The years are starting to roll on since the Broncos’ last title in 2006. What are the main factors behind the drought for one of Australian sport’s most successful clubs?
Since the last Broncos title the winners have been the Storm (two legitimate, two taken away for salary cap breaches), Roosters (two), Sea Eagles (two) and the Saints, Cowboys, Sharks and Rabbits with one each.
Ironically it looks like a list of clubs with the weakest juniors in the league.
The Broncos have all the wealth and facilities any team needs to succeed. For much of this time they have had one of the game’s great coaches and huge crowds to cheer them on.
The Broncos have plenty of top juniors to draw on and a very stable era free from major turmoil.
Consider some of the issues faced by plenty of their rivals over this period.
The Knights have been impotent due to a lack of quality juniors emerging and by being Tinklered.
The Wests Tigers have had all sorts of financial and other problems.
The Storm, Dogs, Eels and Sharks have had major salary cap or drug issues which have taken them out of contention at times.
The Titans were on the way out and rescued and the Sea Eagles have had too many dramas to list in one article.
The Eels and Raiders are still waiting for some champion juniors to emerge since their last titles in 1986 and 1994 respectively.
So, why haven’t the Broncos been able to capitalise on this situation?
I can only really come up with one main factor: recruitment. The big five Queenslanders of Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Cam Smith, John Thurston and Cooper Cronk played a huge number of games in this era – and all won premierships – but none of them with the Broncos.
Add one of these players to the team and it’s easy to imagine a title or two. What if Smith and Thurston spent a decade at the Broncos?
The Storm and Cows are brought right back to the field and the Broncos are dramatically stronger. Maybe the last 12 years would have been similar to the previous 12 and Bennett is the undisputed GOAT?
Since 2006 Inglis, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cronk, Thurston and Cam Munster have played starring roles in grand final wins in the halves for teams other than the Broncos after leaving Brisbane.
That’s close to the top five halves of the current era and some of the best from any era.
Is this just bad luck or bad management?
Drew Lawrence
Roar Rookie
I agree, had a shocker
Larry1950
Guest
Like to see your definition of "fine" because what I saw was a broke NSWRL with a history of alleged corruption at the top who were so desperate to get a Brisbane team in they jumped at it & the licence fee attached to entry despite your mob having pokie cash available. A lot of us rue the loss of our BRL comp & the fact that rugby league gets influenced by NSWRL idiots like Jones & Hadley.
Hoy
Roar Guru
You're bang on, it's recruitment... poor halves. The Broncs can get upfield 90m but their halves can't do anything inside the 10m attacking zone, and THAT is the big Broncs problem. They have recruited or kept the wrong options since 2006...
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
I was at the game. The try was scored just after the siren. Bennett lifted the Broncos significantly in 2015 (2nd) from where they were at in 2014 (8th). And considering that they had players like Corey Parker, Sam Thaiday, Jack Reed, Justin Hodges and David Stagg playing for them, I don’t think they could really be considered a young team. The roster has certainly been refreshed since then.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Which time with Prince? In his first stint he was constantly injured (broke his leg twice) and ended up only playing 28 games over his three years there and in his second stint he retired two seasons before Bennett came back. As for Taylor, he was granted a release because he was stuck behind Milford and Hunt in the year they were absolutely on fire and made the grand final. He hadn't even debuted for the Broncs when he signed for the Titans. It didn't have anything to do with Bennett not thinking he was good enough.
Rob
Guest
Whilst I agree a good half is essential the Broncos had Scott Prince when Bennett was coaching and let him go ? He didn’t think A.Taylor was good enough either.
Rob
Guest
Not to be picky but the Cowboys leveled the score before the siren sounded from memory. Also for future reference if the basketball is shot before the buzzer but goes in the hoop after the buzzer the score counts. Buzzer beater! If JT had his kicking boots on or not lost/dropped the ball ( maybe racked out) the Cowboys would have won without overtime.
