Broncos have that 2006 feeling

A super-confident Wayne Bennett has likened his side to the 2006 premiership-winning Broncos.

Bennett said today his squad’s health closely resembled that of the side which sent club legend Shane Webcke out a grand final winner over Melbourne two years ago.

The parallels don’t end there either, with major send-offs for Bennett and a host of star players also planned for the end of this campaign.

“In 2006 we had our best team available and we had it available for about the same period this one’s been available,” Bennett said today.

“We’ve been building on this for nine weeks. We came out of Origin and we knew what we had to do.

“We’ve won six out of nine … and two of those losses we had four of our top players missing in both games so it was all relevant.

“We’ve been building for this part of the season and I’m just really pleased with where we’re at.”

Bennett said that had bred plenty of confidence after Brisbane sides limped out of the play-offs in the years before and after 2006, which included last year’s 40-0 walloping by the Storm at Olympic Park.

“In this decade we’ve had some horrific injuries, we’ve had some real battles at finals time, just a battle to even get there,” he said.

“Last year we went to Melbourne with five or six of our top players not available and you just know you’re on a hiding to nothing.

“2005 and 2004 are in the same category, we came into both of those finals series with a lot of injuries, guys who’d been on long term injuries and might have been back for one game.

“They all take their toll so I just know the importance of having your best players on the park and being fit to play.”

Brisbane will go into tomorrow night’s qualifying final with an imposing record against the Sydney Roosters, who haven’t beaten the Broncos at the Sydney Football Stadium since 2003.

But Bennett said that wasn’t where he was drawing his confidence from.

“That’s not going to count for a lot tomorrow,” he said.

“I’d rather see the way they are today, that gives me more confidence than what our record might be here.”

And the St George Illawarra bound mentor said he wasn’t motivated by the possibility of another Suncorp Stadium send-off which a win could set up.

“No, I’m just doing the job here mate and we’ll see what tomorrow brings and we’ll worry about next week next week,” he said.

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