- Aug 25, 2018
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Unpopular Opinion: Boyd should go to Fullback
- Thread starter 061ang
- Start date
Nightwatchman
NYC Player
- Aug 16, 2016
- 195
- 247
It might happen. Apparently, he's been training this week at fullback. Billy Slater made a great point that taking the captaincy away from Darius Boyd crushed his soul a little bit. The stripping of the captaincy was a knee jerk reaction to the finals Parramatta rout. It never really made sense doing it unless Boyd was not likely to be a regular in first grade and there was an obvious successor. Those two things haven't really happened.
The stripping of the captaincy was good for appearances that Anthony Seibold was doing something. But realistically it was only papering over the cracks of the problems the club was facing.
Darius Boyd trained at fullback today in a sign the Broncos may consider shifting the 33-year-old to his best position as Anthony Milford battles a hamstring issue.
Usual five-eighth Milford, on $1m a season, has been slammed for his lacklustre efforts this season as Brisbane endures a horror losing streak and was moved from the halves to fullback for Friday’s 46-8 loss to Melbourne.
The back spent time with the rehab group at Red Hill today and his hamstring was strapped.
Boyd trained at fullback in Milford’s absence, which suggests coach Anthony Seibold is at least thinking about him as an option in the No. 1 jersey.
The veteran has played most of his career at wing and fullback but was shunted to left centre this season where his poor defensive reads have been exposed. Regarded as one of the league’s best defensive fullbacks in his prime — a position he played for Queensland and Australia — NRL pundits have long been calling for Seibold to put Boyd at the back.
Broncos legend and director Darren Lockyer said on the Sunday Footy Show a lack of other options at left centre convinced Seibold that was the best way to use Boyd in 2020, and the under-siege coach has already experimented with other fullbacks this year including Milford, Jamayne Isaako and Tesi Niu.
Rugby league legend Billy Slater told Nine on Sunday if he was in charge, he would move Boyd to fullback.
“The Broncos need stability and you get that from your fullback, especially defensively,” Slater said.
“Darius, firstly, perfected the role. He’s a great defensive fullback, he’s played for his country, his state, he’s won two grand finals at fullback.
“But when you take that position off Darius, and then you take the captaincy off him, you nearly break his football soul.
“Darius has been a fraction of himself this year. And you take all those positions off him and they just lack a bit of leadership. I would definitely go Darius at fullback.”
After the Broncos’ shocking 48-0 loss to Wests Tigers two games ago, Sharks premiership-winner Paul Gallen led the chorus calling for Boyd to return to his best position.
“The first thing I’d do is put Darius Boyd back to fullback,” Gallen said on Nine’s 100% Footy.
“It sounds funny but fullback’s your first line of defence. When you’re a middle forward and you run back (in defence), you look at the fullback to tell you where to go. He tells you where to go.
“Darius Boyd’s sitting out in the centres doing absolutely nothing for this team at all. He’s the most senior play in that side, surely he’s got to be moved back to fullback.
“And that’s got to be a coach’s decision, doesn’t it? Surely.”
“I just can’t believe Darius Boyd is not at fullback. From a coaching point of view, I can’t believe he’s not at fullback.”
www.news.com.au
The stripping of the captaincy was good for appearances that Anthony Seibold was doing something. But realistically it was only papering over the cracks of the problems the club was facing.
Darius Boyd trained at fullback today in a sign the Broncos may consider shifting the 33-year-old to his best position as Anthony Milford battles a hamstring issue.
Usual five-eighth Milford, on $1m a season, has been slammed for his lacklustre efforts this season as Brisbane endures a horror losing streak and was moved from the halves to fullback for Friday’s 46-8 loss to Melbourne.
The back spent time with the rehab group at Red Hill today and his hamstring was strapped.
Boyd trained at fullback in Milford’s absence, which suggests coach Anthony Seibold is at least thinking about him as an option in the No. 1 jersey.
The veteran has played most of his career at wing and fullback but was shunted to left centre this season where his poor defensive reads have been exposed. Regarded as one of the league’s best defensive fullbacks in his prime — a position he played for Queensland and Australia — NRL pundits have long been calling for Seibold to put Boyd at the back.
Broncos legend and director Darren Lockyer said on the Sunday Footy Show a lack of other options at left centre convinced Seibold that was the best way to use Boyd in 2020, and the under-siege coach has already experimented with other fullbacks this year including Milford, Jamayne Isaako and Tesi Niu.
Rugby league legend Billy Slater told Nine on Sunday if he was in charge, he would move Boyd to fullback.
“The Broncos need stability and you get that from your fullback, especially defensively,” Slater said.
“Darius, firstly, perfected the role. He’s a great defensive fullback, he’s played for his country, his state, he’s won two grand finals at fullback.
“But when you take that position off Darius, and then you take the captaincy off him, you nearly break his football soul.
“Darius has been a fraction of himself this year. And you take all those positions off him and they just lack a bit of leadership. I would definitely go Darius at fullback.”
After the Broncos’ shocking 48-0 loss to Wests Tigers two games ago, Sharks premiership-winner Paul Gallen led the chorus calling for Boyd to return to his best position.
“The first thing I’d do is put Darius Boyd back to fullback,” Gallen said on Nine’s 100% Footy.
“It sounds funny but fullback’s your first line of defence. When you’re a middle forward and you run back (in defence), you look at the fullback to tell you where to go. He tells you where to go.
“Darius Boyd’s sitting out in the centres doing absolutely nothing for this team at all. He’s the most senior play in that side, surely he’s got to be moved back to fullback.
“And that’s got to be a coach’s decision, doesn’t it? Surely.”
“I just can’t believe Darius Boyd is not at fullback. From a coaching point of view, I can’t believe he’s not at fullback.”
Sign Broncos are finally considering significant backflip
Darius Boyd trained at fullback today in a sign the Broncos may consider shifting the 33-year-old to his best position as Anthony Milford battles a hamstring issue.
www.news.com.au
