Baby Broncos back line has opposition perplexed
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday April 7, 2010
ASKED yesterday what he knew about the Brisbane team that will travel to Wollongong to play St George Illawarra on Friday night, Dragons forward Jeremy Smith admitted: "I don't really know much about them at all".After axing winger Antonio Winterstein and centre Ben Teo for disciplinary reasons, Broncos coach Ivan Henjak yesterday named a side that even his predescor Wayne Bennett - now in charge of the Dragons - would struggle to recognise.With Israel Folau (thumb) and Justin Hodges (knee) among nine injured players at Brisbane, Corey Norman, Gerard Beale, Dale Copley, Alex Glenn and Mitch Rivett comprise the most inexperienced outside backs in the club's history.Lock Matt Gillett and interchange players Ben Hunt, Mitchell Dodds, Josh Hoffman and debutant Dunamis Lui - a 100kg prop/second-rower, who works as an apprentice mechanic - are all under 20s graduates this season."They've got a whole new base of players," Smith said. "Im not too worried about them, I'm worried about what we can control and what we focus on is our little plays and what we can do right."Henjak has also dropped prop Nick Kenny to the bench, preferring to start with Ashton Sims and Scott Anderson up front against the Dragons.Bennett has made just the one change from the team which lost 17-4 to Melbourne last week, with Nick Emmett replacing Ricky Thorby.Meanwhile, veteran Newcastle centre Adam MacDougall will be sidelined for a month with a fractured thumb, while fullback Shannon McDonnell (thumb) and hooker Isaac De Gois (concussion) are in doubt for Saturday night's clash with South Sydney.Warriors backrower Michael Luck also has a broken thumb and will be replaced as captain by Queensland Origin centre Brent Tate for Saturday night's match against the Bulldogs.Former Manly prop Tim Browne will make his debut for Canterbury, while back rower Gary Warburton returns after a two week suspension.
© 2010 Sydney Morning Herald