What we learned from Brisbane’s Knightmare in Gosford

Brisbane’s fourth straight loss exposed even more issues for the struggling club but there was one positive to come the Knightmare at Gosford. This is five things we learned.

Patrick Carrigan is sent to the sin bin for his dog shot on Mitch Pearce. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

• Match: Broncos in crisis after fourth straight loss
• $1m Milford problem Broncos can’t hide from

Travis Meyn dissects Brisbane’s fourth straight loss of the season.

1. The Broncos can deny it all they want but coach Anthony Seibold is under serious pressure. The Broncos are playing like a bottom four team and deserve to be where they are on the ladder. They not only struggle to have any impact with the ball, the Broncos are also a defensive basket case and can’t do the simple things right like tackle, hold the ball and follow the rules. They are a rabble.

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Patrick Carrigan is sent to the sin bin for his dog shot on Mitch Pearce. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

2. Broncos lock Pat Carrigan was sin-binned for one of the worst tackles seen this year. Carrigan hit an unsuspecting Mitchell Pearce late and was placed on report. Immortal Andrew Johns slammed the hit: “It doesn’t get any cheaper than that. The player passes, relaxes and gets smashed in the back. It’s just so cheap.” Carrigan lost the plot like the rest of the Broncos.

3. Can somebody please wake up Anthony Milford? Milford had only one run in the first half and has looked disinterested since the season restarted. It is time Milford was axed as he is providing nothing for the Broncos and they could do no worse than bringing Tom Dearden into the NRL.

Xavier Coates is a special talent Brisbane can’t afford to lose. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

4. Tevita Pangai Jr made his presence felt in his return from suspension with a bell-ringing hit on David Klemmer and the Broncos need him to lead their insipid pack. With Matt Lodge far from menacing at the moment, Pangai Jr could be the man to inject some venom into Brisbane’s engine room.

5. Winger Xavier Coates has been one of few shining lights for the Broncos recently. Coates showed great instincts to intercept an Andrew McCullough pass and race 95m to keep Brisbane in the game. The Broncos would have been kept to zero without that play.

Originally published as What we learned from Brisbane’s Knightmare in Gosford