Broncos team news: Jaiyden Hunt named in 17 as cover for the suspended Jordan Riki
The suspension of Broncos star Jordan Riki has forced Michael Maguire into a forward reshuffle, with the coach recalling an unheralded edge forward for the Tigers clash.
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Broncos coach Michael Maguire has pulled a selection shock by recalling unheralded back-rower Jaiyden Hunt for Saturday night’s clash against the Wests Tigers.
The suspension of grand final back rower Jordan Riki has forced Maguire into a forward reshuffle as the Broncos chase a slick 4-1 start in the round 5 clash at Suncorp Stadium.
Riki will be sidelined for the next two games after accepting an early-guilty plea for a high shot on Dolphins winger Jack Bostock, forcing Maguire to consider a contingency plan for the Tigers clash.
Maguire was weighing up three candidates, including Broncos bookends Martin Taupau and monster prop Ben Te Kura, who were locked in a shootout to win an NRL recall after stints in the Hostplus Cup.
Maguire named an extended squad on Tuesday, with hard-hitting Brendan Piakura to be promoted from the bench to start alongside Jack Gosiewski in the second row against the Tigers.
That left Taupau, Hunt and Te Kura - the biggest man in the NRL at 205cm - waging a three-man battle for a spot on interchange.
But Maguire has opted for the extra mobility of Hunt, who has ousted Taupau and Te Kura to take his place on the bench alongside Billy Walters, Xavier Willison and Corey Jensen.
BELOW: SEE THE FULL QUEENSLAND NRL SQUADS FOR ROUND 5
With Brisbane already carrying two props in Willison and Jensen, Maguire wanted the back-row presence of Hunt, who played five games for the Broncos last season and was last seen in round 27 against the Storm last September.
The decision will come as a disappointment for Taupau and Te Kura, who have been playing well for feeder club Souths Logan.
Te Kura was outstanding in Brisbane’s pre-season trials and scored a try with 85 metres for feeder club Souths Logan in their 42-18 defeat of Sunshine Coast on Sunday.
Te Kura was joined in the starting engine room by Taupau, who amassed 99 metres from nine runs and has been impressive for the Magpies this season.
The reshuffle represents a golden opportunity for Piakura.
The Queensland Origin hopeful underlined his power with a stinging front-on tackle on Herbie Farnworth in last week’s 20-12 derby defeat of the Dolphins and will add some extra sting to Brisbane’s pack.
-Peter Badel
PHINS TO HOLD FIRE ON MOLO DEBUT
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf won’t rush into selecting former Queensland prop Frank Molo despite Redcliffe’s winless start to the season.
The Dolphins slumped to a fourth straight defeat last Friday night, falling 20-12 to the Broncos in a sodden Battle of Brisbane.
While they’ve had a clunky attack, the Dolphins have also been lacking midfield muscle to support starting prop Daniel Saifiti.
They signed disgruntled Dragons prop Molo last week to give Saifiti some help, but he won’t be making his Dolphins debut against the in-form Titans on Saturday.
Molo hasn’t trained with an NRL squad for more than two months following a bitter split with the Dragons.
While he has been training by himself, he is not ready for the rigours of the NRL and Woolf doesn’t want to throw him to the wolves.
Woolf will instead send Molo to the Hostplus Cup for a run with the CQ Capras against the Blackhawks in Townsville on Saturday.
The Dolphins are hoping Molo can get up to speed quickly and be ready for their round 6 clash with four-time premiers Penrith.
-Travis Meyn
PANTHERS V COWBOYS
6pm Friday April 4th, CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Panthers
1. Daine Laurie 2. Paul Alamoti 3. Izack Tago 4. Thomas Jenkins 5. Casey McLean 6. Jack Cole 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo
Interchange: 14. Brad Schneider 15. Matt Eisenhuth 16. Liam Henry 17. Luke Garner
Reserves: 18. Blaize Talagi 19. Mavrik Geyer 20. Luron Patea 21. Luke Sommerton 22. Jesse McLean
Cowboys
1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Robert Derby 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Viliami Vailea 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Jake Clifford 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. John Bateman 12. Kai O’Donnell 13. Reuben Cotter
Interchange: 14. Sam McIntyre 15. Jeremiah Nanai 16. Griffin Neame 17. Coen Hess
Reserves: 18. Harrison Edwards 19. Zac Laybutt 20. Thomas Duffy 21. Karl Lawton 22. Thomas Mikaele
TITANS V DOLPHINS
5:30pm, Saturday April 5th, Cbus Stadium, Gold Coast
Titans
1. Jaylan De Groot 2. Tony Francis 3. Brian Kelly 4. Phillip Sami 5. Jojo Fifita 6. AJ Brimson 7. Jayden Campbell 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Chris Randall 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 11. Klese Haas 12. Beau Fermor 13. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui
Interchange: 14. Sean Mullany 15. David Fifita 16. Jaimin Jolliffe 17. Brock Gray
Reserves: 18. Arama Hau 19. Tom Weaver 20. Jacob Alick-Wienke 21. Tuki Simpkins 22. Josiah Pahulu
Dolphins
1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Jack Bostock 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Felise Kaufusi 11. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 12. Connelly Lemuelu 13. Max Plath
Interchange: 14. Kurt Donoghoe 15. Mark Nicholls 16. Ray Stone 17. Kenny Bromwich
Reserves: 18. Sean O’Sullivan 19. Josh Kerr 20. Oryn Keeley 21. Max Feagai 22. Junior Tupou
BRONCOS V WESTS TIGERS
7:35pm, Saturday April 5th, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Broncos
1. Reece Walsh 2. Selwyn Cobbo 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Ben Hunt 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Patrick Carrigan 9. Cory Paix 10. Payne Haas 11. Jack Gosiewski 12. Brendan Piakura 13. Kobe Hetherington
Interchange: 14. Billy Walters, 15. Corey Jensen, 16. Xavier Willison, 17. Jaiyden Hunt
Reserves: 18. Tyson Smoothy 19. Deine Mariner 20. Martin Taupau 21. Benjamin Te Kura 22. Jock Madden
Wests Tigers
1. Jahream Bula 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Adam Doueihi 4. Starford To’a 5. Luke Laulilii 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Latu Fainu 8. Terrell May 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Fonua Pole 11. Samuela Fainu 12. Alex Seyfarth 13. Alex Twal
Interchange: 14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Royce Hunt 16. Jack Bird 17. Sione Fainu
Reserves: 18. Heath Mason 19. Kit Laulilii 20. Solomona Faataape 21. Reuben Porter 22. Tony Sukkar
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Originally published as Broncos team news: Jaiyden Hunt named in 17 as cover for the suspended Jordan Riki
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