NRL 2020: Brisbane Broncos back Jordan Riki to fill the David Fifita void next season
Just when it seemed impossible for the Broncos to replace Titans-bound powerhouse David Fifita next season, along comes a 106kg monster with speed, strength and power to fill the void.
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The Broncos believe hulking rookie Jordan Riki is ready to step up as the back-row successor to Titans-bound David Fifita following his eye-catching display against the Panthers.
Brisbane’s 25-12 loss to Penrith on Thursday night had a silver lining when the 20-year-old Riki lit up Suncorp Stadium with a barnstorming 40-metre charge that represented the first try of his fledgling NRL career.
Taking a pass from Tom Dearden, Riki ran a superb straight line, speared between two Panthers defenders, including Viliame Kikau, dummied past the fullback and showed impressive speed to announce his arrival on the NRL stage.
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With Fifita joining the Titans next season on a big-money deal, the Broncos are on the hunt for back-row options.
At 190cm and 106kg, Riki is four centimetres taller and one kilogram lighter than Fifita, suggesting he has the physical gifts to provide an explosive edge to Brisbane’s back-row next season.
Riki is set to miss next Saturday’s clash against the Titans after being charged with a crusher tackle, but Broncos teammate Pat Carrigan is confident the Maori All Stars forward can fill the Fifita void next season.
“When someone leaves, an opportunity opens for someone else,” Carrigan said.
“Jordan is a good kid, he works hard and he scored a good try hitting a nice hole off Tommy.
“For him to be out there in a game like that (against ladder leaders Penrith), he can put that game in the memory bank and learn that’s how you win footy games.
“Jordan comes from a good family in New Zealand, he‘s got hard-working parents and he has done it the hard way to get where he is.
“He has got all the attributes to be a good footy player, he just has to keep working hard.
“He had enough gas to get to the tryline, so it was good to see.”
The well-built Riki is so muscular Broncos teammates joke he loves training with his shirt off at Red Hill. The hard-running rookie played 15 games for Norths Devils in the Intrust Super Cup season, impressing with his powerful frame and athleticism on the edges.
Riki captained the Junior Kiwis last year and looks the goods just four games into his NRL career.
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“The club needs a back-rower (to replace Fifita) and we have been grooming him,” Broncos interim coach Peter Gentle said.
With the 15th-placed Broncos in wooden-spoon territory, Carrigan said Brisbane had not raised the white flag as they look to dispose of the Titans in their derby clash at Cbus Super Stadium.
“We have three weeks left in this competition and we have to work hard to get results,” he said. “We aren‘t putting the cue in the rack and waiting for 2021 to roll around, this is an opportunity for people to get better and opportunities for people to prove what they are about.”
AT LAST, THE BRONCOS SEEM TO HAVE A PLAN
The Broncos have ripped up Anthony Seibold’s game model with interim coach Peter Gentle revealing a more simplified tactical plan underpinned Brisbane’s gutsy effort against the Panthers on Friday night.
Brisbane slumped to their 14th loss in 15 games with their 25-12 loss to Penrith but the Broncos produced a more spirited display to stay in the contest for 70 minutes against the ladder leaders at Suncorp Stadium.
The key to Brisbane’s improved showing was simplicity in attack and defence. Under Seibold, Broncos players felt overloaded by complex game plans, but since officially taking over from the departed head coach last week, Gentle has removed the paralysis by analysis.
The Broncos muscled up in defence and played more direct in attack and Gentle, who has impressed in his month as caretaker coach, attributed Brisbane’s effort to stripping back their game plan.
“We changed a few things up during the week,” Gentle revealed.
“We changed a few systems in defence, just simplifying things and it seemed to work.
“We have taken a lot of the thought-process away and we’re just relying on each other with effort. The players have bought into it, it’s something different for us.”
While the Broncos ultimately lacked the class to pull off a Panthers boilover, Brisbane unearthed another super talent in hulking back-rower Jordan Riki.
The 20-year-old with more muscles than Arnold Schwarzenegger was outstanding in just his fourth NRL game, scoring a rampaging solo try when he speared between two Panthers and raced 40 metres to underline his brute force.
With David Fifita joining the Titans next season, Brisbane will need some strike on the edges and the powerful Riki, who was placed on report for a crusher tackle, looks promising at 106kg.
“We’ve been pushing his time out and he got 50 minutes and he was still cruising,” Gentle said. “He will be a good player. He moves well for a big boy, he has a real future.”
Brisbane have been awful in defence this season but their renewed commitment was personified by prop Payne Haas. Back after two weeks out following the tragic death of his brother, Haas made 41 tackles with no misses.
It was a brilliant display that crystallised Brisbane’s attitude without the ball as they hung tough against the red-hot Panthers.
“There was an attitude in defence, there was more commitment,” Gentle said.
“They had 42 play-the-balls in our 20-metre zone and we kept turning them away.
“Payne was enormous, he has been sorely missed.
“We didn’t get the result, but it was a lot better and that’s what the members and sponsors deserve. They should see that performance every week.”
Originally published as NRL 2020: Brisbane Broncos back Jordan Riki to fill the David Fifita void next season