How Alex Glenn went from outcast to Brisbane Broncos captain
Just months ago Alex Glenn was tossing up a move to Sydney to keep his NRL career alive, but now he will replace Darius Boyd as new captain of the Brisbane Broncos.
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A few months ago, Alex Glenn toured the Penrith Panthers as he weighed up a move to Sydney to continue his NRL career.
A year earlier, he was being tossed up to the Gold Coast Titans as his future in Brisbane hit a crossroads.
Yesterday, as tears welled in his eyes, Glenn was named the new captain of the Brisbane Broncos.
Glenn, 31, became the 11th formal captain of the Broncos in the club’s 32-year history when he was anointed to succeed axed skipper Darius Boyd.
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A New Zealand international, Glenn is the first non-Queensland product to captain the Broncos.
Grateful was the word Glenn used repeatedly throughout his 23-minute press conference at Red Hill, as more than 30 Broncos employees watched on.
He was grateful to captain the Broncos’ inaugural under-20s team in 2008 and grateful to make his NRL debut a year later.
And he has had few prouder moments in a 259-game NRL career than sitting between Broncos CEO Paul White and coach Anthony Seibold yesterday to be crowned the club’s new leader.
“I didn’t know where I was going last year, whether I’d be going down south,” Glenn said.
“To turn the stories around, to re-sign with this club that I love so much for another two years and be named club captain is so surreal and something I’m truly grateful for.
“You dream of wearing a Brisbane Broncos jersey. To now be captain of a club with such rich history and so many legends is something I’m very grateful for.
“I’ll be doing everything I can to make you all proud.”
Seibold brought an end to Boyd’s three-year reign as Broncos skipper within days of Brisbane’s record 58-0 loss to Parramatta in last year’s NRL finals series.
Boyd, 32, struggled for form last year and Seibold wanted to alleviate the pressure on the former Maroons and Kangaroos star at the back end of his career.
But it wasn’t until a fortnight ago that Seibold asked Glenn to lead one of the NRL’s powerhouse clubs.
“I took him for lunch at the leagues club, it was an old school catch up,” Seibold said.
“We got together over bacon and eggs and a coffee.
“We spoke like men. I told him I see him as someone with influence in our group.
“I don’t want him to change at all. He doesn’t need to call out plays on the field or come up with strategies.
“Why he’s been elected as a leader is because of his actions. He’s very consistent. Every day he turns up ready to train and he looks after himself really well.
“I know what I’m going to get every single day from him.
“It’s a big job but Alex will represent our club on and off the field in the highest regard.”
Apart from being a Kiwi, there is one glaring difference between Glenn and the Broncos’ other 10 captains.
They have all tasted premiership success during their decorated careers.
Wally Lewis, Gene Miles, Allan Langer, Kevin Walters, Gorden Tallis, Darren Lockyer, Sam Thaiday, Justin Hodges, Corey Parker and Boyd were greats of the game.
Glenn played in Brisbane’s heartbreaking 2015 grand final loss to the Cowboys and said winning a title was what made him get out of bed every morning.
“When I sat down with Seibs and he tossed it up and said to have a think about it, there was no thinking about it – I was more than happy to take the opportunity,” he said.
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“The premiership is always the driving force and why I wake up every morning and compete every single day to be my best.
“If I didn’t have my sights or goals on winning a premiership, then I’m in the wrong profession.
“I want to bring the trophy back to Brisbane. It’s been a long time (2006) since we’ve had one here.
“My goal is to bring that trophy back to where it belongs here in Brisbane.”
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