Billy Slater believes Brisbane will not make the finals after Rabbitohs thrashing

Billy Slater has tipped the bewildered Broncos to miss the finals – and history says they are too far off the pace now to be an even-money chance of September action.

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Billy Slater has tipped the bewildered Broncos to miss the finals – and history says they are too far off the pace now to be an even-money chance of September action.

Penrith (2017) and Manly (2009) are the only teams in the past 10 seasons to have made the finals after starting with a 2-6 win-loss record.

The Broncos missed the finals twice in four seasons under coaches Ivan Henjajk and Anthony Griffin, the second time in 2013, and suffered a 38-6 thrashing by South Sydney on Thursday.

“I don’t think they will (make the finals) – the attack is there but they don’t play together,’’ Slater said.

“When you are young you lack consistency. You need experience around and they are lacking that at the moment.

“The way they are playing, their effort is there but they are not playing together.”

Johnathan Thurston said on Channel 9 that the Broncos’ tryline defence was not strong enough and they needed to “bite down on their mouthguards’’ and show determination.

Two Souths tries came from running close to the line, with Paul Vautin saying the defence this year of James Roberts was not “up to first grade standard’’.

“When things are going well for them, as soon as it gets tough, they are going missing,’’ Thurston said.

“Their tryline defence has no strength about it, it’s leaking a lot of points.

“They need to find someone to get them out of this.

“You’d think Darius (Boyd) needs to be doing that. Andrew McCullough is another experienced player, Matt Lodge ... they were talking about Tevita Pangai playing Origin in round 2 and where has he been since that game?’’

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Thurston said debutant Tom Dearden definitely has the makings of a first grade halfback.

“Tom Dearden is the answer, the future of the club,’’ he said.

“He was behind the ruck and telling people where to go to attack for (Anthony) Milford. They need to keep persevering.’’

Former NSW halfback Andrew Johns sees the Broncos’ start to the year as a stunning collapse because he tipped them in the pre-season as premiers despite so much youth.

“I tipped them to win the competition this year, but when it was too hard there was no fight,’’ Johns said.

“Something isn’t happening up there. They get opportunities but they aren’t finishing them off. They need to simplify things, defend your way and find a way to win.’’

Originally published as Billy Slater believes Brisbane will not make the finals after Rabbitohs thrashing