NRL 2021: Brodie Croft will look to make a statement in this weekend’s trial for the Broncos

Fighting to save his career after a 2020 season to forget, Brodie Croft puts everything on the line this weekend when he partners Tom Dearden at the Broncos scrumbase for a trial match.

Brodie Croft has vowed to fight for his career at the Broncos, with the embattled playmaker insisting he has not given up hope of displacing Tom Dearden as Brisbane’s first-choice halfback.

A broken hand to star pivot Anthony Milford has opened the door for Croft to make a statement when he joins forces with Dearden at the Broncos scrumbase for Saturday night’s trial against the Cowboys at Redcliffe.

The match doubles as a testimonial match for Broncos skipper Alex Glenn as Brisbane pay tribute to the back-rower’s stellar 267-game career at Red Hill.

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Brodie Croft is keen to show Kevin Walters what he can do this weekend.

But Brisbane’s final pre-season hitout will also serve as a crucial opportunity for Croft, who is desperate to impress new Broncos coach Kevin Walters following his tumultuous debut season at Red Hill last year.

Former Broncos coach Anthony Seibold bought Croft from Melbourne as the solution to the club’s 14-year premiership drought, but the former Storm playmaker was ultimately dropped just 14 games into his Brisbane career.

Croft hasn’t been seen in Broncos colours since August 28 last year, but is adamant he has something to offer the club amid speculation he could be offloaded by Walters.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said.

“I want to get back to playing my best brand of footy. I know what I am capable of, I know my talents and strengths and weaknesses I have to work on.

“I want to get back to being the best football player I know I can be and then I will leave it to the coaching staff to see if I can get into the team.

Tom Dearden and Brodie Croft will form the Broncos halves pairing this weekend.

“I feel like I have been training well, but it’s different when you get to a game. Hopefully I can translate what I have been doing at training into the game.”

Croft was ostensibly the poster boy of Brisbane’s wooden-spoon finish last year.

The incredible sight of Croft shedding tears on the field after Brisbane’s loss in round eight against the Warriors summed up the pain, tension and frustration that left the Broncos gutted by the worst season in their history.

But the recent arrival of Croft’s first child, a baby boy, has given the 23-year-old perspective as he looks to rebuild his career at the Broncos.

“Things have changed a bit,” he said.

“The biggest change for me is having a kid, so my life has changed outside of football.

“It has given me something to get away from footy after the big pre-season days, you are getting flogged on the field, in the gym and on the wrestle mats, then you go home and I see my son’s big smile. It’s been really special.

2020 was a brutal season for the Broncos and Croft.

“Kevvie has been good for the club, he has brought us together as a group, bringing back a fair bit of the Bronco culture he was a part of in the 1990s. He was successful and we want to bring that to our game this year.”

There are question marks over Croft’s game-management ability but Walters has given him basic instructions in pre-season.

“Kevvie has just told me to keep it simple and run the football, take the line on and be aggressive with my defence. I just have to go from there,” he said.

“I just thought I questioned myself too much.

“I went away from what I knew my strengths were, things weren’t going great as a team and I was trying to overplay my hand and do things that weren’t there.

“Kevvie has simplified things for me and told me to play to my strengths.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Brodie Croft will look to make a statement in this weekend’s trial for the Broncos