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Message: [QUOTE="1910, post: 2869468, member: 8272"] LAST year it was the football whisperer. Now Wayne Bennett has added another secret weapon to his football department that he refuses to talk about. Assistant coach Jason Demetriou has emerged as the key man in transforming the Broncos into the NRL’s toughest team to defend. Demetriou has been the pivotal addition to Bennett’s arsenal of support staff this season and Brisbane are reaping the rewards. The Broncos are in second spot on the NRL ladder with two weeks to go in the regular season and have scored the most points (543) in 2017. They have managed this despite having a pack of front-row forwards many believed could not challenge the likes of heavyweights Melbourne, Cronulla and Sydney. When asked what Demetriou had brought to the Broncos, Bennett said: “I don’t know, you better ask Jason.” Why did you hire him? “I needed an assistant coach.” Is he good? “I like working with him.” Why? “He buys me coffees. No, I don’t drink coffees.” Why are you reluctant to talk about him? “I just want to talk about the team. I’m not interested in the staff. We all do our jobs. We have a lot of good staff. Jason has been good but right now it’s about the team.” There could be several reasons for Bennett’s reluctance to speak about Demetriou but there is no doubting he has had an impact at Red Hill. Demetriou, 41, played a long career in England before picking up a clipboard, guiding the Northern Pride to the 2014 Intrust Super Cup premiership and NRL state championship. He was an assistant to Paul Green during North Queensland’s historic maiden NRL title in 2015 and coached the Illawarra Cutters to last year’s NSW Cup-NRL Championship double. Then came a call from Bennett and an offer to join the Broncos. “I like JD. I’ve got nothing but praise for him,” Broncos prop Adam Blair said. “He’s helped me express myself a lot more with the ball. “We’ve got some really skilful forwards here. He lets us play our footy. “He’s letting us as a forward group own the middle of the field. The backs play off the back of that.” Bennett and Demetriou have crafted an attacking style that is different to much of the cookie-cutter attack NRL clubs dish up weekly. Blair, Korbin Sims and Josh McGuire are encouraged to pass the ball instead of act like battering rams. Halves Anthony Milford and Kodi Nikorima are told to back their instincts instead of following strict playbooks. “Jase is very professional and when you have him and Wayne working together it’s a strong combination,” forward Alex Glenn said. “He works on our attack. He looks after our offensive shapes and it’s JD who has got us playing this style. “The guys are playing with their eyes up. A lot of teams are too structured and it can be easy to read when teams are going through the motions. “When you have players like Kodi and Milf who are so elusive, that’s their game and JD plays to our strengths in that area.” Without a bursting closet of big prop forwards, the Broncos had to be smart about their attack this season. Bennett and Demetriou have found the solution and the real test will arrive soon when the Broncos hit the finals and everything goes up a notch. But the Broncos believe they have a dynamic coaching duo with a philosophy to take them deep in 2017. “JD has brought a lot in,” winger Corey Oates said. “He’s what an assistant coach should be. He’s brought enthusiasm and a lot of different plays. He is a great coach.” [URL]http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/assistant-coach-jason-demetriou-plays-key-role-in-broncos-nrl-title-charge/news-story/99d2672347104e3f4c52604f0c91b7c2[/URL] JD loves his coffee. [/QUOTE]

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