For my first rookie update this year I have decided to write about the person who’s on everybody’s lips this season; Leon Bott. Bott has been named on the wing for the Broncos round one clash against the Cowboys on Sunday, with many fans starting to wonder who this Leon Bott really is. Leon comes to the Broncos from a Rugby Union and athletics background, where he toured with the Australian Schoolboys Rugby Union team in 2003 and 2004 as a winger. Bott is also a gifted track athlete recording 10.80 seconds over 100 meters and breaking the Broncos 40 meter sprint record becoming the fastest ever Bronco player.

But that isn’t the only record that Leon is breaking at the Broncos: when he runs out onto Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, Leon will be the first schoolboy picked to play for the Broncos in the clubs 18 year history. Leon is currently completing his final year at The Gap High School, taking four subjects allowing him time to attend trainings.

A couple of years ago I said to some close friends “I think Darren Lockyer would make a fantastic five-eighth”, but was met with ridicule and laughter. After one interrupted season at five-eighth, and a successful Tri-Nations tournament I would have to assume that we haven’t yet seen Locker fulfil his true potential. I have to agree with Wayne Bennett when talking about Lockyer, stating that he’s “only scratched the surface” of his true ability.

The last game that Lockyer played was in the Tri-Nations final against Great Britain, where he dominated the entire game with his vast array of skills; running, passing, support play, kicking and vision. Some commentators even a former Australian captain, described his performance in the first half as ‘the most dominant ever’ by an Australian player, with Bennett adding “It was a sign of ‘things’ to come”.

On the surface the idea of having two referees that interchange throughout a rugby league game appears fantastic. From what I can gather, a referee will be given a rest from the game when there is an appropriate opportunity. A less experienced referee will then come into the game and control the match until the senior referee is ready and the opportunity permits. Apparently it’s not so much the physical toll of the game that will force a referee to interchange, but the mental toll that the game is having on them. Call me a ‘traditionalist’ but the idea of two referees running a game doesn’t sit well with many fans including myself.

One problem that may arise by having two referees controlling the game is how each referee interprets the rules. Different interpretation between the referees could affect the way the game is played. The first referee might afford a larger ten meters then the interchange referee. Therefore, the game could be played in an attacking fashion for thirty minutes, but when the interchange referee comes on, he may only set an eight meter defensive line, forcing both teams to adjust. The second referee may also allow the tackler to hold down the attacking player longer, enabling teams like the roosters to capitalize on the shorter line and longer ruck competition.

You either have it or you don’t Although Wayne Bennett implements a lot of skills training at practice to help build the skill level of the team, there are some players who have natural skill. It’s those players where I think our future lay.

In the forwards we will have plenty of strength and go forward, Shane Webcke, Dane Carlaw, Petero Civoniceva, Darren Mapp, Corey Parker, Tonie Carroll and Brad Thorn. But I wouldn’t class any of those forwards as having a lot of skill, sure they are skillful at what they do, but they’re no Phil Lee.

The skillful players that must come into contention every week next season are; Sam Thaiday, Neville Costigan and Tom Learoyd. Thaiday is strong through the line, has a classy step for a big person and has a good passing game. Costigan has shown his ability to cover anywhere in the back row, hooker and the halves, he has a clever kicking game, creative ball playing abilities and that raw aggressiveness to his defence. Learoyd has amazing speed off the mark, creates second phase play through his off-loading ability plus his natural ability to run into a gap. These players combined with Barry Berrigan give the Broncos forward pack an edge over every other pack in the competition, except maybe the Bulldogs.

After Shaun Berrigans match winning performance against the Warriors, I am convinced that Berrigan is the key to the Broncos making a strong charge into the Finals. It’s not just his try scoring ability, or his line breaks or his offloads that will help the Broncos; it’s his mere presence on the field.

Shaun Berrigan was shifted out to centres this year, allowing for a much talented halves pairing of Darren Lockyer and Brett Seymour to guide the team around the park. Berrigan flourished in his new position, with Lockyer feeding clean ball to the strong ball runner with the tactic paying dividends. Berrigan had scored six trys from only eight games. Berrigan had started the season so strongly he was selected as the Australian Test utility for the ANZAC Test against New Zealand.

But disaster struck.

Heading into the round eight game against the Bulldogs, the Broncos form was amazing; looking the strongest since 2000. But during the game, Berrigan injured his hamstring. His injury was the start of a form slump for the Broncos, losing three games from seven matches.

Rookie Update: Neville Costigan

For my forth, and long overdue rookie spotlight I’ve chosen Neville Costigan. I’ve decided to review Neville because of his ‘man of the match’ effort against the Dragons. Costigan represented the junior Kangaroos at Lock and looks set to eventually take over the role once players like Toni Carroll and Gorden Tallis retire. He also won the Broncos ‘Rookie of the Year’ award last year and is known at the club as one of the biggest hitters. But it’s his technique which amazes me. “It’s all in the shoulder” remembering my coach would shout at me when the tackling bags came out at training. Neville uses his shoulder to great effect as he drives it into the rib cage of his unsuspecting opponent. Enough of my reminiscing, lets get started:

For my third rookie spotlight I have chosen Tom Learoyd. 'Tommy' comes to the Broncos straight from high school. He represented the junior kangaroos recently and has also starred for the New South Wales under 19's against Queensland last year at Lang Park. Tom has the power, agility and skill to dominate oppostion forward packs the same way which Brad Thorn did for the Broncos. He has been playing centre recently for the Toowoomba Clydesdales, but I see his future with the Broncos in the second row.

Ok lets get started!

At the start of the season Gorden Tallis has me confused; he retired from representative football, had a full pre-season, and publicly stated that he hoped it would improve his form, even using Brad Fittler as an example. Watching the first game for the season, a trial game in Toowoomba, I was thinking to myself after the game “Gordie, what are you talking about”. After his game against the Warriors I was split between thinking that he led from the front as a great captain does, but where was his damaging runs, where was that glare in the eye, where was his mongrel?

It was against the Tigers where I could see the Raging Bull bubbling from within, fighting to be released. A few good runs on the fringes, a few offloads, some line breaks and some mongrel back in him. But surely we could all see it, the game against the Storm, THE RAGING BULL WAS BACK!