Parramatta spoils party as Kevolution stalls
New Brisbane coach Kevin Walters’ dream debut turned to disaster as an injury crisis knocked the stuffing out of the Broncos.
New Brisbane coach Kevin Walters’ dream debut turned to disaster as an injury crisis knocked the stuffing out of the Broncos in their crushing 24-16 loss to Parramatta in the season opener on Friday night..
Before 28,131 at Suncorp Stadium, the Broncos inexplicably botched a 16-0 half-time lead, conceding 24 unanswered points as Walters was left to lament the loss of key trio Matt Lodge, Xavier Coates and John Asiata.
Coates and Asiata were taken to hospital for scans on neck and shoulder injuries respectively, while Lodge lasted just 20 minutes before succumbing to a hamstring injury which ripped the guts out of Brisbane’s midfield.
The Broncos looked to have celebrated a bold, bright “Kevolution’’ when tries to David Mead and a double to Coates sensationally propelled Brisbane to a 16-point lead at the break.
But the same old narrative haunted the Broncos after the break. Their second-half siestas returned again with the reigning wooden-spooners simply out on their feet with just one man on the bench as Parramatta powered home to prise open old Broncos wounds.
Trailing 16-0, the Eels came alive in the second stanza, tearing tired Brisbane apart in midfield before Junior Paulo crashed over in the final minute to plunge the dagger into Walters’ troops.
The jury remains out on Brisbane’s halves Anthony Milford and Brodie Croft.
In the space of 40 minutes, one of the most scrutinised scrumbase combinations in the NRL went from sublime to sloppy in yet another sign Brisbane’s playmakers struggle to turn the screws when it counts.
Milford had an excellent first half, setting up two tries, including a sublime cut-out for Xavier Coates’ 32nd minute try, while Croft was confident as they propelled the Broncos to a stunning 16-0 half-time lead.
But in the second half, Milford and Croft faded out of the game. They need to deliver more direction.
Walters made a promise in pre-season: he would fix Brisbane’s paper-thin defence after they leaked a whopping 624 points.
For 40 minutes, the Broncos tackled like demons. Then came the familiar script, the Broncos capitulating in the second half as their defence fell apart the minute the Eels applied some pressure.
They say attitude is defence but it goes beyond that for the Broncos. It’s not just technical. Their problems without the ball are worryingly mental.
As soon as the Eels began to generate momentum, the Broncos lost all confidence in their defensive systems as Parramatta overturned a 16-0 half-time deficit.
Brisbane’s lack of leadership is palpable. Whenever the Broncos suffer a momentum shift, they are bereft of a Darren Lockyer-style senior player to steady the ship and ensure the side holds its nerve.
The Broncos lost all authority in midfield when Lodge hobbled off in the 20th minute. Parramatta feasted on Brisbane’s inexperience, enjoying more than 30 tackles in the opposition half in the second stanza.
The Broncos looked buggered in the final 20 minutes. If they want to handle the greater speed of the game, they need to get fitter.
The Courier-Mail
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