Five things we learned: Broncos defence leaks too many points

As the Broncos fall to their worst start to the season since 1999, their leaky defence is clearly causing coach Anthony Seibold some headaches. Read that and the other things we learned here.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 21: Darius Boyd of the Broncos is tackled during the round 6 NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and the Brisbane Broncos at GIO Stadium on April 21, 2019 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

As the Broncos fall to their worst start to the season since 1999, their leaky defence is clearly causing coach Anthony Seibold some headaches. Read that and the other things we learned here.

Joey Leilua sends Broncos flying on the way to the tryline. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

1. THERE’S NO DEFENCE FOR THEIR DEFENCE

The Broncos have to fix their defence after conceding the most points in their opening six rounds (141) since 2010. Two tries by Canberra were scored by steamrolling over Brisbane players. Canberra centre BJ Leilua is always a handful but he palmed off Broncos Anthony Milford and Jack Bird to cross the line. Payne Haas simply stuck out an arm on his tryline which allowed John Bateman to give Canberra the lead with 15 minutes to go.

Payne Haas once again showed how talented he is. Picture: AAP Image/Rohan Thomson

2. YOUNG GUNS TAKE FORWARD STEPS

Brisbane were without hard men Matt Lodge (injury) and Tevita Pangai Jr (suspension) but their teenage replacements stepped up in their place. Tom Flegler, 19, was brought into the run on side and ran for a hard-fought 126m and broke two tackles. Fellow forward Haas, 19, played the entire 80 minutes and amassed 181 running metres and three tackle breaks.

Anthony Milford looks to burst through a John Bateman tackle. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

3. THE SPINE FINALLY SHOWS SOMETHING

The halves pairing of Anthony Milford and Kodi Nikorima have been under constant criticism for their form this season and they did their best to silence their critics yesterday. Nikorima is most dangerous when he takes on the defensive line and was rewarded with a try in the seventh minute when he broke through the line. Milford’s kicking game was a lot better and a perfect grubber to winger Corey Oates helped his side gain the lead in the second half.

4. FIFITA KEEPS PROVING HIMSELF

Broncos young gun David Fifita has made a strong case for a Queensland Origin jersey this year following a strong outing in Canberra. The 19-year-old was part of Emerging Origin squad earlier this year and could be a welcomed addition in the main arena. The Broncos’ No.13 ran for 110m in his 39 minute stint and also scored a try against the Raiders.

5. MCCULLOUGH LIFTS A LITTLE

Brisbane hooker Andrew McCullough is fighting to save his Origin career and yesterday’s effort was a vast improvement on his form this year. The No.9 ran for 69m, broke a tackle, had a linebreak assist and helped set up a try all while making a game-high 46 tackles. In comparison, McCullough ran for just 19m against the Tigers the week before.