This is the worst team in the sixteen year history of the club. It is the first time that I have ever felt that the Broncos don't have a team that is capable of winning the premiership.
The Broncos played an expanisve style of football up until Langer retired. They changed to a forward orientated game in 2000 and completely dominated the premiership with one of the biggest, most powerful teams that the game has seen. However, despite a number of big names leaving the club, as well of the demise of the unlimited interchange, the Broncos have not changed their style of play. How often do you ever see the ball go out across the backline? It's just hitup after hitup after hitup. I can't but help but feel that Bennett has forgotten what made the Broncos such a feared team in the first place.
Admittedly, the club has been destroyed by the salary cap, and has virtually no flair at all, outside of Lockyer. Sailor, Tuquiri, Walker, Hodges - that's a state of origin backline, right there - have all been forced out. Similarly, the club has never had a decent hooker since the club let Priddis go (huge mistake), and the retirement of Walters and Langer has left the club without a decent playmaker. But I feel that the club has been poor in it retention of players. Really, what's the point in keeping players like Meyers, Ikin, Macguire, Kelly, Berrigan, Carlaw and DeVere, but not doing more to hold on to the aforementioned names? I know that it's not always possible, and those players don't come cheaply, but I'd rather have a couple of strike weapons , or a good hooker, surrounded by young up-and-comers than the mediocre crap that we've got at the moment.
The Broncos will not win the premiership this year and were never going to, so I am mystified as to why Bennet would not blood somebody like Seymour to give him some experience. Look at Firman for the Dragons. They won't win the premiership this year or next, but they're going to be pretty well positioned in a few years time because of the experience he's getting now. Instead, we've got a good-for-nothing (can't run, can't kick, can't create) cripple playing five-eighth, and a halfback who has less playmaking ability than Andrew Gee.
I do believe that Bennett is stale, but I also believe the entire organisation is - the administration, the players, the fans. The whole place is in need of a shakeup. Bennett, for mine, for all his successes, has always had too much power and lacks accountability to the organisation. His encouragement of Sailor to switch codes shows this. He's too close to his players when his first priority should be the club. The entire organisation has an "old boys club" feel to it, and this is never demonstrated more than at origin time when underserving Brisbane players are named in front of better performing rivals from other clubs. Bennett needs to distance himself from his players, like he did when he was first at the club (remember Lewis, Gilmeister, etc) or we need someone fresh.
Whatever the case, the club is in for a few lean years. Maybe it will be good. Maybe it will result in a cycle of change that will be of benefit in the long term. But the Broncos are about to find out what it's like to be just making up the numbers for the first time in their existance.
