Brisbane moving from this era to the next on and off the field

Brisbane are steadily changing the face of their club and embracing the youth brigade. How will that impact on their roster for 2019? FULL ROSTER ANALYSIS.

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The Broncos are a team in transition.

Some of the loyal soldiers are already out the door and more are expected to follow.

Balancing the move from Josh McGuire, Sam Thaiday and possible Alex Glenn to Tevita Pangai Junior, Matt Lodge and David Fifita is a difficult move, made all the more complex by Wayne Bennett’s possible swap with Anthony Seibold.

There’s a fair chance the Brisbane squad we see for Round 1 is very different to the one they have today - but as it stands it’s one of the most exciting rosters in the league.

Full Squad: Jack Bird, Darius Boyd, Patrick Carrigan, Thomas Dearden, Troy Dargan, George Fai, David Fifita, Thomas Flegler, Matt Gillett, Payne Haas, Jordan Kahu, Jamayne Isaako, Joseph Ofahengaue, Patrick Mago, Andrew McCullough, Anthony Milford, Kodi Nikorima, Sean O’Sullivan, James Roberts, Andre Savelio, Gehmat Shibasaki, Kotoni Staggs, Jaydn Su’A, Myles Taueli

Expected inclusions: Matt Lodge, Corey Oates and Tevita Pangai Junior

Ins: Sean O’Sullivan (Sydney Roosters)

Outs: Tom Opacic (North Queensland Cowboys), Jonus Pearson (St George Illawarra Dragons), Korbin Sims (St George Illawarra Dragons), Sam Thaiday (retired), Josh McGuire (Cowboys)

Tevita Pangai Junior is Brisbane’s new forward leader. Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images.

Forwards

Brisbane went through a fair bit of transition in the forwards last season and that has continued into the off-season with the expected departures of Josh McGuire and Alex Glenn. As it stands, they have one of the best up and coming packs in the competition, but that status is contingent on them re-signing Tevita Pangai Junior and Matt Lodge.

Such is their depth David Fifita, who starred once elevated to the starting side late last season, may begin the year in reserve grade.

Keep an eye out for several other youngsters including Tom Flegler and Patrick Carrigan, who will come into first grade calculations through the season.

Backs

As with the forwards, Brisbane’s backline looks a whole lot better once Corey Oates is included. Jamayne Isaako and James Roberts have two other spots locked in with Kotoni Staggs and Jack Bird the main contenders to fill the other centre spot.

The spectre of Jack Bird, who’s status and preferred position remain uncertain, is another spanner in the works.

Bird’s entire situation seems unclear - part of the reason he joined the Broncos was to earn a spot in the spine but after his disastrous year he’ll be flat out landing a starting spot.

Gehamat Shibasaki may come into contention as well following his debut late last season.

Jack Bird had a miserable time in his first season as a Bronco. AAP Image/Glenn Hunt.

Spine

On the surface, Brisbane will enter 2019 with the same quartet that carried them through 2018 – Darius Boyd, Anthony Milford, Kodi Nikorima and Andrew McCullough.

Rightly or wrongly there will always be question marks over the Milford-Nikorima halves combo despite Milford’s development as a playmaker in the back half of last season. The recruitment of Roosters halfback Sean O’Sullivan should raise a few eyebrows as the youngster is a far more traditional halfback than Nikorima and could give the Broncos a more rounded kicking game.

Recruitment strength

O’Sullivan is the only major recruit and it’s certainly an interesting one. Milford and Nikorima are both talented attacking players, that much is beyond doubt. But perhaps they are too similar, with aligning strengths and weaknesses, to take Brisbane all the way.

An O’Sullivan-Milford combination is certainly an interesting proposition, especially as it would allow Nikorima to drop back to the bench and enter the fray against tiring defence and focus on what he does best, which is running the ball.

Where they’re lacking

It’s not so much that Brisbane are lacking in terms of roster – they are well balanced and deep all across the park – there’s just no stability right now. Who knows how the Anthony Seibold situation will end, who knows what players will want to follow Wayne Bennett out the door, who knows if Pangai Junior, Lodge and Oates will re-sign and who knows how long it may be for?

For Brisbane to rise above these off field concerns would be an impressive feat indeed.

Best XVII

1.Darius Boyd 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jack Bird/Jordan Kahu 4. James Robert 5. Corey Oates 6. Anthony Milford 7. Kodi Nikorima 8. Joe Ofahengaue 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Matt Lodge 11. Jaydn Su’A 12. Matt Gillett 13. Tevita Pangai Jnr 14. Jack Bird/Kotoni Staggs 15. Patrick Mago 16. Payne Haas 17. David Fifita

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