Nat
Roar Guru
" silly article on Roar about it" says plenty about your objectiveness. How about you read the comments where the vast majority agree with the article. Same over on 'leagueunlimited'. Not only forums, SMH, DT, CM and Australian all made reference to his selector role and specifically asking where Watmough, Stewart Bros, Kite and Perry at different times. Even in doing so, he gave Manly the most successful period in a very long time. However, you will just dismiss these again because you cannot hear a bad word about Bozo. You've never applied logic in your life. Not in this article, not about Bennett and especially about Manly. You were kicked off this site after Manly's loss to Panthers in the finals because of your ridiculous bias and continued rants that stretched for weeks after. Is this your 3rd or 4th pseudonym since then? Don't hold your breathe waiting for the article. I don't portray it as fact, just evidence-based conclusion. Further I don't care, it's history and I don't have the insecurities to try and bring another club, with whom I know nothing about, down because they weren't able to buy and keep every young Qld kid with the benefit of hindsight that they may turn into a Smith, Slater, JT or Cronk. Manly had a feeder team in Qld along with Storm, Gold Coast has two, Raiders have an affiliations in Logan and Cowboys have multiple. That's just ISP teams, every club has scouts everywhere. But your logic suggests Brisbane should have signed everyone as teenagers and to not is a failure in recruitment! You cannot sign or afford to keep all the best young players. It's called a cap - on both money and top line-players (30). So tell me again why the Brisbane situation is any different to any club in the NRL? Your club is in such a pathetic state you've got to start looking elsewhere to find drama. I suppose Bozo had no influence over the current state of the club? $500k fines, $300k off the cap, a rotating CEO and coach, sacking staff that fall out with Fulton's daughter but "we love Bozo".
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
In hindsight the article is incomplete. I understand that plenty of Broncos supporters regard the discarding of Bennett as a major reason for the 12 seasons without a title. It's not just Bennett who was lost but Darius Boyd as well. Inglis was probably lost as a recruit also because Bennett wasn't coach 20011 is cited as an unlucky year because they were likely premiers according to many until lockeyer was injured. Inglis and Boyd in the 2011 back line even without Lockyer would have them as title favorites. Bad luck or bad management? Matt Ballin is another title winner who was unwanted at the Broncos.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Everyone was calling for Bozo's head for a long time. Their was even a silly article on Roar about it so of course I knew. Show me any example where anyone said he should have been sacked because he was deliberately not selecting Manly players to favor Manly's chances. When are you going to understand that it's a figment of your imagination? Bennetts subsequent move to Souths was never a figment of my imagination or blindly following the media it was obvious to anyone who has any logic. It was your little herd who was ridiculing anyone who thought Bennett was leaving and ridiculing anyone who was believing the papers. Twist it any way you like but your ridicule was completely misguided. This article was about letting a whole swag of stellar players leave QLD and win titles with other clubs with the fair question raised as to whether it was bad luck or management. I could have used your logic and just stated that it must be someone deliberately sabotaging the Broncos because the evidence so strong. I'll wait for your article on how Bozo deliberately sabotaged the Blues for 8 years. So how do you rate the Storms recruitment of your best players? Just a fluke?
Nat
Roar Guru
As opposed to your "I don't know"... A) I have no bias, if anything I'm backing NSW could've actually been better. B) and I've said this 1000 times, I'm not a Manly hater. I don't have a 'with us or against us' mentality. I can be completely objective. You should look that word up. C) There is a significant difference between that Bennett and Bozo comparison. One is based on historical evidence (Bozo, for those playing along at home) and the other is predictive and using the media as a source. Up until the Broncos released the statement of his sacking, the club and the coach had a contract they were abiding by. Again, it's funny you only listen to the media when it suits. If they proclaim Bennett will be sacked - it's a fact in your world long before any official word. When people are calling for Bozo's head as NSW selector "I don't know..." Not sure why you keep referring back to last year's Qtr final. You have no horse in the race, Manly did not make the finals at all, you're purely throwing stones from the cheap seats because you have nothing else - Manly were on holidays by then. If you want to cite a relevant game, go back one week between Manly and the Broncos. What was that score?
