Brisbane Broncos’ divide can be traced back to one incident
As the divide between Brisbane’s old boys and the current crop of players continues to simmer, one incident is the likely catalyst for the feud, writes ROBERT CRADDOCK.
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When the Broncos were getting outmuscled by the Warriors on Saturday, sizzling text messages from club old boys were flying around like a piece of spitting fat on a barbecue.
If one of them landed on your arm it would burn a hole in your skin.
It happens regularly now as frustration rises in the ranks of the old players after the Broncos’ six losses in a row.
The angst is easily explainable because many of the players come from eras where Brisbane were premiership pacesetters in every way – the club everyone wanted to beat or play for.
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But it’s more than that. Something is not right with the connection with the old boys and the club.
But the most divisive question has become not if it exists but does it matter?
If numbers are your thing you can happily fire up the stats which show that the club has 17 ex-players on its books including Mick Hancock, Allan Langer, Corey Parker, Peter Ryan and Justin Hodges.
How many do you want before it muddles the message?
If a player needs mentoring from a past hero and he cannot find a voice in that lot who solves the problem maybe he hasn’t got what it takes to crack the big time.
There’s also the issue of some old players lamenting they missed out on jobs at the club.
One recent story has emerged about a former player being asked to return as a favour but failed to come because he was not being paid.
However, not every (unpaid) old boy is at odds with the club.
There are the likes of Brent Tate who is totally at peace with how the Broncos treat him and claims he feels “very welcome” whenever he passes through its doors.
Others like Ben Ikin – a smart man worthy of being the next chief executive – has no axe to grind but avoids deep contact with the club so he can stay as impartial as possible in his television work for Fox League.
But still there is a sense that there is a gulf which needs to be fixed.
There is a theory the gulf between the current and past team started when Kevin Walters was overlooked for Anthony Seibold for the head coaching role.
Walters, a former premiership captain, is a revered figure among the old boys because he is a man without malice.
The old boys felt, as his great mate Gorden Tallis put it, that “Walters had earnt the right to fail”.
They felt Walters could do for Brisbane what Ricky Stuart had done for Canberra – come back to his own home town and unite the fans, members and players.
Brisbane is a long way from that point at the moment.
Originally published as Brisbane Broncos’ divide can be traced back to one incident