Broncos must back up Manly win against Roosters to prove desire
Brisbane’s victory over Manly delivered two important points and some priceless confidence. But it will count for little if Anthony Seibold’s team don’t bring the same effort against the Roosters, writes GORDEN TALLIS.
Opinion
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Brisbane got more than just two points from their win over the undermanned Manly.
They got some priceless confidence as well.
But it will count for little if they don’t bring the same effort against the Roosters this Friday.
They need to back it up and step it up.
If the Broncos beat the competition heavyweights at Suncorp Stadium, you have to say their season will be back on track.
It will be like another Magic Round for Anthony Seibold and his men.
But saying it and doing it are two different things.
It will be a lot tougher against the Chooks. Brisbane know that.
Manly were ravaged by injuries before and during the match and were there for the taking in the second half after that first half arm-wrestle. Brisbane know that too.
They should be happy to bank the win but be careful not to get too carried away by it.
It’s a fine line. Especially when you have a squad full of very young men who have been under the pump all season.
Keeping things in perspective is the top priority at Red Hill this week.
But key men found some form for Brisbane. Form they can build on for the battle with the Roosters.
It takes time to fight your way out of a form slump. It’s impossible to go from rock bottom to the peak of your powers in one week.
But you can take steps in the right direction which is what Anthony Milford and Darius Boyd did.
Matthew Lodge and Payne Haas did the same.
Milford wound back the clock to some of his best footy with a great kicking game as well as taking on the defensive line with his clever footwork at the right times.
Darius produced the kind of game you expect from a Broncos captain. When he charged out of the line to put shots on the Manly forwards, you knew he was up for the challenge
And he found a bit of touch in attack too. He was not all the way back to his best but it was a good start.
Lodge and Haas led the charge for the Broncos pack. I don’t know what their numbers were but I don’t need to see them to know about their impact.
I saw enough of them making big metres through the middle and following it with quick play-the-balls to give their little blokes a chance.
And then Joe Ofahengaue followed that up with another big effort from the bench.
It was the sort of forward dominance that we were expecting to see most weeks in 2019.
But this Friday night will require another gear or two for Brisbane. The Roosters won’t let them get — and stay — on a roll like Manly did.
The Roosters will put far greater pressure on Brisbane’s defence and punish missed tackles or bad reads much more clinically than the Sea Eagles.
Brisbane don’t even need to win against the Chooks, they just need to fight the good fight against the best in the business and push them all the way for 80 minutes. Unlike the last time they met at the SCG.
That will do more good for their confidence than anything.
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