BEN Hannant did not deserve to be dropped from the Broncos, but Ipswich’s incumbent props are actually in better form than the State of Origin veteran.
Hannant finds himself in the green jersey this Saturday against the Capras, despite being one of the Broncos best props in their last game against South Sydney.
Hannant is better than starting Brisbane front-rower Martin Kennedy, but Jets props Rod Griffin and Kurtis Lingwoodock are machines capable of bruising efforts in sustained bursts.
Griffin in particular has been in sensational form, regularly playing 80 minutes in the middle and he dominated Josh Papalii last week at Davies Park.
The Jets players are excited to have Hannant in their team and I understand they were shocked when told he had been dropped and would join them.
He played a trial for the Jets early this year and ripped in, conducting himself with class.
Hannant is one of nicest men in rugby league and it is sad to see him being forced out of Brisbane.
I understand the Newcastle Knights are very interested, with Wayne Bennett always a fan of the man dubbed “Polar Bear”.
It will be interesting to watch how Hannant fares in the Intrust Super Cup; I expect not nearly as well as many Broncos fans would predict.
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THE passionate reaction to my top 10 Intrust Super Cup players proves how much this competition means to Queenslanders.
I copped it deluxe, even had club officials call me to bag the article, but that was of course part of the point, stirring debate.
On reflection, Souths Logan prop Mat Pitman deserved a mention somewhere. He has been one of the best forwards in the competition for several seasons.
Otherwise I am completely content with the list.
I will make it a bi-annual event; before XXXX Rivalry Round and during the Cup finals.
I cannot wait for the next round of insults to be hurled my way!
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QUEENSLAND has another potential Origin leader in Luke Bateman, who has handled the homophobic slur direct his way with class.
Bateman has used an equal dose of humour and common sense regarding the issue, which saw Mitchell Moses suspended for two weeks over the incident in the State of Origin Under 20 match.
Bateman played in the Intrust Super Cup as a 17-year-old for Souths Logan. A workhorse lock at the Raiders, he is regarded as club captain material.
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LET US hope that rugby league at a junior level never progresses to the madness rugby union’s elite schools are delivering.
I learned during the week that First XV squad members at two private schools in Brisbane are banned from playing any other school sport.
The players are made to concentrate solely on rugby, banning them from pursuing other interests such as cricket, basketball and of course, league.
Surely high school students would benefit more from learning a wide range of skills and enjoying sport before they progress to higher ranks where they can pick and concentrate on one.
