Michael Maguire has been given the green light to make a key change to his forward pack, with reigning Broncos player of the year Patrick Carrigan revealing he’s willing to move to the front row this season.
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Carrigan is one of the best lock forwards in the world but could shift to prop, with Kobe Hetherington making it clear he wants to start in the No.13 jersey.
Hetherington had been told last year that he was free to leave, but Maguire made it clear that he wanted him to stay, with the middle forward now pushing hard to force his way into the starting side.
Carrigan has carved up at lock for the Broncos and Maroons but started in the front row for Australia in last year’s Pacific Championships, and he has no qualms if his new coach decided to move him there for round 1.
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“I think we’re just playing with a few things at the moment as a club, but I’ll always put this club first and my teammates first and whatever position I have to play, it is what it is,” he said.
“It’s not too dissimilar to me.
“I’ve played different positions last year, too, and the year before, whether it be anywhere in the middle, so it is what it is.”
Hetherington spoke a few weeks ago about his desire to force his way into the starting side having spent the majority of his career coming off the bench.
“Everyone wants to start. That’s my goal and what I am trying to do this pre-season,” he said in January.
The role of locks and props isn’t drastically different in the modern game, with Carrigan likely to switch between the roles during games if Maguire does make the move.
And the rep star is backing Hetherington to get the job done if he’s promoted to the starting side.
“Kobe’s a fine talent that’s more than capable of playing 13 at any other club in the NRL,” Carrigan said.
“We’re both competing for whatever spot it is in the forward pack, so the more we work hard and work with each other, the better we’re both going to be.
“I love playing with Kobe. He’s a tough old fella, he reminds me of some of the Broncos Old Boys and I’m excited for what he’s going to do this year because he’s got a really good pre-season.”
Carrigan’s passing game has made him a dual threat given he can also punch out big metres in the middle alongside fellow forward Payne Haas, and he’s set to become even more of a threat thanks to the arrival of attacking coach Trent Barrett.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with him so far on attack and he’s going to keep encouraging me to play my game and play what I see,” Carrigan said.
“And to be honest, I’ve really enjoyed adding a couple of strings to my bow and doing some things with him.
“I just want to keep working on things and play my brand of footy. And I mean, to be honest, at the end of the day, whatever number you wear it’s just a number, right? So, I’m not too fazed.”
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