Robert Craddock: Out of form Broncos are trapped in a roster black hole of their own making

After “betting the farm’’ on a team which has become the NRL’s greatest pretenders, Brisbane’s season from hell could soon expose a deeper issue which will have long-lasting implications.

The Broncos are trapped in a deep dark hole of their own making after “betting the farm’’ on a team which has become the NRL’s greatest pretenders.

With just one win from their last seven starts the Broncos form slump is the talk of the NRL and the damning news is the club has very little room to make major changes to their roster.

The Broncos are in the process of finding every free salary cap dollar they can get to re-sign Adam Reynolds for one last year but their cap is so tight several players will have to be released for the Reynolds deal to go ahead.

To put this into context, once Reynolds is re-signed the Broncos will have every major player bar Selwyn Cobbo and perhaps Kotoni Staggs under contract for next season but their cap will be bursting at the seams.

That is simply to feed a team which has won one of its last seven starts and just five of 12 for the season.

As for major short term recruitments to stop the bleeding … there’s no spare cash.

The Broncos have gambled heavily on big contracts to Reece Walsh (back this week against the Titans), Payne Haas, Ezra Mam and Pat Carrigan in the expectation they will deliver the premiership Brisbane has been craving since 2006.

It’s a worrying situation for under siege and visually deflated coach Michael Maguire who will be extremely limited in the amount of money he will have to recruit new players.

Things will only get tighter at the end of the year when the Western Bears start offering big money to uncontracted players to head west.

Broncos. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

For all of the Broncos decorated history, it is not as if the out-of-form team is radiating the “happy club’’ vibes that attracts players from other clubs and there are fears that Haas, the game’s best prop, may be lost if the vibe does not improve.

“There is no doubt about that and the first thing you have got to do for a player is keep them happy,” Meninga said.

“They have got to be playing the sort of footy that they love playing. You have got to have some passion and desire and want to be there. You love putting the colours on and running out in the Broncos colours and that’s the first thing about it all.”

Former coach Kevin Walters said: “That’s the way I coached.

“You play rugby league and there is a lot of accolades and you can make some good money, but you play for the fun and competitive side of it and being part of a team and playing with your best mates and that’s what they have got to get back to.

“They need to find their way pretty quickly because we are now 13 rounds in.”

If the Broncos are to dig themselves out of this hole it is going to have to come from within.