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
None of your wild allegations about Bozo are backed by any evidence that goes anywhere near proving your case. You're not able to see it because of your bias. It's the same concept as listening to Bennett saying that he'll be coaching the Broncos in 19 and thinking that it's proves anything. Someone might think that Bennett did his best to get flogged in his last game at the club to punish the club but despite being heavy favorites but just like your attack on Bozo there is zero proof or valid evidence.
terrance
Guest
Let's hope your inaccuracy starts to decrease in the future.
terrance
Guest
I now understand when Australian higher education institutions started declining in global rankings. Comments like ''..there is a difference between not knowing something and not bothering to care or learn about it. I’m more of a boxing fan'' to defend a massively incorrect statement that would have taken a minute or so to research. Concerning. Very concerning.
Nat
Roar Guru
Solid reply. I'll offer you evidence-based arguments and you give it "I don't know... you're making up fairytales". I bet the irony of your last little crack about the Broncos supported by "take that as gospel" is completely lost on you. Gospel? Talk about fairy tales...
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
No. It’s not like basketball where the game can finish with the ball in mid air and in mid play. Once the final siren goes, the game finishes at the end of the current play. Alternatively, play can finish after the siren to allow a conversion or penalty to take place.
Rob
Guest
If the Broncos had of been ahead after the final siren they win. The Cowboys scored 3 tries to the Broncos 2. The Cowboys pack was far more dominant than the Broncos but Milford kept them in the game. The Broncos lost playing negative football. They were a young team assembled by Griffin and Bennett was the beneficiary. Have they improved since 2015? The Broncos support in Qld changed a little when the Cowboys joined in 1995 it changed a lot when the Cowboys got their first free to air games in 2004 reaching the preliminary final. Since then QLD has had 2 teams to support and watch on free to air TV. Thurston and Bowen were the new stars and the Storm had plenty of QLD stars also. The power of the Broncos in the Queensland market has dropped significantly in the last 15 years.
Larry1950
Guest
Yep, two things possibly (more likely probably) cost us two premierships, Sims lazy knock on in the 78th minute against the Storm resulting in a classic Inglis try and the errant knee to Lockyer's cheekbone by a team mate when they were streets better than any of their opposing clubs, but that's footy.
Larry1950
Guest
Drew, don't let facts get in the way of a good sledge, last time I checked google maps Sunnybank (Thurston's junior club & the area he grew up) was a long way from north Qld and a stones throw from the Broncos club. Cronk is a Brisbane boy and went to high school at Churchie playing Union, never came from the country. He was also not a halfback and has turned out probably the best manufactured one ever, that's down to him. Inglis is from NSW so that's even further from north Qld than Sunnybank so you got one right out of four with Slater being from Innisfail. Smith was a halfback most of the time in juniors & there were others around who were quicker, he wasn't recruited as a hooker but who really thought he'd turn out as he has? as I've said elsewhere, you can't sign them all.
Larry1950
Guest
I guess you realise the Broncos don't have any juniors, they give scholarships & when they recruit kids they go into Intrust Super clubs for development. You can't sign them all, today's kids have managers, often parents who see their meal ticket, club & rival code recruiters pulling them every which way. You've also got to keep established players happy because 30 great kids in a squad won't win you a premiership, it's all about balance & a bit of luck with injuries and form. The old pull of taking less money to stay at home doesn't wash nowadays with many millenials, they want it all now. Broncos dropped the ball a bit after Cyril Connell passed away but their current crop seems pretty good as long as there are a few old heads around them. These kids play against each other all through the juniors at zone & state carnivals so they know each other and some steer clear of the Broncos if they've got a close rival already on the books. There's also a Corey Allen type scenario where the Qld U20 fullback is sitting behind captain Darius Boyd on a four year contract, why wouldn't he go elsewhere, I'll bet the Broncos wanted to keep him.