club with the talent to overcome such a challenge it is the Broncos. Much to the disgust of their southern rivals, the Broncos have been the most consistent performers in the NRL since they entered the competition, having missed the finals just three times in two decades.
For years New South Welshmen have begrudged the pool of players that Brisbane has had to choose from and this is proven by one look at the player changes to the roster – only 4 new players were signed to replace the 13 that left, meaning the club was confident enough that the current juniors and reserves can step up and fill any gaps where required.
Strength In The Backline
One of the four signings for this year was young superstar Israel Folau, and his combination with Justin Hodges in the centres is sure to cause much concern to opposing players. Add other class backs Lockyer, Karmichael Hunt and Peter Wallace and you have a team with plenty of attacking options.
It is in the forwards that opponents may find weak spots to exploit. The loss of Tonie Carroll has not received a huge amount of attention, but I think Brisbane fans will realise early on in the season how important he has been to this team over the last few years.
It will be left to Sam Thaiday to lift the forwards around him, and help fast track the development of some of the young big men who will be given opportunities at various stages throughout the year.
Much will depend on injuries for the Broncos this year – on paper they don’t not seem to have the depth needed to cover key positions if a plague of injuries occurs. Having said that the team from Brisbane is renowned for turning up talent at an alarming rate and I’m sure by the end of this year there will be at least one player from the squad who started the season as an unknown and finished as a household name.
The Broncos finished just outside the top 4 last year, and will be doing well to finish any higher than 2008. Somewhere just inside the top 8 is the most likely result.
Current Odds To WIn 2009 Premiership – $12.50
Crooksy
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