On Friday night when Wayne Bennett dropped Herman Eseโese from the side. Reportedly this was because Eseโes is expected to announceย in the coming days that he will sign with the Newcastle Knights. Along with Tautau Moga, who interestingly was not dropped.
Eseโese'sย demotion should come as no surprise if true though. We all remember back in 2001 when Bennett dropped Justin Hodges after he signed a three-year deal with the Sydney Roosters.
But with Bennett leaving Hunt and Moga in, and with Eseโese not appearing on any injury list, conclusions have been made. Perhaps it's all just speculation? He didnโt leave Wallace out last year either.
So did the exclusion of Eseโese hurt the Broncos on Friday and can we expect to see him again this year?
Of course, it hurt them! The Storm ran an extra 236m than the Broncos. Added to that, the Broncos missed 31 tackles. Donโt get me wrong, I donโt think it would have changed the outcome, but he was definitely missed.
Eseโeseย is the Broncosโ 6thย leader in metres run, trailing only McGuire in the forwards. He is a constant struggle for teams coming off the bench and has even achieved a couple starting spots this year. He is a fantastic young player with a long future ahead of him.
Bennett was hired to win Premierships and if Eseโese helps us, he should be playing whether or not he is leaving.
But who am I to question the great super coach Wayne Bennett. After all, Hodges came back after his three-year stint with the tricolours. We have to believe Bennett knows what heโs doing.ย
Hunt is still playing, despite missing a game and coming off the bench in another. Moga is still playing. Why? Because we need them. Eseโese helps, but do we NEED him? Ofahengaue is playing well, so is Pangai Jr.
In conclusion, the Broncos have a bye next round, followed by the Knights. Will Eseโese plays against his potential new club? No one is quite sure.
But Broncos fans should relax, they'll make the eight, maybe even the four. Then when the finals start, Bennett will have figured out his best 17 and they will be a challenge for anyone, with or without Eseโese.
In Wayne We Trust
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