Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett gives Jake Turpin the nod for Broncos debut
WAYNE Bennett believs his current crop of young forwards are the best he has seen in Brisbane’s system all at once, with the pack to be spearheaded by debutant Jake Turpin on Sunday.
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WAYNE Bennett has labelled his current crop of young forwards as the best he has seen in Brisbane’s system all at once, with the pack to be spearheaded by debutant Jake Turpin on Sunday.
The Broncos will travel down the M1 to meet the Titans in a derby clash without their Origin contingent, including veteran forwards Andrew McCullough and Josh McGuire.
With backs Corey Oates and James Roberts also missing, the Broncos are facing a massive task against an improving Titans outfit.
But with Redcliffe hooker Jake Turpin set to fill the shoes of McCullough, and Joe Ofahengaue to take on the workload of McGuire, Bennett is confident his young forward pack can deliver.
Alongside Turpin and Ofahengaue, the Broncos are buoyed by future stars of the NRL, including Tevita Pangai Jr, Jaydn Su’A and David Fifita.
When asked if he had seen a more talented group, Bennett did not even hesitate in his answer.
“No, probably not. Not at the Broncos,” he said.
“We’ve got a team for the present but we’ve also got a group of men here for the future. It’s important for us to hold them now.
“They’ll hopefully be the future of the Broncos pack for a long time to come. We’re in a pretty good position.”
While there will be plenty of talent on the field at Cbus Super Stadium, the Broncos also have the likes of an injured Payne Haas and Intrust Super Cup guns Patrick Carrigan and Tom Flegler in their ranks.
Bennett said his young forwards are still learning each week, but the signs were promising.
“We’re rebuilding a team here at the moment,” he said.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries in our forwards so a couple of guys have got opportunities and they’ve done a really good job with it.
“They’re learning how to play with intensity and how to play with a minimisation of mistakes, week after week. It’s all part of the process for them.”
Teenage sensation Fifita made his debut last week against the Raiders and has been recalled onto the bench for the derby, after Kotoni Staggs was moved to centre in place of Tom Opacic (dropped to reserve grade).
But this week Brisbane will also blood an all-new debutant in Turpin.
The 21-year-old joined Brisbane from the Melbourne Storm and was pushing for his NRL debut at the start of the season but suffered a broken leg, delaying his time in first grade.
Bennett said that Turpin’s toughness will be rewarded.
“He’s a pretty tough guy,” Bennett said.
“He’s a pretty steady player, he’s been good with us, he defends very well and he’s got good decision-making with the passes and who he gives the ball to.
“He won’t be able to go all the way (full 80 minutes), so there will be some shared responsibility out there.”
Alex Glenn also trained at hooker throughout Saturday’s training session.
Meanwhile, Bennett claimed he has not heard any of the rumours linking Ivan Cleary to the Broncos and also refused to comment on his own future, with his contract due to end next year.
“That’s all confidential so I’m not going to elaborate on that,” he said.
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