Brisbane trainwreck isn’t done yet; Cracks appearing in Cameron Smith’s Storm?

Brisbane’s 2019 headache has gone from bad to worse after the departure of Wayne Bennett, and according to an Origin great it’s not going anywhere.

Rugby league great Bryan Fletcher has weighed in on the Brisbane Broncos debacle which has seen one of the NRL’s iconic clubs slump into an awful form ditch in 2019.

The Brisbane side has struggled to produce positive results under new coach Anthony Seibold, and the replacement of the legendary Wayne Bennett hasn’t minced words in his solution to fix the early season trainwreck.

Star backs James Roberts and Jamayne Isaako were both booted from first grade after lacklustre performances against the Rabbitohs. Bennett got the juicy win over arch-rival Seibold when the Bunnies romped to a 38-6 win last week.

Phil Gould admitted he was worried for Roberts, who is an Origin star awaiting a return to the sky blues, but Fletcher went in harder, labelling his efforts for the Broncos “dreadful”.

“If you saw the game against South Sydney last week, that wasn’t the performance of an Origin centre. He was dreadful,” Fletcher said.

The former NSW representative also threw a barb at the Broncos’ hopes of turning it around, wiping their chances of making the top eight without hooker Andrew McCullough, who went down with a knee injury at training this week.

Underperforming Broncos skipper Darius Boyd also came under fire, collecting a spray from former Aussie cricketer Mark Waugh and ex-Boomer Shane Heal.

“I’m sitting on the couch, and after that game listening to Darius Boyd saying there are ‘things bigger than footy’. If I’m a fan and I’ve paid my membership, I don’t want to hear that,” Heal said.

“He’s right, but you don’t say that after a loss, come on. Where’s the passion?”

Waugh shot an icy barb at the veteran Queenslander, scolding him for his typically short interviews post-game.

“Maybe when he’s retired and working for the council for $50,000 a year, he might not think it’s too bad,” he said.

James Roberts has endured a tumultuous year.

But former club captain Gorden Tallis is adamant the Broncos can find a way to qualify for the finals as Seibold learns the Red Hill ropes.

“That club’s always got to play finals,” he told reporters at Fox League’s NRL Magic Round launch.

“Andrew Johns … and Phil Gould, they thought this side was going to win the competition.

“Their roster is good enough to win the competition … and I still think they will (make the finals), I’d back them right now.

“You’ve just got to tough out a win … they need to find something and that something is what Anthony Seibold’s got to do.”

Tallis admitted he had scratched his head at some of the club’s roster moves but sees plenty in 18-year-old halfback Tom Dearden, who debuted last Thursday.

The Broncos have a chance to better their 2-6 record for the year against the Sea Eagles this Friday night.

SMITH SPRAY HIGHLIGHTS STORM WOES

Have the wheels fallen off for Cameron Munster?

The Storm’s concerning 20-18 loss to the Sharks sent shivers up Melbourne supporters’ spines and sparked rumours the former premiership heavyweight is beginning to lose its sheen.

Footage emerged this week of Cameron Smith spraying Cameron Munster after the five-eighth’s final-second brain fade in the second half.

Munster was caught with the ball in the final tackle of the game, and a heated Smith was spotted exchanging words with him before kicking the ball away.

Fletcher couldn’t believe how Munster — who is an Australian representative and tipped to be an Origin great — lost his cool in the clutch moment of the match and backed his public lashing from the skipper.

“Unusual, it was the last play and he just sort of surrendered. I think Smithy is well within his rights to get up him. Something is going on at the Storm,” he said.

Mark Waugh said Munster, who shot out of the gates early in the season as one of the competition’s best halves, had been “playing like a headless chook” of late.

Smith said the clock is ticking on the Storm as they look to rediscover their best form before they lose their stars to State of Origin duty.

The Storm suffered a shock defeat against Cronulla last round but their form was below par even before that.

Ahead of their Magic Round clash with Parramatta in Brisbane on Saturday night, Smith said they needed to get back on track before they were weakened through the Origin period, with the first game in Brisbane on June 5.

From the starting side they are set to lose Munster, winger Josh Addo-Carr, second-rower Felise Kaufusi, centre Will Chambers, prop Christian Welch and possibly lock Dale Finucane.