Brisbane team: Darius Boyd, Reece Robinson, Gerard Beale, Steve Michaels, William Tupou, Karmichael Hunt, Shane Perry, Joel Clinton, Michael Ennis, Ashton Sims, Corey Parker (c), Sam Thaiday, David Stagg. Res: PJ Marsh, Greg Eastwood, Tonie Carroll, Nick Kenny, Tom Hewitt, Joel Moon.
Broncos take a look into the future
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - 5:52 PM
Rugby league fans could get a glimpse into the future with Test fullback Karmichael Hunt to play five-eighth for Brisbane in their final trial match before the new NRL season.
Hunt, the youngest player to debut for Brisbane as a 17-year-old in 2004, has played halfback before.
But with skipper Darren Lockyer still rehabilitating from knee surgery and new recruit Peter Wallace recovering from a corked hip, Hunt will pull on the Broncos No.6 jumper for the first time against Redcliffe at Dolphin Oval on Saturday night.
It's a jersey previously worn by champions such as Lockyer and Wally Lewis.
And many believe Hunt will follow the career path of Lockyer and eventually move from fullback to five-eighth when the Australian and Brisbane captain retires.
"I guess playing a bit more five-eighth is something that people say could happen down the track, but right now the one thing I know is Darren Lockyer will be there when round one comes around," said Hunt.
"I just see this as a perfect opportunity to gain more experience in taking more control of a game.
"It's just more of an educational process, like it was playing halfback the couple of times in the past."
With Hunt taking over the playmaking role, Darius Boyd, a former Australian schoolboy fullback, will play behind a very young an inexperienced backline featuring rookies Reece Robinson, a cousin of Anthony Mundine and Nathan Merrett, 17-year-old Gerard Beale who has impressed in all three trials and moves from the wing to the centres and William Tupou named on the wing.
Shane Perry has been named halfback against his Queensland Cup club side but is expected to dip out for the Broncos' NRL season start against Penrith with former Panther Peter Wallace to wear the No.7.
Michael Ennis has been named at hooker with Parramatta recruit PJ Marsh on the bench but those positions are likely to be reversed for the March 16 opener.
Corey Parker has been named captain in possibly another pointer to the future, pore although Hunt seems likely to eventually take over those duties from Lockyer.
Former St George Illawarra winger Tom Hewitt, a late addition to Brisbane's roster, is confident a sternum injury will not prevent him pulling on a Broncos jumper for the first time.
"It's still pretty sore but it won't stop me playing," declared the apprentice electrician who scored five tries in a handful of first grade starts last year.
