Five things we learned: Payne Haas fires for the Broncos

It was another Thursday night shocker for the Broncos, but at the very least Payne Haas fired in his first game back. Here’s the five things we learned from Broncos v Tigers.

Darius Boyd in action. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

It was another Thursday night shocker for the Broncos, but at the very least Payne Haas fired in his first game back. Here’s the five things we learned from Broncos v Tigers.

Payne Haas was one of the few highlights for the Broncos. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Haas fires from the start

1. In his first 33-minute shift of the season, Payne Haas made the most first-half metres of any Broncos forward, 114m for 12 runs. Haas, 19, was available after serving a four-man club suspension for not co-operating fully with the NRL integrity unit.

Even with Haas promoted to a starting role, in which he delivered 41 tackles, the Broncos bench had an average age of 20, with two 19-year-olds, Fifita and Thomas Flegler, and two 21-year-olds, Carrigan and Jaydn Su’A.

Stars retract their comments

2. The guessing game started last night as to which two ex-Broncos Seibold was referring to when he was two former players had rung him to say their comments about the game against the Roosters and the season in general had been taken out of context by the media.

Darius Boyd tried to lead his Broncos from the front. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Boyd shows a bit of leadership

3. Broncos skipper Darius Boyd had been the subject of a call this week from former Broncos premiership player Trevor Gillmeister that the captaincy should be handed to Matt Gillett, but the fullback said he would not move from the captaincy unless the club wanted him to.

Boyd was criticised for his lack of involvement in a Roosters try a week earlier, figured in a three-man, tryline stop on Tiger Ryan Matterson in association wih Haas and Alex Glenn.

He boldly took two bombs when his team needed it.

“I thought Darius was outstanding,’’ coach Anthony Seibold said.

Bird gives up a gimme

4. The ups and downs of Jack Bird was the main theme of the first half.

Bird put down a try-bound, inside pass from Corey Oates, just as he did against the Roosters last week, which wouild have put the home side ahead 12-0.

Milford and Nikorima had set that chance up by running the ball late in the count.

But earlier, Bird sparked the game’s opening try when he unwound a 35m run across field, evading tackles, to find the centre on the other side, Kotoni Staggs.

Staggs released winger Jamayne Isaako, with an enthusiastic chase from teammates infield encouraging a centring grubber from which Gillett touched down.

Lodge adds to the errors

5. Matt Lodge made two errors in his own half in the opening 40 minutes set back the Broncos after a 8-0 start and he also summoned a knock on when his team pressed for a try eight minutes from halftime when he was not expecting to receive a pass.

Two tries went begging again and Brisbane are paying for a lack of polish in their attack with late losses to the Dragons and Tigers.