The Brisbane Broncos horror Origin season run has continued after a 48-6 drubbing at the hands of the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
It’s a position coach Wayne Bennett has been in many times before. The supercoach lamented the NRL prior to Origin 1 for their scheduling of games and raised the issue of player welfare.
Concerned back in May that the drain on his representative stars would affect his clubs season, his fears have certainly been realised in recent weeks after heavy losses against the Warriors, Bulldogs and Storm.
After starting the season in blistering form, last year’s grand finalists looked close to unbeatable with strength and speed across the paddock. However, after a run of injuries and Origin fatigue, the Broncos have now dropped six of their last eight games.
It’s a situation reminiscent of Wayne Bennett’s 2011 Dragons side that boasted eight Origin stars. The Dragons that year had only lost one game heading into the Origin period and like the Broncos of 2016, a grand final berth looked likely.
Just like the Broncos this year, the Dragons lost that early season momentum through the Origin period and were never able to recapture it, losing eight of their last 12 regular season matches before exiting the finals in straight sets.
Both clubs had pre season trips to the Northern Hemisphere to take part in the World Club Challenge/Series. Similarly, both sides lost their way around State of Origin when their momentum was halted.
The most glaring similarity between the two sides though is coach Bennett and his extra curricular activities. In 2011, Bennett undeniably had an eye on his future club Newcastle that disrupted the Dragons season. This year, his commitment to England’s national side has seen him leave the country during his club’s most difficult period.
Bennett has been able to avoid scrutiny is his characteristic ways by blaming the NRL for scheduling and player welfare. Though missing the presence of a head coach, especially one as influential as Bennett, is negligent at this time of year.
It’s no coincidence that both the Dragons of 2011, and Broncos of 2016 have suffered when Bennett has followed his personal pursuits rather than focusing primarily on the club that he is head coach of.
It remains to be seen whether the 2016 Broncos will recapture their early season form. They have one of the most talented rosters in the NRL, a reasonable draw (including redemption opportunities against the Bulldogs and Storm) and the retirement of club legend Corey Parker to inspire them.
Maybe one win will restore confidence in the troops, but until Bennett is back on board 100 per cent, the Broncos face a mountain of a task to challenge for this year’s title.
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