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Message: [QUOTE="Danoz Direct, post: 2789197, member: 8457"] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]BEN Ikin is predicting that Wayne Bennett will take a huge gamble on his Broncos line-up for 2017, with one of this year’s breakout stars set for a major positional switch. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]Rangy winger Corey Oates set the competition alight early in 2016 with his aerial ability, strong carries out of his own end and extraordinarily athletic corner finishes and he was rewarded with a spot on the left flank of the all-conquering Queensland side. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]Despite proving he could more than match it on the wing at that level, Ikin sees him being switched to the bench at club level in 2017, where he will start his permanent transition to the back row. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]Oates has long been considered an edge forward in the making and Ikin believes the departure of star forwards Corey Parker and Jarrod Wallace, along with the arrival of Benji Marshall, will facilitate that move. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]“We know that the Broncos are a pretty light forward pack,” Ikin said on the Fox Sports Market Watch off-season special podcast. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]“You throw in the loss of Corey Parker and Jarrod Wallace and all of a sudden they start to look a bit thin. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]“This is why I’m thinking — this is my theory at the moment — that David Mead drops onto one of the wings, Jordan Kahu goes to the other, Benji Marshall plays left centre and they bring Corey Oates off the bench and start playing him in the forwards. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]“Let’s be honest, Corey Oates has got to be thrown into the back row at some point. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]“As good as he’s been coming off the wing for the Broncos and for Queensland, maybe 2017’s going to be the year.” [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]If Ikin, the son-in-law of coach Bennett, is correct, it would explain the method behind what some people consider the madness of signing veteran five-eighth Marshall. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]While Bennett has not done much to cover the losses of Parker and Wallace he has bolstered the backline to the point where it’s hard to find positions for several high calibre players. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]Ikin’s theory on the line-up would strengthen the forward pack by switching Oates without weakening the backline, with the inclusions of Marshall and one of the bargain buys of the off-season in Titans’ record try scorer David Mead. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]That might be the most effective solution for the Broncos but it comes at a fascinating time for Oates, who, after the Four Nations injury to Josh Mansour, is in the conversation for best left winger in the country. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]A switch onto the bench at club level has the potential to put his Origin spot, much less a ticket to the World Cup, in jeopardy, given the emergence of Valentine Holmes as a bona fide superstar. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]If Oates is not playing on the wing week in week out, Maroons coach Kevin Walters may well look elsewhere, with Holmes and Dane Gagai firming as favourites to start on the flanks. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]Oates would then have to rely on his early season form in the Broncos pack to contend for a bench spot at Origin level. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]While Oates could ultimately lose out if Ikin’s theory plays out, 31-year-old Marshall would undoubtedly be the big winner.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]After playing in the halves throughout his NRL career, a late positional switch out to the centres may seem unlikely but with Kodi Nikorima adequately filling the bench utility role, it is perhaps his best chance of playing first grade. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]“(With Oates) their bench starts to look stronger,” Ikin said. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]“You’ve got Kodi Nikorima who will come back from injury. Everyone thought Benji might play that utility role but I thought Kodi Nikorima has been exceptional at doing that job in the past. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]“Then you go to (Joe) Ofahengaue, Corey Oates, Herman Ese’ese, Jai Arrow and Tevita Pangai Junior, who I think is in for a big 2017. [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#232323][FONT=Merriweather Sans]“All of a sudden the Broncos start to have some quality across those players who don’t start the game, which is really important in modern rugby league.” [url]http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/ben-ikin-predicts-wayne-bennett-lineup-gamble-to-shakeup-broncos-queensland/news-story/bc4d5163b9b10ac0f3760881d759fc07?utm_content=SocialFlow&utm_campaign=EditorialSF&utm_source=CourierMail&utm_medium=Twitter[/url][/FONT][/COLOR] [/QUOTE]

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