NRL 2022: Broncos news, Kurt Capewell breaks down Brisbane’s form fadeout
Brisbane star Kurt Capewell believes the beginning of Brisbane’s stunning fall from top-four contenders to finals outsiders bubbled up during their mid-season hot streak.
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Maroons star Kurt Capewell believes the Broncos ignored “cracks” in their game that has seen Brisbane capitulate from top four contenders to finals outsiders.
The Broncos’ finals fortunes are now resting in the hands of Ricky Stuart’s Raiders going into this weekend’s last round of the regular NRL season.
The Broncos and Raiders are equal on 28 competition points, however Canberra has moved into eighth spot on the ladder with a superior points differential of +17 compared to Brisbane’s -26.
To have any hope of qualifying for the finals, Brisbane must beat the Dragons in Sydney on Saturday and then hope the Raiders choke against wooden spoon favourites the Tigers on Sunday.
Alternatively, the Broncos could sneak into the eight if the Raiders capitulate and Brisbane is able to turn around the 43-point differential.
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Either way, the Broncos are in a less than ideal position given they must wait until literally the last game of the season to learn their fate.
It was only a month ago that Brisbane was sitting fourth on the ladder and looked certain to snap a two-year finals drought.
But the Broncos have imploded in sensational fashion, losing four of their past five games and being outscored 80-189 in the process, prompting coach Kevin Walters to unload on them after last week’s 53-6 loss to Parramatta.
The Broncos’ formerly stoic defence has crumbled and Capewell said Brisbane was guilty of ignoring chinks in their armour before it was too late.
“We’ve had a pretty good year until then (round 20),” he said.
“There was probably some cracks we looked over while we were winning.
“We got exposed a couple of weeks and it’s kicked us while we were down. We kept losing confidence. It’s only simple things. They are little things in our game that you don’t really see when you’re winning.
“Unfortunately it takes a loss to learn sometimes and that’s happened. We need to learn from it, move on to this week and put in a good performance.
“We’ve got a great opportunity that a lot of teams would beg to have. We’re going to take it with both hands.”
The Broncos won’t know their finals fate until 6pm on Sunday when the Tigers-Raiders game concludes. Despite points differential coming into the equation, Capewell said the Broncos couldn’t go chasing a big score against the Dragons.
“We’ll just focus on winning,” he said.
“We can’t leak points. When we were playing really well we were a defence-focused team. We’ll go back to that and the attack can handle itself.
“We’ve got superstars that can score tries from nothing. We won’t worry about putting on too many points, as long as we don’t let any in.”
Capewell, 29, joined the Broncos this year after winning last season’s NRL premiership with the Panthers.
The Broncos were coming off a low base, having collected the wooden spoon in 2020 and finishing 14th last year, with 13 wins in the regular season their best return since 2018 (15).
Brisbane hasn’t played finals since 2019 – when they were hammered 58-0 by Parramatta in week one – and Capewell said he would be shattered to miss the playoffs in his first season at Red Hill.
“It would be disappointing,” he said.
“It was a goal of mine when I came to the club. We’ve come a long way this year.
“We’ve still got the opportunity to go out there and make the finals so that’s how we’re looking at it.”
Walters rolls the dice with Gamble
-Peter Badel
Desperate Broncos coach Kevin Walters has swung the axe, dumping teenage sensation Ezra Mam in favour of Tyson Gamble in a bid to save Brisbane’s season against the Dragons on Saturday night.
Mam trained with the reserves on Monday and has paid the price for Brisbane’s shock late-season form slump which has seen the Broncos drop to ninth ahead of their crucial showdown with the Red V at Kogarah.
In a further blow for the Broncos, lock Kobe Hetherington has been ruled out with concussion, while premiership-winning centre Brenko Lee (hamstring) will join Mam on the sidelines.
But there is a ray of hope, with Mam’s halves partner Adam Reynolds (concussion) named at halfback and Queensland Origin duo Pat Carrigan and Selwyn Cobbo returning to inject some star power to the battered Broncos.
The Broncos face a Mission Impossible task to reach the finals and Walters is orchestrating change in a last-ditch bid to salvage Brisbane’s slim finals hopes.
Mam has been one of the fairytale stories of Brisbane’s season but the 19-year-old has been dropped to accommodate Gamble after struggling defensively in recent weeks.
The 26-year-old Gamble has more size and experience and Walters is banking on his robust 95kg frame to strengthen a Broncos defensive line that has conceded a whopping 113 points in the past two weeks.
The Tigers must beat Canberra on Sunday at Leichhardt for the Broncos to have any hope of playing finals football and Carrigan, returning from a four-game suspension, rubbished suggestions Brisbane have raised the white flag.
“We still have a pulse,” Carrigan said.
“A lot of old Broncos (players now with the Dragons) will be up for this game and while we have a mathematical chance to be there (in the finals), I will be fighting.
“There is a motivated group wanting to get better.
“We have played some periods of footy this season where we have been happy.
“The last two weeks haven’t been good enough but I am confident we can get the job done ... we are still a chance of making the top eight.”
With Mam on the outer, the off-contract Gamble is playing for his NRL career.
Gamble has had the Midas touch this season — he has a perfect 8-0 win-loss record — and Walters is hoping the fiery pivot can work more magic with Reynolds, who is confident of passing concussion tests to face the Dragons.
“Tyson is competitive,” Carrigan said.
“When Tyson pulls on a Broncos jersey, he is all in, he will never get beaten on effort and you need that attitude in the NRL.”
Of Cobbo, who missed last week’s 53-6 Eels rout due to burnout, Carrigan said: “Selwyn just needed a freshen up ... he’s had a big year and has been a big part of what we have done this year.”
Brisbane’s freefall defies belief.
They were fourth just five weeks ago and were in the top eight for 14 consecutive weeks, which is why Carrigan refuses to contemplate the prospect of finishing ninth.
“I don’t think it’s a failed season, but it’s not where we want to be,” he said.
“The group set a goal to make the finals and we need some honesty on where we are going on this journey.
“It (the recent slump) is humbling and a reality check, but while we are still a chance, I will be doing everything to get us to the finals.”
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