Crash Tackle: The excuse restricting Broncos’ climb up the NRL ladder

The Broncos always expect their supreme talent level to bail them out, but it’s this “she’ll be right” attitude that is plaguing their season. ROBERT CRADDOCK wants the club to ban an excuse that is stalling Brisbane’s fightback.

Coach Kevin Walters. Picture: Liam Kidston

The Broncos should have a fines system for the next player who says after a loss “the thing is we have been training really well”.

Really? After six losses in a row?

It must be a relief for fans to know the team is training so well. Imagine what the scorelines would be if they were training badly?

They were at it again after Saturday’s loss. “We are training well.”

It’s a line of self-justification sportsmen whisper to themselves when they are effectively saying “oh well, we are doing all we can”.

Fair enough then. Well something has to improve. Unless the Broncos get moving in a hurry this could become a ‘Hall of Shame’ winter, with the club becoming the No.4 team in the state.

It probably won’t happen but the fact that, with just 18 points, the Broncos are trailing the Dolphins (24), the Cowboys (22), and have now been joined on the ladder by the Titans (18), means they have entered dire territory.

Kotoni Staggs and Kevin Walters after the loss to St George Illawarra. Picture: NRL

It’s incredible to think that the Dolphins, who were done no favours by the NRL and had a zillion contract knockbacks and several major injuries, have zoomed past the Broncos in just their second season.

A throwaway line from Matty Johns in his column for this publication several weeks ago sums up the Broncos’ slide.

In a line I wish I had thought of myself, Johns said talented teams often don’t get desperate enough quickly enough.

They always expect their supreme talent level to bail them out. Certainly for the majority of the Broncos’ six straight losses there was that “she’ll be right” vibe.

“Don’t worry ... when we get all the Origin boys back we will be right.”

Well they had better be switched on because the Broncos will need to win six of their last seven for a bare-boned eighth place on the ladder. You can tell by the demeanour of coach Kevin Walters after the Broncos’ loss to the Dragons on Saturday night that reality has dropped on his shoulders like a grand piano.

Walters is an emotional person who often does not speak to the team at length immediately after the game because he does not want the lid to pop off the saucepan and say something he could regret.

But he looked as crestfallen as he has ever appeared in his tenure at the Broncos, rubbing at his face and admitting his total bewilderment at how his team keeps losing.

The switch must be flicked immediately to save the season.

RING OF CONFIDENCE

A mystery Queensland sportsman is under consideration to design this year’s NRL premiership ring.

Sam Rahme, of Affinity Diamonds, who has presided over the design of the last nine rings, has opened a new store in Queen St, Brisbane and has nominated an unnamed Queensland great to help him with the design.

Last year the NRL men’s and women’s grand final rings were designed by PM Anthony Albanese.

Affinity Diamonds’ Sam Rahme with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese designing the 2023 NRL Premiership rings.

Other designers over the years included broadcaster Ray Warren, Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, Cowboys legend ­Johnathan Thurston and Gavin Cooper, who designed the first ring.

League tragic Rahme used to run the water for Manly for 22 years, many of them under his good friend Des Hasler.

The identity of the mystery ring designer – a genuine superstar but not a former rugby league player – is likely to be revealed soon.

Rahme has designed so many engagement rings for NRL players that players’ wives used to closely watch who he talked to when he was on the field as a runner for hints to whom might be tying the knot.