‘Young dumb’: Damning Walsh accusation explains collapse

The Broncos have been called out over a “crippling addiction” that appears to be at the heart of the club’s struggles.

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With 20 minutes left in last year’s grand final, the Broncos of old were so ‘back’ you could smell another 90’s dynasty.

But in hindsight it was only the new Broncos in disguise and the smell was just a Cavendish banana in Alfie’s bag from 1993.

After four straight losses and a season bereft of big scalps, the glorious Broncos revival of 2023 is being slowly exposed as false and unfounded.

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And with a restocked Panthers looming for this Friday night’s grand final rematch, the powerhouse’s presumed top four finish is fading faster than Kevin Walters’ eyebrows.

So where did it go wrong?

2024 was supposed to be Brisbane’s triumphant correction of the most insane grand final collapse since the Optus TV.

Long-term success beckoned with a youthful outfit who’d shun the mental baggage because not only are they sassily confident, they’re also emotionally desensitised from growing up in the digital age.

But therein lay the problem.

Adam Reynolds consoles Ezra Mam after the grand final loss to Penrith. Pics Adam Head

Sure, the Broncos have been cruelled by the loss of Adam Reynolds and the rigors of the Origin period, but their actual issue is much more complex than that.

The REAL reason they’ve been junk is because they’re still drinking their own bathwater after 2023.

Yep, the Broncos have reassumed the Seibold era where they can’t buy a win but at least they’ve got loads of followers and look flash on the new KIA billboard.

Nobody’s saying we shouldn’t enjoy Reece Walsh’s teeth popping like crazy in 4K, but these blokes are resting on their laurels as much as their commercial partnerships.

And worse, they can’t grip a Steeden because their fingers are calcified from chasing likes.

After belying their birth certificates last year by having their heads screwed on and their devices on silent, the Broncos are back to being young, dumb and full of thumbs, and you’d swear the ephemeral rush of a notification is of greater importance than an energetic kick chase.

Walsh, of course, is the most followed player in the NRL with more than 500,000 Instagram followers.

The swagger is infectious. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Of course, blaming kids and social media for everything wrong with society is entry-level outrage, and many of us have developed RSI in the rotator cuff from shaking our fists at these clouds.

But I don’t remember Pearl and Lazo wasting time on the ‘Gram- do you?

It’s time this Broncos side decided if it’s more interested in impressing fans or 15 year old girls - and James Graham agrees.

Speaking on Triple M, the straight-talking Pom posed whether the side was more interested in “Beatlemania or winning premierships”, and as a fellow middle-aged grump, it’s hard to disagree.

Sure, you could argue these young Broncos can’t be focused solely on football 24/7, and they should be free to bask in the achievement of things like a grand final and running filters over their faces.

But stuff that.

We know loving yourself sick is an addiction that has plagued the Broncos since the 80’s.

And it’s never easy to shake in the warm bosom of a one-team city with a friendly media that cheers more than it chides.

Reece Walsh. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

But the difference between today’s side and yesteryear is this:

The 2024 outfit receives all the plaudits as a top-four side, but they haven’t rocked a boat since the 55 minute mark of last year’s grand final.

In fact, they’ve only notched three wins over top eight opposition this year, and even then it was only the Cowboys (round 4), Dolphins (round 6) and Raiders (round 7), all three who are either flighty, fanciful or fraudulent.

Admittedly, the return of Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas and Walsh will be a timely boost- but is it too late to rescue an imperiled top four finish?

Such is the fickle nature of a footballers confidence, desperate fans are starting to believe only one name can return to sort the mess.

But sadly Wayne Bennett’s already signed with Souths.

- Dane Eldridge is a warped cynic yearning for the glory days of rugby league, a time when the sponges were magic and the Mondays were mad. He’s never strapped on a boot in his life, and as such, should be taken with a grain of salt.

Originally published as ‘Young dumb’: Damning Walsh accusation explains collapse