Wayne Bennett had Richo building the roster before Wayne arrived.
The fact even a reasoned and thoughtful poster like yourself, thinks Bennett can immediately have success in 2025 and 2026, with this roster, where the 'star' players are the same players he had in 2019-2021 (- Burgess, Reynolds, + Wighton), is surprising. And I write 'star', because those guys are either consistently lame, or over the hill now.
The club has not regenerated its roster in 5 seasons. It now has #25-30 type of players from about the 12th best player in the current top 30, and that's generous.
I can't believe that a bloke that over the past decade has been an assistant at a premiership winning team, worked under one of the best coaches in the game, and was the coach of the #1 team this time last year with a full roster, is failing with his X's, and O's and processes.
You’re entitled to your opinion.
Wayne was announced as coach in October 2018. He made roster moves in the offseason and early new year and once the season had started to get a side he wanted. And they built towards the 2021 run over the next two years supplementing the early retirements of GI and Sam.
It’s now May. He has time to get this roster in shape.
On the ‘12th best player’ stuff, our top 10 are pretty easy to single out. I’d say players 11-20 would be:
Johnston, Dodd or Ilias, Gray, Munro, Havili, Host, S Mitchell, Moale, Duncan and Tass.
Under a good coach, I don’t think that’s a bad 11-20.
If you do, then that’s your prerogative.
I agree ideally we make 2 quality first string signings to compliment the supposed Dodd signing for 2025. Along with Bennett. A Burgess replacement and a quality outside back (my kingdom for a Caleb Clarke type).
On the ageing roster, Broncos are having success with Reyno, Manly with DCE. Players don’t become less valuable because you get tired of seeing them in your colours. They’re 18 months removed from a Prelim, 12 months removed from a credible ladder position. This isn’t a Dogs or Wests Tigers squad that has been neglected over 4-5 years.
6 of our current guys played Origin or for England last year. Wighton and Mitchell would have. Tatola and Graham are up there in that quality too. That’s a very strong top 10 players for your roster.
A good coach gets those guys playing like that.
Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.