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What has happened to the once-great Brisbane Broncos?

8th July, 2013
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Brisbane Broncos' player Corey Norman. AAP Image/Dan Peled
Expert
8th July, 2013
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It would be painfully disappointing for Brisbane to miss out on playing in the 2013 NRL finals in the year the proud club celebrates its 25-year anniversary.

But after losing 32-0 to defending premiers Melbourne at the weekend – the first Brisbane side in history to be held to zero points twice in one season – the critics are leaping out of trees to declare their season over and predictably calling for coach Anthony Griffin’s head.

It’s not an ideal situation for the club to be in as it hosts its Gala Ball on Saturday night to celebrate its 25th birthday.

The highlight of the big night will be unveiling of the club’s ultimate grand final team, selected from players from the six sides which won premierships during those 25 years.

Names like Darren Lockyer, Allan Langer, Glenn Lazarus, Shane Webcke, Steve Renouf, Kevin Walters, and Gorden Tallis will fill the room along with Wayne Bennett – the man who coached every one of the club’s six premiership teams to glory.

Broncos chief executive Paul White would no doubt have been hoping to unwrap the club’s superstar grand final team line-up with the club in a much better position than 13th on the NRL ladder.

Currently they’re in huge danger of missing the September play-offs unless they can conjure up a barnstorming late charge with five or six wins from their remaining eight games.

Certainly no easy task, especially when you consider the tough closing draw they have to negotiate, starting against Cronulla at home on Friday night without their Origin stars.

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They also have two games against the gritty Newcastle Knights, coached by Bennett and another against Penrith – everyone’s ‘dark horse’ tip to storm into the finals.

There’s a certain irony that Bennett can orchestrate Brisbane’s demise in such a special year for the club, just as there is a strong link between why they have struggled to be the force they once were when he was at the helm.

Bennett and Broncos co-founders, Paul ‘Porky’ Morgan, Barry Maranta, Gary Balkin and Steve Williams and inaugural chief executive John Ribot, established a special culture at Red Hill in those formative years from 1988 which laid the foundations for the golden success that was to follow.

On Bennett’s 21-year watch as coach, Brisbane became the most successful team of the past three or four decades. They became the NRL’s benchmark side for many reasons other than just the way they played football.

They won every grand final they contested in 1992-93, 1997-98, 2000 and 2006.

They played in 18 successive finals between 1992-2009, making them the envy of every battling chief executive in the land, not just rugby league bosses either, and quickly became the NRL’s official ratings champions and flag bearers.

Under Bennett the Broncos had the bulk of the Queensland State of Origin side.

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They also always boasted one or two marquee stars of the game: ie Lewis, Langer, Miles, Lazarus, Walters, Renouf, Tallis, Lockyer – the list was endless.

Bennett always recruited the right players.

They all wanted to play and be a Bronco, often happy to accept less money because of the improved chances of playing representative football.

Simply put, winning premierships was more likely if you played for Brisbane under Bennett.

Bennett went out and got a young Kevin Walters from Canberra, knowing he’d be the right player to take over from Wally Lewis when he made the unpopular decision to take the number six jumper off the King and make Gene Miles his captain in 1989.

When he needed a powerhouse front-rower to drive his superstar side forward, he went and got Glenn Lazarus, the most successful front-rower to play rugby league, collecting premierships with three different clubs.

Bennett never ventured into battle without an on-field general.

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Well before he left the club following a rift with those transpiring against him, he was formulating plans to ensure the club’s long-term future was not jeopardised by the pending departure of his most successful soldier, Darren Lockyer.

Bennett’s master plan before he walked out the door was to eventually move young fullback Karmichael Hunt to five-eighth for Lockyer and make him captain.

That susccession plan never happened, the AFL swooped and the Broncos have struggled to replace him ever since.

Since Bennett’s exit, the player exodus at Red Hill has also increased.

The club has let current Queensland and Australian star Darius Boyd (Newcastle) go along with the likes of Kiwi representatives Gerard Beale and Greg Eastwood (Bulldogs) and another representative utility player Ben Te’o (South Sydney).

Dane Gagai – now a permanent first grade player with Newcastle – Reece Robinson (Canberra) and Antonio Winterstein (North Queensland) were other quality players cut loose.

Critics have questioned how Brisbane missed out scouting the likes of Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans and young Canberra sensations Anthony Milford (18) and Edrick Lee (20) a member of the Brisbane Bullets junior team, when both grew up under their nose.

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When Brisbane won the last of its six titles in 2006 against Melbourne Storm, Hunt was their regular fullback, Michael Ennis – who missed the grand final win through injury – was hooker, Lockyer was five-eighth and the unfashionable Shane Perry – recruited from Redcliffe to cover injuries – filled in at halfback.

Hunt, Lockyer and Ennis were all representative players.

In Brisbane’s current side, Wallace is the only member of the spine who has played any representative football.

In that 2006 grand final win, Brisbane also had two pretty handy props in Shane Webcke and Petero Civoniceva as well.

The cold hard facts facing Brisbane are they no longer have the same aura or pulling power they once hand under Bennett, or even when Lockyer was still playing just a few seasons ago.

They banked heavily on the club’s youth brigade delivering and then, at the last moment, tossed a spanner into the works by recruiting veteran halfback Scott Prince.

It’s a decision which ultimately cost them the future services of youngster Corey Norman, who is heading to Parramatta next season.

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What they should have done was gone all-out for a genuine gun player.

A player capable of sparking the side’s attack which struggles for points with halves Prince and Wallace far too predictable and talented youngster Ben Hunt wondering what he has to do to get a decent crack at the job.

The kind of player Brisbane desperately need – a Greg Inglis, whom they came close to signing a few years ago, or Johnathan Thurston, now entering into his twilight years, Cherry-Evans or Ben Barba, who wants to return home to Queensland for personal reasons, don’t grow on trees.

But they are the types of players Brisbane is lacking and unless they open up their war chest and get out in the market place and throw their weight around they are going to miss out yet again.

Things will get even worse before they get better with a few current stars like centre Justin Hodges and Corey Parker edging towards the end of their fine careers.

What then?

The club has some exciting young talent.

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We saw another future star unveiled in rangy 18-year-old Corey Oates who debuted against Melbourne at the weekend and the wraps on teenage half prospect Ashley Taylor are massive.

But those kids are still two or three seasons away from being ready to play NRL every week.

The harsh reality for coach Griffin is he has eight games left to lift Brisbane into the top eight and even then, unless they progress past the first round, the calls for his head will grow even louder and the pressure on Brisbane’s board will grow.

The pressure won’t worry Griffin.

I’d be willing to bet he, skipper Sam Thaiday and Bribane’s players believe their efforts against both the Warriors, losing on a Prince intercept pass and again against the Storm when they had enough scoring opportunities to be in the contest but didn’t execute the final play against the best last line defence in the competition, is good enough to believe they can still make the finals.

Brisbane may be missing a few things at the moment – but their heart or fight are not among them.

Think you could help the Broncos turn their form around? Are you a potential Kit Man Assistant, Club TV Assistant or Corporate Box Tester? NRMA are giving you the chance to get on board with a match-day role at the Brisbane Broncos. Interested? Register for your chance to be part of the Broncos.

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