Michael Maguire is reportedly keen to use Blake Mozer as his starting hooker at the Brisbane Broncos in 2025, which would come as a crushing new blow for Billy Walters after the sacking of his father Kevin. Billy Walters has been the Broncos' starting No.9 for the last two seasons, and helped them make the NRL grand final in 2023. But his form dipped in 2024 and the Broncos crashed to 12th on the ladder - their biggest fall from grace in club history. The Broncos have an embarrassment of riches in the hooking role, with Walters, Mozer, Tyson Smoothy and Cory Paix all on the roster. And the addition of Ben Hunt will see him switch to No.9 when Ezra Mam returns in the halves after his suspension is finished in Round 10. Maguire has a call to make about who will start the season at hooker, with Hunt expected to line up at No.6 alongside Adam Reynolds. Complicating matters is the fact Mozer is coming off contract and the Broncos are desperate to retain him, with the 20-year-old tipped to be a State of Origin hooker in waiting. Many believe Walters will start the season in the No.9 jersey with Mozer on the interchange bench. But the Courier Mail reported on Wednesday that Mozer is in line to start, meaning Walters would be relegated to the bench. If Walters is still out of a starting job by the time Mam is back from suspension, it would see the 30-year-old dumped to Queensland Cup or searching for a new club. “Blake is developing well,” Maguire told the Courier Mail. “I’ve really enjoyed talking to him about the role of a nine. It’s very important. He is touching the ball more than anyone. The nine dictates a fair bit about how we play. He’s been good with the way he’s gone about his training and learning his craft.”
No comments:
Post a Comment