Is Brisbane the new Melbourne?

The Brisbane Broncos have the chance to embark on a Melbourne Storm-style dynasty. These Broncos have youth and experience, exuberance and excitement and are as skilful as any NRL team. Something special is brewing in Brisbane – something we saw in Melbourne the last five years.

Storm’s proud history

We all know how Melbourne’s dynasty crumbled in April this year, but let’s not forget what they had done for most of this decade. The Storm blooded and created stars out of Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Israel Folau, Greg Inglis, Dallas Johnson, Cooper Cronk, Ryan Hoffman, Adam Blair, Matt King and many more. Most of these guys came to the club as kids and left as stars.

Since 2006 Melbourne featured in all Grand Finals and would have been a contender this year. This is the best club we have seen in years and while they cheated to keep the band together, we can’t ignore what they created.

Broncos future path

Watching this Brisbane team on a weekly basis, gee whiz there are some similarities. Look at the young guys who have been in this squad fulltime for little more than a year: Hoffman, Gillett, McCullough, Yow Yeh, Glenn, Dodds, McGuire and Norman. Who’s to say in five years we won’t compare these guys to a Slater, Smith or Inglis?

The Brisbane side also has enough ‘old heads’ in the form of Lockyer, Thaiday, Tronc and Kenny to lead the rookies. Back in the day Melbourne had the likes of Robbie Kearns, Scott Hill, Matt Geyer and Michael Crocker guiding their new guys.

Most of this Brisbane squad will stay together for the next two years at least, creating the possibility of a Storm-style dynasty. Looking at this Broncos team now, you can see something special potentially lying beneath.

They are a young side in 2010 and we’ve seen they have as many good days as they do bad ones. However, as this squad grows under Lockyer, I think we could see another evolution just as we were lucky enough to have with the Melbourne Storm 2006-2010.

The coaches

Make no mistake why we have seen one great dynasty and the potential for another one under the watchful eyes of Craig Bellamy and Ivan Henjak. These two guys are quite similar and served very similar apprenticeships under Wayne Bennett.

They carry differences to Bennett and both have their own personalities, but the teachings and groundings are the same. They travelled an identical path created by the best coach we have seen in at least 25 years.

Salary Cap

Thanks to the Storm’s cheating, every successful team over the next few years will be heavily scrutinised. Any side that wins Grand Finals and contains more than four rep players will have salary cap doubts cast on them.

From a fans point of view, we have to believe that the clubs now are doing things above board. Of course Brisbane will be scrutinised, especially in the Sydney media, because of the names on their roster for 2011 following the Inglis signing.

I will say this – I have followed the club for more than 15 years and can tell you players will play for less money. Some of the great Broncos like Webcke, Tallis, Langer and Lockyer could all have made more money elsewhere but chose to stay.

The Broncos have also lost more quality players than any other club in the last decade or so – Sailor, Tuqiri, Hunt, Civoniceva, Berrigan – plus five guys from the current squad including Israel Folau. While the superstars are on good coin, these rising stars are not. They are well paid but could probably command more at other clubs now, and command more from the Broncos when their contract is up.

How the Broncos manage that will be the difference between them and the Storm.

2010 and beyond

I’m not saying Brisbane can win the competition this year – I think they’re in it up to their eyeballs and on their day can beat anyone though. No matter what happens over the next eight weeks, the potential in this squad is enormous. If they stay together, I think we will see Melbourne Storm Version 2 emulating out of Suncorp Stadium.

TIPPING

Tips – Broncos, Roosters, Titans, Bulldogs, Warriors, Storm, Penrith, Dragons
Last Week – 2/8
Total – 89/160 (56%)

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Until next week,
Keyto