NRL 2021: Brisbane Broncos reduced to leaderless rabble by Gold Coast Titans
The fairytale is fast turning into a nightmare for Kevin Walters, who has a head-splitting migraine with his halves and no mongrel in his midfield.
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The Kevin Walters fairytale story is fast turning into a nightmare after the Broncos coach watched his troops suffer a dismal 28-16 derby demolition at the hands of a pumped-up Titans at Cbus Super Stadium.
The Big Brother Broncos were reduced to a leaderless rabble as their oft-maligned little sibling the Titans flexed their muscle to claim their third straight win over Brisbane and leave the NRL’s richest club winless after two rounds.
This wasn’t a derby. This was a debacle for the Broncos, whose losing streak now spans 13 matches and 251 days since their round-nine victory over Canterbury last July.
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The installation of a new coach in Walters was meant to herald a Broncos ‘Kev-olution’. Instead, the Broncos legend has failed to win his opening four games, including two trials, underscoring the gargantuan rebuilding mission he faces to make Brisbane great again.
As a football team, the Broncos have lost their soul. There is no distinct style to their play and no structural cohesion or consistency in a defensive line that was ripped apart by the Titans, who surged to a 22-4 half-time lead.
Titans recruit David Fifita terrorised his former club, celebrating two tries before 17,822 fans to leave Walters facing more questions than answers.
“We got what we deserved,” he said. “Anyone watching that game would say the Broncos drop the ball too much.”
SOFT CENTRE
From day one, the Broncos built their DNA on defensive pride. Their standards are now woefully shambolic.
Brisbane will never recover as a finals contender until they tighten-up in midfield and on the edges. All five of Gold Coast’s tries were entirely preventable.
They were so passive on their tryline, Jaimin Jolliffe looked like Glenn Lazarus as he crashed over 90 seconds before the break.
“Defence has been a problem for us,” Walters said. “It was a problem last week and again in this game, it’s not good enough from our guys.”
HALF THE PROBLEM
Walters has a head-splitting migraine with his halves. This is the sad, stupefying truth: he doesn’t have one playmaker at the club capable of owning the result.
After 182 first-grade games, Anthony Milford should be the one, but Brisbane’s $1 million man kicked poorly, lacks intelligence with his option taking and was twice trampled by Fifita for tries.
Brodie Croft tries hard but there is no overt self-belief in his game-management. Walters’ other halfback, Tom Dearden, is only 20.
Without dominant halves who can provide direction, the Broncos can forget about playing finals football.
MIDFIELD FODDER
The Broncos were destroyed in the middle third in the absence of their two leading props Matt Lodge (injury) and Payne Haas (suspension).
Starting duo Tevita Pangai Jnr and Tom Flegler were so quiet early the Broncos had to send out a search party. There was no mongrel. No midfield statement.
The bookends had just seven runs and 60 metres in the first half as the Broncos lost total control of the midfield. Pangai Jnr tried to lift after the break and scored in the dying minutes, but the damage was done.
Originally published as NRL 2021: Brisbane Broncos reduced to leaderless rabble by Gold Coast Titans
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