Anthony Seibold identifies Broncos problem to help Anthony Milford, Kodi Nikorima
Anthony Milford and Kodi Nikorima were pilloried for their inconsistency last year but they weren’t Brisbane’s main issue, at least not according to new coach Anthony Seibold.
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When new Broncos coach Anthony Seibold arrived at Red Hill over summer, one of his most important tasks was crunching the numbers from Brisbane’s topsy-turvy 2018 season.
Like a bean counter looking for ways to streamline a company budget, Seibold forensically picked apart the Broncos’ performance data, then narrowed his focus to a facet of the game becoming increasingly important in rugby league’s new age.
Play-the-ball speed.
It may sound like boring subject matter but, for the Broncos, the numbers were as damning as they were compelling — and served to statistically explain why halves Anthony Milford and Kodi Nikorima were struggling for dominance.
The old adage says there are lies, damned lies and statistics but in this instance, Seibold’s research hit the Broncos between the eyes.
Nikorima and Milford were pilloried for their inconsistency last year but the numbers show they weren’t the primary problem, at least not according to Seibold.
The real problem, the deeper malaise, lay with Brisbane’s forward pack.
It seems an incongruous suggestion given the dynamism of Tevita Pangai Jr, the industry of hooker Andrew McCullough, the hitting power of Matt Gillett and the wholehearted slog of Matt Lodge.
But where it mattered most last season — at the ruck, where NRL games are so heavily influenced, sometimes imperceptibly — the Broncos basically sucked.
At the Broncos fan day last week at Suncorp Stadium, Seibold was asked if his halves, Milford and Nikorima, had become a rocks-or-diamonds pairing. Outstanding one week. Rubbish the next.
Seibold countered, pointing the finger of responsibility to his midfield men.
“Yes, you can look at it like that (that his halves are erratic), but reflecting on last season … we actually finished second last in the NRL for play-the-ball speed in attack,” Seibold said.
“People just see our big forwards running with intent.
“But unless you are giving your halves early ball … you could have Andrew Johns (former Newcastle halfback and NRL Immortal) sitting behind our pack, it wouldn’t matter.
“My challenge to our forwards this season is that their job isn’t done until Andrew McCullough has the footy in his hands (at dummy half).
“Because if we finish 15th again for play-the-ball speed, we will get the same result.”
It’s a fair point Seibold makes. While Milford and Nikorima are not completely exempt from blame — their game awareness and option-taking was lacking in clutch moments last season — they are still at the mercy of the dominance of their bigger men.
Thirty years ago, league experts called it laying the platform. Today, it’s better known as “front-foot ball”, meaning the halves getting quality service from the ruck, at speed, with momentum, while the defensive line is still trying to set and recalibrate.
Statistics provided by Fox Sports — data separate from Seibold’s personal research — shows Brisbane were in the bottom six sides last season for “fast” play-the-balls. They were in the bottom five for “very slow” play the balls, which is measured at more than five seconds for the dummy-half to receive the ball once an attacker is tackled.
Halves need every split second imaginable in the high-octane world of the NRL. A two-second differential in play-the-ball speed can be the difference between Milford attacking on his terms … or being shut down by a rushing defence.
“There was criticism of Milford and Nikorima but they need the footy in their hands when they want it,” Seibold explains.
“You need to play on the front foot. Halves need time and they need space and we need to try and create that this year.
“The other thing is that the Broncos finished 15th in the competition for shifting the footy. I like to play some footy, so we are trying to look an installing a game model that allows us to put more than a couple of passes together.
“We’ll continue to implement some things in attack.”
Over the past month, Seibold has dispatched Milford and Nikorima to Sydney to work with former NSW and Test playmaker Matthew Johns.
During their sessions at a local park, Johns has been teaching Milford and Nikorima about breaking the field down into smaller segments.
Like a game of chess, Milford and Nikorima are learning about moves, countermoves and making smarter tactical decisions on the run.
“We are leaving no stone unturned,” Seibold said.
“I am trying to give Anthony and Kodi the best opportunity to be the best version of themselves. I’m not trying to make them someone else. Kodi and Anthony are two of the best halves in the competition when they are at their very best.
“It’s marginal gains. The more we can persist with those guys, the more cohesion and connection we will build.”
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Originally published as Anthony Seibold identifies Broncos problem to help Anthony Milford, Kodi Nikorima
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