Broncos coach Kevin Walters blows up deluxe after thrashing

Brisbane may have just let its season slip through its fingers in a horror night that included an “unfathomable” call that said it all.

Kevin Walters has no solution. Photo: Channel 9 and Getty

When it rains, it pours — just ask the Brisbane Broncos.

The Broncos were thrashed 53-6 by the Parramatta Eels at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night to fall dangerously close to slipping out of the top eight.

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This is despite being in the top four Round 19 after trouncing the Eels 36-14 at Parramatta last month.

Since then, the side has lost four from five, including conceding 113 points in the last two matches against the Melbourne Storm and Eels — and a win for the Raiders over Manly will see Canberra knock the Broncos out of the top eight.

Enough was enough for coach Kevin Walters with footage of him unloading on his team being shown on Channel 9.

Queensland great Paul Vautin shredded the Broncos.

“Parramatta were outstanding, but once against the opposition were awful,” he said.

“Last week, 60 by Melbourne, it was a training gallop for them, and tonight 50 by Parramatta. The Broncos are broken, I can’t possibly see them beating the Dragons down there next week.

“Kevvie’s going off a bit there, showing a bit of emotion. I think he’s telling them this is not what Broncos players do. I’m not saying there was give up in them, they’re just awful at the moment.”

Kevvie was furious. Photo: Channel 9

Melbourne legend Cameron Smith said it was perplexing, “particularly when there was so much on the line for them tonight”.

The Broncos were down to 13 players by the end of the match after Adam Reynolds and Kobe Hetherington were ruled out with head injury assessments, Tom Flegler went to hospital with an airway injury and Brenko Lee left the match with a hamstring injury.

Smith said much of the Broncos’ issues had been the loss of Patrick Carrigan, who was banned for a hip drop tackle which broke Tigers star Jackson Hastings’ leg, but the Storm great wasn’t buying it.

“One man coming into this team over the last fortnight wouldn’t fix the results,” Smith added.

Selwyn Cobbo was “tired”. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

But Vautin wasn’t done, blasting the call to rest 20-year-old Origin winger Selwyn Cobbo for the important clash.

Walters explained the decision for Cobbo to be out of the match, saying: “He is a young fella who has had a big season here at the Broncos and with Origin. He is just a bit tired.”

While Walters praised the youngster’s honesty, Vautin was still in disbelief over the decision.

“I thought it was a gee-up,” he said. “I mean, he’s a winger for gods sake.

“They just stand out on the sideline and fall over the line and score tries and then go back and comb their hair. How come he needs a rest from that? It’s unfathomable and there must be a reason for it.

“I dunno, but to say Selwyn Cobbo’s had a tough year we’re going to give him a rest … my god.”

Smith conceded Cobbo had played all three Origin matches, although he was knocked out early in game three, and added: “There may be some other stuff that we don’t know about.”

The Eels were ruthless. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Walters fronted the media after the game and appeared to be out of ideas in the late season capitulation.

“Terrible – we didn’t start very well and finished poorly as well,” he said.

“It’s the NRL, every week is the same. We want our team to perform well and we are not performing well.

“I don’t have too many answers at the moment, to be honest. We are aware of what is going on, but being aware of it and stopping it are two different things.

“I’m not going to make any excuses, there just hasn’t been good enough.

“We’ve got to fix our defence more than anything, and our attitude hasn’t been where it needs to be at this time of the year.

“We’ve got 10 days until next Saturday against the Dragons to fix it and get it right.”

But at the moment, it looks like a season that promised so much will end with a backdoor exit on the eve of the finals.