NRL 2021: Broncos legend Gordon Tallis brings out best in Brisbane young gun Jordan Riki
Broncos young gun Jordan Riki has revealed how Brisbane legend Gordon Tallis is helping him take his game to another level.
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Brisbane young gun Jordan Riki has revealed how personal mentoring from Broncos legend Gorden Tallis helped inspire his blockbusting display to sink the Cowboys in the Queensland derby.
The Broncos revelled in the sight of another Raging Bull after back-rower Riki, 21, produced the finest game of his fledgling NRL career to spearhead Brisbane’s 37-18 demolition of the Cowboys on Friday.
He was lethal on Brisbane’s right edge, producing the 35th-minute bust for Brodie Croft’s try before scoring the final try of the night to consign the Cowboys to their seventh straight defeat.
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Aside from four tackle busts and two line breaks, Riki amassed 39 tackles without a single miss, a statistic that would have pleased him after defensive struggles this season.
By virtue of his youth, Riki has suffered form fluctuations but the New Zealand-born muscle man has been steeled by candid words from former Brisbane skipper Tallis, one of the greatest forwards in Broncos history.
“When ‘Kevvie’ (coach Kevin Walters) first started, he got me in contact with Gordie and I’ve had chats with him over the phone,” Riki said. “He has been really good to talk to.
“He is straight to the point, he is upfront and I love that. He just said make it personal which I try to take into every single game. Gordie is definitely a good fella to talk to.”
Riki played his 19th NRL game against the Cowboys and, while he is a physical specimen, he has struggled with defensive reads this season.
But Brisbane’s decision to hand Riki a three-year extension in March is evidence of the big plans it has for a 107kg powerhouse tipped to join Penrith recruit Kurt Capewell in the Broncos’ starting back row next season.
Riki, however, said the heart-to-heart talk with Tallis was a wake-up call of sorts as fellow young guns TC Robati and Brendan Piakura apply pressure for back-row spots.
“We have a good young bunch of boys coming through and I wouldn’t say I took my spot for granted at the start, but I may have got too comfortable,” he said.
“When the younger boys started coming through, I had to step back and think, ‘Far out, I have to work hard here and keep my game going’.
“I took the challenge personally but it’s friendly competition.
“You always have to work hard to stay in this team and the best way to do that is be consistent and work with the players around you.
“Gordie has been good for me with that advice as well.
“I’m really excited for Kurt (Capewell) to come, I will learn a lot from him. All of us young boys like me, TC and Brendan are very close, we do our extras at training together, but in the back of your mind, you know you want that first grade spot.”
Broncos coach Walters says Riki, who made his NRL debut against Canberra last August, has only scratched the surface of his talent.
“Jordy has a lot of ability for a young back-rower,” he said. “We haven’t seen the best of him yet but that (his game against the Cowboys) was a good glimpse to see some of his skills.
“You can‘t coach that stuff, it’s natural ability from Jordy. What we have to coach into him is to be consistent with his work as he’s only had 10 or 15 games of first grade.
“He is a very powerful athlete but we have to get the football athlete into him.
“He is here for a while which is pleasing.”
ORIGIN WINGER’S DATE WITH THE DEVILS
Queensland Origin star Xavier Coates has copped another kick in the guts with the out-of-favour Broncos winger relegated to the Intrust Super Cup.
Coates was set to make his debut for Norths Devils in their clash against Brisbane Tigers on Saturday before all sport was called off in south east Queensland due to a snap lockdown.
It caps a dramatic freefall for Coates, who has gone from playing in rugby league’s showpiece Origin event to second-tier football with the Devils at Bishop Park.
Since turning out for the Maroons, Coates was rested by Broncos coach Kevin Walters for their clash against the Wests Tigers four days after Origin III.
The 20-year-old, who has signed with Melbourne for next season, was subsequently overlooked for games against Penrith and the Cowboys as Walters backed the wing pairing of Corey Oates and Jamayne Isaako.
Coates’ future employer, the Storm, made inquiries last week about an immediate transfer, but the Broncos rejected any notion of the PNG international wearing Melbourne colours this season.
