To Wallace or not to Wallace...

One topic that has been hot among Brisbane fans in recent times has been Peter Wallace and if he is what the team needs moving forward. Wallace joined Brisbane from Penrith in 2008 and on the whole has been sub-par in relation to other halfbacks.

Yours truly did a bit of number crunching and I found that out of the regular halfbacks, Wallace ranks as follows:

Tries - tied last
All Runs - 2nd Last to Sandow
All Run Metres - 2nd Last to Sandow
Line Breaks - 4th last with Foran, Cronk, Prince
Offloads - tied 3rd last
Tackles - 5th
Missed Tackles - 7th
Errors - 5th

The popular opinion is that Wallace is a very solid defensive halfback but he doesn't really stack up against the likes of Hornby, Cronk and Foran. In terms of line breaks, offloads and metres gained it seems he isn't that flash either. The other thing that is lacking in my opinion is his long passing game. Sure he doesn't get to show it much with Lockyer calling the shots but it's still a necessary part of any halfback's arsenal.

The above is a purely statistical standpoint which sometimes doesn't say the whole story. When watching Wallace in defence he often shuts down opposition players by himself and in attack he tends to offset Lockyer's passing with more ball running. He is still yet to develop into an attacking ball runner like Thurston but that should come with time.

So really the above still leaves us in limbo about good old P Wal. In State of Origin in 2008 he was NSW Halfback so the kid can play. He was in the form of his life up until the point he ruptured his testicle. I hate to say it but it seems a dislodged ball is enough to derail a football player. Players always take time to recover from injuries. Minichello is a prime example - he suffered a back injury and subsequently had more time off the field than on it. This year he rediscovered his form and was one of the better fullbacks in the NRL. His comeback was from a back injury which is far more substantial and limiting than a ruptured testicle.

With Lockyers potential retirement looming, the Broncos need to look for a halfback that will steer the side into the oncoming decade. Wallace is a solid halfback but for far too long have we gone without a game breaking halfback. The hunt for a new halfback needs to begin now. Or let's bring back Alf.