Take ownership: Excuses don’t wash for miffed Broncos legends
Broncos legends have unloaded on under-fire coach Anthony Seibold and demanded the struggling NRL club stop making excuses.
Broncos legends have unloaded on coach Anthony Seibold and demanded the struggling NRL club stops making excuses for abysmal performances.
The Broncos slumped to the club’s biggest ever loss in Thursday night’s 59-0 defeat against Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium.
The loss pipped last year’s 58-0 nightmare finals exit to Parramatta, which means the two biggest defeats in Brisbane’s 32-year history have come in their past five matches under Seibold.
The Baby Broncos showed little resolve against the back-to-back premiers, conceding 10 tries in the Round 4 rout.
In the second season of a five-year contract, the spotlight has been thrust firmly on Seibold.
“It’s on the coach now to fix this — the buck stops with him,” said Brisbane’s greatest ever tryscorer Steve Renouf.
“He wouldn’t like what he is seeing but something needs to be done — that’s an understatement.
“There is a lot of inexperience and what they don’t do well in big games is respond well to a setback.
“In the dressing room, what is Seibold saying to them? Who is getting the players up for the game?”
The Broncos are facing a serious leadership void, with Seibold fielding Brisbane’s youngest ever starting front row against the Roosters.
The club has been decimated by injury and suspension, with key players like captain Alex Glenn, Tevita Pangai Jr, Jake Turpin and Kotoni Staggs sidelined.
But 173-game club legend Chris Johns said the performance was unacceptable and Seibold had to find answers.
“It’s time for Anthony Seibold and the squad to stop making excuses,” Johns said.
“When Wayne Bennett started this club with John Ribot, the first thing they jammed down our throats was this club will never make excuses. We don’t care if the ref rips us off, we don’t care if the league changes the rules to affect us.
“We don’t blame anyone. We take ownership. We fix our problems.
“I am sick to death of hearing Seibold talk about this young football team.
“Stop whingeing about it. Anthony, if you don’t want a young football team, flog them off to the other clubs and get an older football team.
“The first thing the board should do is stop giving coaches five-year contracts and hold people accountable. Their corporate side is outstanding but their football team is a mess and the coach has to fix it.
“Seibold and everybody at that club is under pressure right now. They all have to aim up. It’s not all over. The squad can bounce back. But they should get some desire back and have a crack for the jumper. And there should be a fine system at the club for mentioning the word young.
“If you are good enough, you are old enough.”
The Broncos missed 30 tackles against the Roosters and had only 37 per cent possession due to a completion rate of 57 per cent (13 errors).
But it was the complete lack of defensive desire that was of most concern, regardless of the inexperience on the field.
Legendary front-rower Shane Webcke said he was horrified by the defensive performance, but urged fans to judge the team on how they respond next Thursday night against Manly.
“It’s going to be a tough year — they’re not going to win anything this year and we all know that,” Webcke said.
“What this is about is the foundation for the future. If you get through these tough years, the advantage you get is that this team will be formidable in four-five years if they keep it together.
“Call it for what it is. It was a disgraceful, inept performance which can happen. I can be forgiving because we’re all part of something like that in our careers.
“Just don’t replicate it, because if they do that they will lose people.”
The Courier-Mail
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