Brisbane Broncos: Is this the worst side in the club’s history?
The Broncos cannot go on like this. Anthony Seibold is surely a dead-man walking, the star recruit hasn’t worked, Anthony Milford’s confidence is shot and the decision making across the board was garbage, according to a club great. Heads must roll, writes Peter Badel.
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The Broncos cannot go on like this.
This is the worst team in Brisbane’s proud history.
Heads must roll.
Brisbane’s board are adamant Anthony Seibold is safe but surely he is a dead-man walking in the wake of Friday night’s latest debacle, this time a 48-0 train wreck against the Wests Tigers in Sydney.
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The Broncos’ 26-8 defeat of the last-placed Bulldogs last week was put in appropriate context by this Leichhardt Oval massacre, which paints Brisbane as a team with no cohesive strategy and no defensive spirit.
To compound the pain of a nine-tries-to-nil disgrace, Broncos utility Corey Oates’ season could be over after he was stretchered off with a sickening leg injury.
Brisbane’s seventh loss from their past eight games was so insipid it triggered an extraordinary attack from club legend Corey Parker, who unloaded on Broncos players in his commentary role for Fox Sports.
No one tried harder in a Broncos jumper than Parker. He played 347 games. He spilt blood and was mentored by legends like Shane Webcke, Andrew Gee and Petero Civoniceva, men who personified Brisbane’s DNA.
Parker, now a Broncos assistant coach, labelled the side’s decision-making “garbage”.
He was dead right.
When Brisbane founders Barry Maranta, Paul Morgan, Gary Balkin and Steve Williams created the club in 1988, they vowed the Broncos would never sink into the mediocrity of other Sydney-based teams.
The current Broncos operation have failed their forefathers. Rotting in 14th spot, they are in a sickening wasteland never before seen in Brisbane’s decorated 32-year history — wooden-spoon territory.
A few of Wests Tigers’ tries were well-constructed, but most were pathetically soft and here’s the scary part: the Broncos face the mighty Melbourne Storm at Suncorp next Friday night.
DEAD MAN WALKING
A fortnight ago, Seibold said he would sack himself if he believed he wasn’t the right man for the job.
Surely now, Brisbane’s decision-makers have reached the crossroads. Seibold looked shattered and clueless in the coaching box.
On the evidence of the past two months, the Broncos can’t make the finals. Thus, Seibold’s position is untenable. The richest club in the league, with unmatched resources, should never finish in the bottom four.
So either Seibold must be magnanimous and fall on his sword, or Brisbane bosses should have the gumption to swallow their pride, pull the trigger and begin the search for a coach to fix this mess.
CLUELESS CROFT
It was Seibold who wanted to sign Brodie Croft. His purchase as Brisbane’s halfback has failed.
The Storm don’t release players without good reason. Melbourne believed Croft couldn’t fire under pressure and the Broncos No.7 and halves partner Anthony Milford simply haven’t jelled. Croft’s limp-armed failure to stop Luciano Leilua’s 24th-minute try was pea-hearted. Milford’s confidence is shot. It is the coach’s job to harness, extract and cultivate individual talent for a collective benefit.
SOFT CENTRE
Seven of the Tigers’ nine tries should have been stopped. Harry Grant strolled over almost untouched in the 15th minute. But the real nightmare came in the 34th minute when Leilua caught a dropout, spun around past winger Xavier Coates, and cantered to the corner for a 26-0 half-time lead. It was embarrassing.
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WALTERS’ REVENGE
BILLY Walters _ the son of Broncos legend Kevin _ starred for the Tigers. In just his seventh NRL game, the 26-year-old was outstanding and capped a fine game at five-eighth with his first NRL try. His father could answer an SOS as coach to save the Broncos.