{"id":93547,"date":"2021-07-01T02:16:10","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T02:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=93547"},"modified":"2021-07-01T02:56:46","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T02:56:46","slug":"who-broncos-should-axe-in-toughest-rebuild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=93547","title":{"rendered":"Who Broncos should axe in 'toughest' rebuild"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ben Ikin has taken on Australian sport's toughest job as the man tasked with rebuilding the Brisbane Broncos<\/a>, rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns says.<\/p>\n

Ikin is the Broncos' new football boss<\/a> and will try to revive a roster that has failed dismally. Brisbane won last year's wooden spoon and are bottom of the ladder again this season under new coach Kevin Walters. Ikin had a win on Thursday, with Brisbane formally announcing a three-year deal for Queensland Origin player Kurt Capewell; a signing that was already in the works before Ikin joined the club.<\/p>\n

Ikin left his role as a Fox Sports NRL analyst to join the Broncos, where he was a premiership player, and Johns doesn't envy him.<\/p>\n

"It's a big decision for Ben. He's gone from a career where there is a little bit of pressure but once you finish, your mind goes, to a position now where you've got to rebuild a great club and you've got to make some really tough decisions, and it's a 24\/7 job," Johns told Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth<\/em>.<\/p>\n

"Good luck to Benny, great fella – but he's got a job and a half in front of him. Probably the toughest job not only in rugby league but in sport across Australia."<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Johns and Brad Fittler gave their thoughts on a handful of problematic players on the Brisbane roster, naming those they would release or keep. Both believe that the Broncos are done with star halves Anthony Milford and Brodie Croft.<\/p>\n

Anthony Milford:<\/strong> Both would release.<\/p>\n

Matt Lodge:<\/strong> Johns would keep, Fittler would release.<\/p>\n

Tevita Pangai Jr:<\/strong> Johns would keep, Fittler would release.<\/p>\n

Corey Oates:<\/strong> Johns would release, Fittler would keep.<\/p>\n

Brodie Croft:<\/strong> Both would release.<\/p>\n

Ikin decided that forwards Pangai Jr and Lodge would stay put at least until the end of the season, despite being told to look for new teams; a call that board member and club great Darren Lockyer explained.<\/p>\n

"Obviously a lot of commentary around who's coming, going, both with the team and the staff. I think it's the right move to just sort of give some certainty around the playing group for the remainder of the year," Lockyer said on QLDER<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

"Potentially [make a final decision post-season] but I just think right now it's about getting some stability and getting a performance out of each and every one of the players."<\/p>\n

Johns said of Pangai Jr: "I think he can turn it around."<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Fittler said that Oates was his only survivor from the five players discussed due to the fact that he was a genuine club veteran, having debuted for Brisbane in 2013.<\/p>\n

"Corey Oates is a local so if I was going to keep anyone, I'd most probably keep Corey Oates because he's been there when they had good times. I'd be keeping Corey Oates for the fact that I think he could be part of the fabric," Fittler said on Freddy and the Eighth<\/em>.<\/p>\n

"I think when Tevita spoke out, I feel like he was quite happy that he was leaving and frustrated. Matt Lodge, I think, has been pretty busy in the market."<\/p>\n

Rabbitohs premiership winner Adam Reynolds is arriving as Brisbane's new halfback next year. While the Broncos have been touted to make Kotoni Staggs his halves partner at five-eighth, Johns and Fittler both gave a thumbs-down, believing that the re-signed start should remain at centre.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Fittler said that Ikin would need to ignore a barrage of outside noise while rebuilding the Brisbane roster and believed that his temperament was well-suited.<\/p>\n

"You get on with the job. The one thing I do find with Ben Ikin, he's got a really high level of common sense. He obviously understands footy very well, he's a really good communicator," Fittler said.<\/p>\n

"He went for the [CEO] job that Dave Donaghy [got]. It tells you he's looking for a challenged. In the times I've spoken to Ben, he's a very calm person. I think that's what they need up there at the moment, is someone calm.<\/p>\n

"I think with those two people involved, what you'll find with the Broncos, there'll be some really positive change over the next … it needs more than a couple of decisions, it's going to take 12 months, but I feel like they're two really good decisions made by their board and will get them back on track."<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Signing Capewell was an early win for Ikin, who is trying to put a stop to roster blunders such as the loss of teenage superstar fullback Reece Walsh to New Zealand.<\/p>\n

"Kurt has talent, footy smarts, experience and a strong work ethic, all attributes we want here at the Broncos," Ikin said in a statement.<\/p>\n

"In the past 12 months, he has played in an NRL grand ginal and a winning Queensland State Of Origin team \u2013 that experience will be invaluable for our playing group.<\/p>\n

"We have some great emerging talent here at the club, who are learning to be true rugby league professionals, and I think Kurt will be a perfect addition to the squad in that respect."<\/p>\n

For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0clicking here!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ben Ikin has taken on Australian sport's toughest job as the man tasked with rebuilding the Brisbane Broncos, rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns says. Ikin […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93547"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=93547"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93547\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93549,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93547\/revisions\/93549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=93547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=93547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=93547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}