LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Kevin Walters has shared his thoughts on who should take over for the injured Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam in the halves for the Brisbane Broncos. The former coach advises Michael Maguire to avoid keeping Kotoni Staggs at five-eighth.
The Broncos experienced a major setback on Thursday night when both Reynolds and Mam sustained hamstring injuries during the same play against the Melbourne Storm. Reynolds is expected to be sidelined for around a month, while Mam's availability for the rest of the season is uncertain.
Ben Hunt is anticipated to step into the halves for one of the injured players, but his specific partner remains uncertain. Staggs shifted from centre to five-eighth after the injuries occurred, and Maguire has the choice of keeping him in that position as they face the Dolphins on Saturday night.
In addition to Staggs, the coach has other specialist halves who could fill the gap. Jock Madden and Josh Rogers both have considerable first-grade experience, while Billy Walters, primarily a hooker, has also played in the halves. Furthermore, the Broncos have a promising young talent Coby Black available, but club legend Darren Lockyer has advised caution in selecting the 19-year-old.
Walters argues that Maguire would be wiser to keep Staggs in the centres, suggesting that it might be a better move to position his son Billy at No. 6 alongside Hunt at halfback. "I feel like Kotoni is better in the centres," Walters stated on Fox League. "The Broncos need someone who is more of a genuine six. Kotoni did a good job the other night but his asset is his running and power game, and that's best served in the centres. Billy is an option for them at six."
Billy has experience playing five-eighth at the Wests Tigers, though he has mainly played hooker for the Broncos. "I trained probably 50-50 in the halves in pre-season," he mentioned earlier this year. "Something me and Madge spoke about in pre-season was that I hadn't trained too much at six, so I got some reps in there and dusted off the cobwebs."