From bennetts Mouth

[Johnsy]

Here is an article from Wayne Bennett "THE RELEGATION of Justin Hodges is all about preserving the Broncos’ future, explains coach Wayne Bennett. Following Hodges’ announced deferral to the Sydney Roosters yesterday, it was revealed the talented utility back will play out the remainder of the season in the Bundy Gold Cup. Winger Craig Frawley looks set to take his place in the club’s top 25-man squad.
The decision has sparked widespread coverage in the media and brought some claims that Brisbane have unfairly treated 19-year old Hodges. As a result, coach Bennett has been moved to present the Broncos’ side of the argument, explaining the reasons behind his difficult choice. “Justin has made a decision to play elsewhere and that is his prerogative,” says Bennett.
“He made a choice and as a result, I’ve been forced to make one for the benefit of the club. We spent a lot of time grooming him and now we want to give some other people opportunities. There’s not much point furthering (the ability of) Justin if he’s not going to be back. “1. Justin hadn’t earned his place in first grade yet and he was there more through my good grace. His exclusion won’t hurt us in the short-term…more so in the long-term because we have to find someone else and groom them for a permanent spot.” Bennett refuses to entertain suggestions that the decision is a form of restricted trading, highlighting the cases of Luke Priddis and Wendell Sailor.
Both Priddis and Sailor are destined to leave Brisbane in just a few months time, yet have been granted regular first grade positions. “2. Justin has been treated differently to Wendell and Luke because he came to us as a schoolboy, we made him into a $200, 000 per year player and now he’s leaving,” explains Bennett.
“Those other players have paid us back and they realise loyalty is a two-way street. 3. Justin certainly hasn’t been loyal to us. We haven’t got many returns for what we put in. “Everyone including me and the staff get offers to go elsewhere, but we choose to stay here to be a part of what goes on. Carl Webb received exactly the same offer as Justin last year, but he stayed because he knows the way things are. If I don’t make this decision, then we destroy what this club is about. “You’ve got to appreciate how much time and effort we put into developing and grooming these players. We all hurt a little bit at letting Justin go, but if you’d seen him come here at 17, you wouldn’t have known what we saw in him
One suggestion which particularly confuses the Brisbane coach, is that Hodges is leaving because he wants to play fullback. Bennett claims the issue was never brought up in negotiations and it had been known for quite some time that Hodges would be ushered into Sailor’s vacant wing position next year. The decision frees up the club’s ability to retain several other promising players, with Frawley and Brent Tate the players most likely to benefit" A couple of points need to be made clear. 1. What kind of attitude is this, he is only there because I chose to put him there, through no effort on his own part. Are we to believe that wayne Bennett would place a player in the first grade side who did not deserve to be there? No you lying tosser Bennett. He is an apparent master at grooming young players, when it goes wrong he bags them in public, you ungracious terd bennett.

2. He did not come to you as a schoolboy, he came to you as a young crushers junior who you snavelled up when they went broke, partailly thanks to the broncos.

3.. Loyalty is a 2 way street as bennett says, so when the broncos signed him at the demise of another club, Justin should have stayed with the broncs forever, afterall he owes them everything doesn't he. What about wally, and alfie wayne, the two way street can turn into a one way street pretty quickly. Give the young man some credit he has to make decisions that are best for him, not the broncos or you bennett, he is the master of his own destiny. You may be a father figure to some young bronco's but dont let the public adoration go to your head, your actions show it obviously has.

Johnsy

 

[legend]

This is certainly an interesting situation for the Broncos, one I can't remember them having before. Not many players leave the Broncos of their won free will but Hodges did and look what happened. I can see both sides of the story as far as not letting him play first gared and Hodges wanting to play fullback. If I was Hodges I would ask for an immediate release but there is no way he will be granted the release because the Roosters would have him in first grade the following weekend. I believe these things are best settled "in house" and I am surprised at the Broncos for coming out and saying what they said. I have never heard Bennett go on like that before either. There must be more to this and i'm thinking Banaghan has something to do with it all.

 

[imported_Kaon]

There's a June 30 deadline for bringing new players into the squad so even if the Broncos released Hodges, the Roosters won't be able to play for them.

The Broncos have lost the plot because they realise how good Hodges is.

 

[Hass]

In my short experiences of coaching, I always thought it was done to improve the players. You make the players the best they can possibly be and enjoy seeing them improve. If a player then goes to another club, you congratulate him.

Since when has coaching stopped revolving around enhancing the individual? It must have stopped when the bottom line is all that seems to count these days.

Bennet now needs to adjust his plan for the future, but cutting Hodges from the squad- when even if he is good enough to play in the top 17 should not be part of that plan.

Nurture the other potential wingers, but not at the expense of Justin Hodges who should be encouraged for moving on to bigger and better things. It's not as if the Broncos are struggling........then it would be a kick in the guts.

Cheers.

 

[imported_Mystery Man]

I have read some shit in my time, but nothing compares with the crap that I have read on message boards today.

I agree 100% with Wayne Bennet's decision to relegate Hodges to reserve grade for the rest of the year. He is in no way, shape or form an essential part of the Broncos team - he is a fringe first grader and the sole reason for his position on the bench was to give him experience for coming years. He was an investment in the future - nothing more, nothing less. If he had broken his leg last week, it would not have affected the Broncos premiership chances at all.

