Brisbane Broncos laugh after embarrassing Titans loss, while Corey Horsburgh cries
Steve Roach has questioned the passion of the Brisbane Broncos players after some were seen smiling and laughing after their embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Titans.
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Steve Roach has questioned whether NRL fans would rather see Canberra’s Corey Horsburgh’s tears of passion, or the reaction of Brisbane players laughing and joking after their embarrassing defeat to Gold Coast.
Horsburgh’s response during the golden point loss to Parramatta was one of the most unbelievable displays of raw emotion you will ever see on a rugby league field at the elite level.
Horsburgh was so worked up after accidentally twisting awkwardly in a tackle that his eyes welled with a mix of anger and frustration, and he was clearly crying as he pointed his finger at Ryan Matterson before he gave Eels fans the bird as they jeered as he hobbled off.
But rather than ridicule the emotion, Roach questioned whether you would rather see that “heart on your sleeve” passion from your players, as opposed to the reaction of some Brisbane players who looked as though they didn’t have a care in the world after crashing to Gold Coast.
Roach was working the sideline for Fox Sports on Saturday night and so was only metres from Horsburgh as he left the field.
The former Balmain enforcer said he had never seen emotion like it.
“But it just goes to show what it means to him,” Roach said of Horsburgh.
“Mate, I admire him.
“They went after him early. He got whacked and he got up and he pushed the trainer away. And he was like, ‘Right’o, you want to play like that, let’s go’.
“I love that passion.
“And then when he got twisted in the tackle, he knew he was going off. But he was saying to them, ‘Hey, next time boys …’
“He’s tough.
“I felt for him. I could feel it in my own being (what Horsburgh) was going through.
“But when I saw that reaction from the Broncos players after the game and I thought, wow.
“I will tell you what, I’d much prefer having a bloke wearing his heart on his sleeve than blokes bloody joking.”
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Mal Meninga and Cooper Cronk also questioned if the Broncos players even had a go such was their pitiful performance, and the seemingly lack of care after the result.
“Issac Luke has come to the club from another club which has not been successful so he is filling in time I would imagine, to be brutally honest,’’ Meninga said on Fox League.
Former Broncos hooker Kerrod Walters did not like the look of it.
“The number of players who were out on the field joking and laughing was unbelievable,’’ Walters said.
“I can understand Issac Luke just playing out his career but he has to buy in to what they are going through as well.
“We would show respect and shake their hands but just walk off the field if we got beat. I cannot recall any players from my era who were laughing and joking when they got beat, let alone when you lose five in a row.’’
Another former Broncos hooker and Fox League voice, Michael Ennis, was even angrier.
“The fact that the players have not got the leadership nous about them to recognise who they are playing for and to be on the field laughing and joking ...’’ Ennis said.
“They might be best mates with some of those players but they have conceded another 30 points on home soil in front of members and fans who have been through some of the most challenging times in their life.
“They dished up that rubbish tonight and they have the hide to be on the field and making a mockery of it.’’
But Horsburgh’s reaction pretty much summed up the feeling in the Raiders’ dressing shed after the match, that was likened to a losing grand final dressing shed.
Even at the moment Clint Gutherson celebrated his golden point winning field goal, Elliott Whitehead looked ready to go after Gutherson in the heat of the moment.
While Canberra have been struggling in recent weeks to find the form that saw them take down Melbourne and go into the COVID break unbeaten, what is not missing is passion and desire.
Horsburgh will be sidelined for an extended period because of the foot injury he suffered.
But at least the Raiders will be back playing in Canberra on Friday night when they take on St George Illawarra.
Coach Ricky Stuart has made a point of not making any mention of the extra travel commitments the Raiders have been forced to do while playing their ‘home’ games in Sydney.
But it will be a huge relief now they are back where they belong.