In the lead-up to the Cowboys derby on Friday night, Walters stressed he had not closed the door on Coates, leaving the Maroons flyer to build some match fitness with a Devils debut after almost three weeks on the sidelines.
“Certainly Xavier hasn’t played his last game for the Broncos,” Walters said.
“We hold him in high regard here, he is a good young player but I just feel we need some stability the last few weeks so that’s why we have rested him.
“But I’m sure he will get a game again for the Broncos in the near future.
“We love what he brings — he is a great personality and also a great footballer.
“Xavier is obviously disappointed about not playing and I can understand that. But there is still (five) games to go and we want to finish the season on a positive and Xavier can play a role in that. That’s how I feel about the situation.
“We believe that Xavier can contribute to the Broncos ... we need his services for the rest of the season.”
Several fringe first-graders in the NRL Covid bubble have been unable to play reserve grade, but the rules have been eased to allow players outside the top 17 to turn out for their feeder clubs.
Coates is not the only out-of-favour Bronco returning to the Intrust Super Cup, with Anthony Milford to make his comeback from knee surgery for Souths Logan against Burleigh on Saturday.
WALKER REVEALS MILFORD’S ROLE AT RABBITOHS
— Fatima Kdouh, Travis Meyn
South Sydney star Cody Walker has revealed what his halves partnership with Anthony Milford would look like, before the unwanted Brisbane playmaker confirmed he will be heading to the Redfern club in 2022.
With Adam Reynolds Broncos bound next season, Rabbitohs five-eighth Walker is on the lookout for a new halves partner. Walker revealed Milford would be given an “easy” role in the Bunnies spine and the organisation would now fall on his shoulders.
“It‘s a great signing, I’d love for him to be at our club,” Walker said earlier this week.
“Hopefully he does come because losing Renno is a pretty big loss in our side.
“Having a pretty easy type of role in the team (would benefit him).
“A lot of that weight will fall on my shoulders to get us around the park a little bit and allow him to play his own game.
“It would be a great signing for the club to sign a guy like Milford. He is obviously a very experienced player, he has played rep football at the highest level.”
Milford has not played for the Broncos since round 12 but has generated interest from a number of Sydney clubs keen to pick-up the playmaker at a fraction of his $1 million price tag at Red Hill.
While Milford won’t make a mid-season move to Souths, the 27-year-old will link-up with Rabbitohs head coach-in-waiting Jason Demetriou – who worked with Milford during his time as an assistant at Brisbane.
With veteran playmaker Benji Marshall yet to make a call on his playing future and rising halves Blake Taaffe, Dean Hawkins, Lachlan Ilias and Troy Dargan all vying for a chance to play alongside Walker, coach Demetriou is not short of options.
Taaffe has been named on the bench for Saturday’s clash against St George Illawarra in Rockhampton and could be elevated into the starting side if halfback Reynolds, who is battling a minor hamstring complaint, does not get through captain’s run.
But Taaffe isn’t the only rising Rabbitoh looking to make his mark.
Teenage prop sensation Davvy Moale will make his NRL debut from the bench with fellow forward Liam Knight out of Saturday’s clash with concussion.
Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has described Moale, 18, as a “mini Payne Haas”.
Forward Keaon Koloamatangi, who played against Haas in under 18’s, can vouch for Bennett’s high praise of the 112 kilogram teenager.
“When I first came in the pre-season, yeah, they were talking about this young bloke coming in who was similar to Payne,” Koloamatangi told The Daily Telegraph. “I played with Payne growing up in the under 18’s and he was a big boy and fittest back in the day.
“Davvy is like that, he is fit, he is mobile, exactly what people say he is … he’s a great bloke too. Very quiet. But he has got a big future ahead of him man, he’s young and he’s a big body and he has already filled out.
“I don’t think he realises himself how big he is … and as people say, he could be anything.”
Outside back Campbell Graham is also racing to pass HIA protocols ahead of Saturday’s match. Cameron Murray is out after he accepted a one match ban for a crusher tackle on Warriors forward Matt Lodge last weekend.
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