Now that he has decided to go to another club, there is absolutely no reason for the Broncos to keep him in first grade. As he is not an established first grader who is integral to the Broncos' success, the club is far better off replacing him with a young player who, like Hodges, has the potential to be a good player, but has chosen to remain at the club. It is the only logical thing to do. I completely agree with Wayne Bennet's decisionas it was the correct choice for the club.

 

[Edwahu]

I have no problem with them not using Hodges in first grade. He wasnt a regular first grader and with Sailor leaving it makes sense to bring his new replacement into the squad. I dont want Leslie Vainikolo selected in first grade again at Canberra becauseits more important to develophis replacementand I think its a simmilar situation with Hodges.

However if the way in which it has been reported Hodges was told of his release is accurate then the Broncos are out of line.
Still, I think the people that should be copping the biggest bagging are the Roosters. 200k contracts for unproven first graders is ridiculous and is the biggest problem in the game at the moment.

 

[Willow]

G'day Mystery Man. Great to see you here.

The whole issue is turning into a soap opera now.
On one side we hear how the Broncos are making an example of Banaghan and Hodges as a warning to to all other mangers and players and on the other hand we hear how the kid deserves better.
I think the Broncos are being dead set hypocrits but so what? It's like saying that jockeys fix races and policians tell lies.
The whole thing will be forgotten by next week.

 

[Hass]

I will not be forgetting this for a long time.

Wayne Bennett has more or less said to Hodges "Even if you prove yourself good enough to be in this team, you will not be picked".

So even if he's in better form than Sailor, there's no chance you will be playing. For someone who the Broncos had "nurtured" so well, they would have been expecting Hodges to explode any time soon. There's half a chance that he'll be taking the next step up, however instead the Broncs have shafted him.

If there were two players of equal talent competing for the same spot, then I could understand that the way to choose between these players would be to say "who's here next year?", as this would be the best choice for the team.

However, not giving Hodges a chance to prove himself is disgraceful, this was not a "professional" decision as Bennet has tried to prove, because it was handled with little to no professionalism.

The Broncos have finally received some of their own back, and emotionally couldn't hack it. They aren't going to talk and weasel their way out of this one.

Cheers.

 

[legend]

What about S.O.O? Surely Hodges will be in line for a jersey in the not too distant future. Would Bennett give an ultimatum to the selectors not to pick Hodges or he will stand down? Then we'd see a mexican standoff.

Bloody mexicans.

 

[Hass]

Bennett has too much power now in Queensland Rugby League. The chances of Hodges playing Origin next year are slim to say the least. That isn't because of his playing ability, but because even if he improves enough to challenge Tuqiri, Bennet will veto his selection.

It's not right.

Cheers.

 

[legend]

It should be interesting and I have no doubt that exact scenario has already crossed Choppys mind and Bennett may have said to Hodges........leave and kiss your rep career goodbye. It wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Johnsy]

Mystery Man

So you agree with choosing when to be loyal to a player and also who that player is also comes into the equation. Scott Prince identical situation except Bennett is in the other pair of shoes, this makes him a hypocrite.

He was not a bronco junior, so that blows the loyalty crap out of the equation. You think he was only on the bench to get experience nothing else, well I beg to differ.

Would wayne Bennett put a player in the firsts squad if he was not good enough or get there on his own merit?

The Broncos management have shown to be acting in a petty manner, by deliberately embarrasing him in front of all squad members, surely even you can admit this.

Johnsy

 

[imported_Mystery Man]

Johnsy

I stand by everything that I said. I am in no way, shape or form one of these people who gushes about what a wonderful man Wayne Bennett is. I have never met him and have no idea what he is like. To be honest, I find many of the things that he says to be arrogant. However, on this occassion, I agree completely with his decision to drop Hodges. I think that he made the best decision for the Broncos just like Hodges made the best decision for Hodges. I think that they both made the right choice.

I don't think this makes Bennett a hypocrite at all. What the Cowboys do with their players when they leave the club is their business. I don't think this is about loyalty. I know that Bennet has mentioned it and that he is pissed about it, but I always felt that the reason he was dropped was because he was nothing more than a fringe first grader and , like all young players, was being blooded with an eye to the future. But when he has no future at the club, what is the point in developing him and giving him experience when there are other young players who need to gain experience and who do have a future at the club? It all wreaks of common sense to me.

I don't know how anyone who has watched Hodges play can say that he has reached the level of established first-grader yet. He has potential and the Broncos saw that and they intended developing that talent. But, as I said, they're wasting their time and money if he isn't going to be there in the future.

As for the way in which he was sacked, I don't know the full story and that is why I declined to comment. I have heard conflicting reports. One said that he was told in front of all the players in the dressing sheds. If this is the case, yes, it was wrong. However, I have heard other reports claim that Bennett walked up to Hodges as he was on his way out to training and told him that he was no longer part of the squad. If this is the case, it was harsh, but certainly not an event of much significance.

PS By the way, you're wrong. He was a junior Bronco. The Crushers folded in 1997, remember? Hodges was 14 years old at the time. The Broncos developed him, but, once again, I don't think that that is the major issue.