Paul Kent: Brisbane Broncos’ bid to move on Matt Lodge still might not land them a marquee half
So it has come to this for the Broncos. A wing and a prayer move for an established halfback. Recruits have been prioritised. First things first though, the money has to come from somewhere.
Opinion
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Near as anyone can tell the conversation centred around a halfback, which the Brisbane Broncos don’t have, and the need for halfback money, which the Broncos also don’t have.
Such conversations can often be awkward, particularly on Monday at Broncos headquarters when the two parties involved in the conversation were Matt Lodge, a middle forward being paid halfback money, and coach Kevin Walters, the one who needs the halfback money.
Walters was giving Lodge permission to negotiate with other clubs, after last Saturday’s loss to Parramatta convinced him that his club needs to go to market and find a top-shelf halfback, who will naturally demand top-shelf money.
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It shows where the Broncos have got as an organisation.
A day after the loss to Parramatta, Sam Walker trotted out for the Sydney Roosters, at 18, and put on a display that has the Tricolours now talking a five-year extension.
Two years ago Walker was a 16-year-old star in the Broncos system when then-head coach Anthony Seibold called him for a meeting, did not allow Walker’s father Ben to be in the meeting — even though he was a minor — and then promptly told him that he thought he was a fullback.
Walker signed with the Roosters before the month was out.
What is happening at Brisbane nobody can quite determine.
Walters is the one now in the job trying to clean up the mistakes of others who all feel very confident they know what they are doing but have exhibited they have no genuine idea.
Chairman Karl Morris mostly complains.
Chief executive Dave Donaghy does not start work until Saturday, even though he was appointed last year and with each day’s delay, the job gets bigger for him.
Already Walters is elbow deep in contract negotiations with players because there are few in the joint capable of doing the job.
Walters has enough problems he needs to sort out.
The summer word was that the shine had gone off Brodie Croft and Tom Dearden, 20, was the favoured halfback and had worked hard to be chosen ahead of Croft for the opening round.
Then the day before the first teams were announced Croft suddenly zoomed in and was named to partner Anthony Milford in the halves.
Everybody was waiting for the Walters impact on Milford. It was part of the push to return him to Brisbane, given how he improved Milford as halves coach when Wayne Bennett last coached in Brisbane.
The Broncos fell to Parramatta in the opening round and then lost to the Gold Coast before getting Canterbury in round three.
Despite the win, it was not enough to save Croft, who made way for Dearden in round four.
Walters was clearly not seeing enough out of Croft.
That pairing lasted a fortnight before Walters again swung his heavy axe, this time sacking Milford to return Croft to the side, alongside Dearden.
They lasted a fortnight, dragging the Broncos through disappointing losses to Penrith, where they survived on effort and still lacked leadership in the halves, and then last weekend’s catastrophe against Parramatta.
On Tuesday, both Dearden and Croft were dropped in favour of Milford and Tyson Gamble.
It has convinced Walters the Broncos need to go to market to strengthen their halves and so, Monday, Lodge was called in.
Nothing personal but the Broncos need money to go to market and Lodge was vulnerable. The money has to come from somewhere.
The Broncos are in high negotiations with Parramatta halfback Mitchell Moses.
This is partly where Lodge comes into it.
Moses is on $880,000 a season at Parramatta and has until round 10 to tell the Eels whether he feels inclined to activate the final season in his deal or whether the Eels should join the unemployment line where the Broncos stood, hoping for a halfback.
The Broncos are currently at $1 million for Moses, but that might climb.
Moses has, so far, shown no real inclination that the extra freight is enough to tempt him to Brisbane given that once he arrives, a whole avalanche of expectation will be lumped on his shoulders.
He can read and hear as well as anybody and has read and heard everything that was said about Ben Hunt when he arrived at St George Illawarra and many expected him to lift them immediately into premiership contenders.
Is all that worth an extra $120,000?
Basically, the Broncos hope to take the money dedicated for Lodge and give it to Moses.
If not Moses, the Broncos are looking at Adam Reynolds and hoping to get Daly Cherry-Evans interested in a Brisbane lifestyle even though he has a long-term deal at Manly.
The quicker Donaghy can get his feet under the desk the better.
Moses is expected to remain at Parra and Reynolds is increasingly likely to head to Cronulla, while Cherry-Evans is more than content at Manly, but salary cap issues remain the hope for the Broncos.
After that, pickings are slim.
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