Nikorima will share in kicking
BRONCOS coach Wayne Bennett has expressed his confidence in Kodi Nikorima as an option in Brisbane’s long kicking game this year.
Bennett has lost Ben Hunt, who played 12 games as halfback before being pitched by necessity into hooker, and Benji Marshall ( two finals games as a halfback), from his group of kickers used last season.
Nikorima, 23, is expected to get first crack at the half role, with Anthony Milford at fiveeighth, for Brisbane’s season opener against St George Illawarra at Kogarah on Thursday night.
“We will be using them both as kickers,” Bennett said.
“The instructions will be to kick the ball where the seagulls are, as Jack ( Gibson) used to say.”
Bennett will also be able to rely again on the valuable long kicking game of Andrew McCullough from dummyhalf after a knee injury ruled him out of the last eight matches of 2017.
Encouragingly for Broncos fans, their team had an 11- 2 win- loss record from Nikorima’s 13 games as starting halfback last year.
Nikorima played halfback in the first five games after McCullough suffered his season- ending injury, which ultimately saw Hunt selected as No. 9 for the last four games of the season.
In his address at the club’s launch on Friday night, Bennett told 750 guests that the Broncos were “ready to go”.