Michael Maguire has opted to name Ezra Mam on the bench for the NRL grand final with Cooper Cronk suggesting this was the best move against the Melbourne Storm. While Ben Talty was dropped from the 17 with Patrick Carrigan returning.
The Broncos coach was facing a huge call over who will partner Adam Reynolds in the halves. Reynolds returned, after a number of weeks out due to a hamstring injury, for the Broncos in the win over the Penrith Panthers.
Cooper Cronk (pictured left) called for Ezra Mam to remain on the bench for the NRL grand final against the Melbourne Storm and to keep Ben Hunt at No.6. (Images: Getty Images)
While there were concerns over Reynolds’ fitness and ability to link-up with Walsh, the veteran halfback showed why he is irreplaceable in the side having slotted the winning conversion to see the side reach the grand final. Returning alongside him was Mam who featured off the bench after also returning from a hamstring injury.
But Maguire would have been tossing up on whether to start Mam at five-eighth or remain with Ben Hunt for the decider. Hunt played the majority of the first-half in the halves, before shifting to No.9 when Mam came on for Cory Paix.
Mam partnered Reynolds in the halves for most of the season when the team was at full strength. Although Hunt has been in stellar form in the backend of the season having steered the side in Reynolds’ absence. And Cronk suggested Hunt and Reynolds managed the game quite well against the reigning champions and would remain with the same pair for the grand final.
“I think Ezra Mam starts off the bench. I like what Ben Hunt and Adam Reynolds do early on, Cory Paix is OK at No.9, then Ben Hunt goes to nine and he’s got confidence,” he said on Fox Sports. “He went for that 40-20 that went within a whisker, he threw the big dummy that got (Xavier) Willison that try.”
Ben Hunt retains Broncos halves role
Cronk felt Hunt improves the team when he moves into the No.9 jersey when defenders are tired and Mam also gives the side an advantage in the same scenario. “So I think you’ve got to keep Ezra Mam fresh, bring his running game on, and I like Ben Hunt’s confidence in the nine jersey.”
And Cronk was right with Maguire confirming on Tuesday, Mam would start on the bench barring any late switch. There were suggestions Hunt could shift to the utility role with Mam starting against the Storm. That would have seen Paix miss out since Tyson Smoothy can play No.9 and lock. However, Hunt has won six games in a row playing in the halves and Maguire was reluctant to change the halves pairing again in the biggest game of the season.
Cooper Cronk calls for Michael Maguire to stick with the same spine that played against the Penrith Panthers.
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Maguire was also facing a tough decision having to axe a player who played during the win over the Panthers to reach the grand final. Carrigan was serving a one-game suspension against the Panthers, but has been named to start at lock for the grand final.
This meant Maguire was forced to drop a player for the grand final. Former Broncos coach Kevin Walters suggested it could be mid-season signing Talty who would make way, considering he was the last player to join the squad.
And it was Talty that has made way with the team lists confirming the mid-season signing would move to the reserves. Otherwise there were no other changes to Maguire’s side that took on the Panthers.
Michael Maguire made the call to keep Ezra Mam (pictured right) on the bench for the NRL grand final.