Run and stun: Johns urges Croft to challenge the line

Anthony Seibold and premiership winner Matthew Johns have urged halfback Brodie Croft to run the football more in Friday's crucial away clash with Wests Tigers.

It is no surprise Seibold and Johns are on the same page with regards to Croft. Last year the Broncos coach asked the Knights great to work with his playmakers and he did a couple of sessions with them in the pre-season.

Croft was still at Melbourne then, but Johns said he may have found the right home at Brisbane.

"I have worked with Brodie a little bit and my advice is run first, pass second," Johns told NRL.com.

"I think he has got real talent. Brisbane could turn out to be a really good fit for him because he has got good forwards who can play the ball quick and he can get on the back of that and really challenge the defensive line.

"At the moment their yardage game is struggling and as a result their attack is a little bit too sideways, but at this point of his career he is a run first, pass second halfback.

"If you look at the good stuff Brodie does it is on the back of his running game and his footwork."

Croft is averaging 53 run metres in 2020 and has scored just one try, which came against the Eels when he took the line on and burst away to score with genuine pace.

"We encourage both our halves to run. When Milly [Anthony Milford] and Crofty take the line on they are dangerous," Seibold said.

"I don’t want Crofty thinking just to shift the footy. We want him taking the line on and playing really direct because that is when he plays his best.

"He has scored some really good tries with the Storm, and we saw him score a cracker against Parramatta, when he took the line on. When he does that he adds not only more of a threat to his own game but also to our team as well."

Seibold, who said Croft's defence had been strong this year, pointed out how he had played with a variety of fullback and hookers since the season started which had proven challenging in terms of combinations.

Now he has a stable spine with Tesi Niu, Milford and Issac Luke getting an extended run together Seibold said Croft would "build further cohesion".

If you look at the good stuff Brodie does it is on the back of his running game and his footwork.

Matthew Johns

Seibold has asked Milford to do more of the kicking in general play which worked a treat last week in the five-eighth's best kicking display of the year in the win over Canterbury.

That has also taken the heat off Croft being expected to be the sole game manager in the halves.

 "Game managers develop. It is not just something that happens overnight or that you develop in your first or second seasons," Johns said.

" It is miles on the clock where you start to dictate the terms and tempo of a contest.

“I thought it took it took Cooper Cronk a long time to manage a contest and he ended up being the best we have seen, but it took time."

Meanwhile, Seibold said lock Pat Carrigan would be the sole captain in the absence of the injured Glenn after he had previously shared the role with Croft.

"I just thought the next step for him was to lead the team by himself and that allows Crofty to concentrate on his own game," Seibold said.

"Patty has won the coach’s award the last few weeks with his efforts and actions on the field.

"Patty is a good choice at this particular time and he has got great support from Darius Boyd as well."