The Brisbane Broncos owe fans an apology after farcical 34-6 loss to Manly

Maybe Kevin Walters wasn’t the problem after all. The Brisbane Broncos should publicly apologise to their long-suffering fans in the wake of their farcical loss to Manly, writes PETER BADEL.

Maybe Kevin Walters wasn’t the problem after all.

Broncos players should hang their heads in shame and publicly apologise to their long-suffering fans in the wake of their latest 34-6 debacle against the Sea Eagles.

Pressure is building on Walters’ successor Michael Maguire to get the Broncos rolling but how many coaches have to be sacked before Brisbane’s star-studded roster start taking ownership for the club’s 19-year premiership drought.

Maguire should be filthy at this Brookvale capitulation. And he should be equally concerned as to whether his Broncos players are playing for him.

This wasn’t just any loss. This was a searing spotlight into the soul of a Broncos playing group that lacks intent, cohesion and any semblance of the team spirit that wins premierships.

No punch. No control. No intimidation. The Sea Eagles were slicker and sharper from the first minute, while Brisbane were diabolically disjointed.

Broncos players should publicly apologise to their long-suffering fans in the wake of their loss to Manly. Picture: Getty Images

Broncos legend Allan Langer last week claimed Maguire’s troops are lacking in team spirit. It was a chastening assessment for Langer is the greatest Bronco and a man who bleeds for the club.

Watching Brisbane bumbling along at Brookvale on Saturday night, ‘Alfie’ was bang on.

Broncos bosses hired Maguire to bring a harder edge but after six losses from their past seven games, Brisbane’s class of 2025 have gone backwards.

Walters vowed to bring unity. He did. Now it’s fair to question if there is disharmony.

Their regression has been a stupefying by-product of a squad that looks bereft of a cohesive game plan and the defensive heart to muscle up when opponents take Brisbane into the trenches.

With 21 minutes to play last night, Brisbane’s back five were completely absent on a kick return.

What on earth is going on? Where is the fight and hustle?

Unless there is a drastic turnaround over the next month, Brisbane will be no hope of making the top four and history shows if you miss the top four, forget about winning the premiership.

Unless something drastically changes soon, the Broncos are no hope of winning the premiership this year, writes Peter Badel. Picture: Getty Images

Bookmakers installed Brisbane as third favourites to win this year’s title but after this Manly mauling, they will finish the weekend outside the top eight.

The inquisition must begin.

Is this squad simply overrated? Are they not as good as we all thought? On paper, this is supposed to be a title-winning squad, but on the field they are playing solo and with little intent to win the one-percent moments.

Their confidence in attack is shot.

Two years ago, the Broncos were four minutes away from winning a premiership under Walters. Now, they are bearing hallmarks of the shambolic season of 2020 under Anthony Seibold, who fell on his sword as Brisbane crashed to their first-ever wooden spoon.

From the opening seconds on Saturday night, Brisbane looked pedestrian. Manly made a line break from the first set of the game, the Broncos were belted again in midfield and Brisbane’s three forward passes smacked of a team with no groove or rhythm.

Brisbane’s pack is two-man show. Can someone else other than Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan have a crack?

When Haas and Pat Carrigan came off at the 29-minute mark, the Broncos had no presence. Maguire must axe Kobe Hetherington, who had three runs for 24 metres as a starting lock.

That’s a woefully unacceptable output.

Adam Reynolds has been a champion for the Broncos, but alarm bells are ringing as to whether he can play another season. Picture: Getty Images

Skipper Adam Reynolds has been a champion player but his game management was poor and alarm bells are ringing as to whether he can soldier on for another 12 months, at age 35, as he so desires.

Brisbane’s edge forwards, Jordan Riki and Xavier Willison, barely fired a shot, while Maguire has yet to work out whether Cory Paix or Billy Walters is his standout dummy-half.

Fox Sports commentator Greg Alexander slammed the Broncos in the wake of their 28-point flogging.

“They have turned it up,” Penrith great Alexander said.

“I don’t know where Michael Maguire goes to from here.”

Reynolds said: “Internally, we know what this team is capable of, we still have time to turn the season around.

“We made too many errors and our discipline is letting us down.

“We need to turn this around and do it as a team.”

It’s the same words Broncos stars keep trotting out every week. Maguire talks about learnings, but if the penny doesn’t drop soon, maybe Broncos management should stop axing coaches and put the heat on the playing group.