A desperate Brisbane are set to turn to a teen star and former Manchester United prospect as their NRL season lurched into disaster territory following their 26-12 dismantling at the hands of Newcastle.
The Broncos had salted rubbed into their wounds at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday when winger Richie Kennar suffered a dislocated shoulder which could require a reconstruction.
The club’s outside back stocks are now getting dangerously low, a situations which will be compounded with Corey Oates to miss next Sunday’s clash with Cronulla because of Queensland State of Origin duty.
Coach Anthony Seibold is already without Jamayne Isaako (personal reasons) and Jack Bird (knee).
While James Roberts and Jordan Kahu were both granted releases this year.
With no other option, Seibold said he will likely next week hand debuts to exciting youngster Xavier Coates and Englishman Herbie Fansworth.
Coates, 18, was outstanding for Queensland in last month’s Under-20s State of Origin win over NSW, outshining some of the game’s brightest young stars, before making his Test debut with Papua New Guinea last weekend.
While Farnsworth, 19, was at one time contracted to English Premier League club Manchester United as a 10-year-old before choosing to focus his attentions on rugby league.
The Broncos’ loss to the Knights leaves them in the bottom four and needing to win seven of their last 10 to make the top eight.
If they miss the finals, it will be just the fifth time in the club’s history and the third time since 1991.
Asked if his side had underachieved this year, Seibold said: “When you’re lose games you underachieve.
“The reality of it is we had eight guys out there who played less than 25 games, they’re learning.
“I’m the head coach so I take responsibility for that. There’s plenty of effort from the players. If we didn’t have effort, we would have thrown in the white towel in the second half.”
Seibold confirmed he would persevere with his decision to move Anthony Milford to fullback and Darius Boyd to five-eighth.
Boyd had little impact at No.6 and came up with a bad missed tackle on Jesse Ramien which led directly to Mason Lino’s match-winning try.
Seibold said his side failed to adapt after losing Kennar, which resulted in back-rower David Fifita moving to centre.
“At the moment we just can’t handle any sort of chaos that occurs,” Seibold said.
“There’s a lot of effort but we’re not resilient enough individually or collectively. I’ll take the blame for that.
“We put some pressure on ourselves by a tackle four penalty, a tackle five penalty out of yardage.
“The playing group is learning.”
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Souths don't need dead weight. Unless Boyd is intentionally turning in one poor performance after another to get out if his contract in which case that would be utterly shameful and not worth the honourof the cardinal and myrtle jersey!
ken gargett
Guest
agreeing with all these thoughts. boyd a huge liability these days. but the problem is that his contract still has at least two more years to run, perhaps even three? no way can this continue for that period.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yep, Burns is truly going well, lets see how he pans out in 2019??? As when he started and Cleary put him under all that pressure (remember that night at Panthers Stadium?) I thought we will neve ever see Burns again lol but, the Jet will be a GF winner for us in 2019, we will have a rest in round 16 and then all hell will breaklose. Go You Bunnies!!!
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Only 2 games in but Braidon Burns is the best center in the club right now, and on peanuts I'd imagine..Jet is Jet doing nothing more than what hes obliged to..
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
It isn't plagiarism if you BELIEVE you wrote it. - George Costanza
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
I'm not really sure what will happen to the Broncos however in their remaining 10 matches they will play at home 6 times, play teams currently under them 4 times (including the Dogs twice) and play only two teams in the top four (Storm/Bunnies). Making the eight is certainly doable if good enough.....is this current team go enough?....on paper they appear to be....(and yes I know the game’s not played on paper!)
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
"the Bunnies seem to have developed wings and are riding the thermal winds of the mediocrity of the 14 teams below us"... ....impressive use of imagery PS....reminds me of the works of Eliot, Tennyson, or Costanza! :)
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
the narcissistic, vengeful way... THAT's in QLD! LOL
Big Daddy
Guest
It is what it is. I'm not expecting them expecting them to make 8. As long as effort is their . I think their is a big fall out with Bennett leaving and subsequent player's leaving. Any other club with their record in making 8 . Similar scenario at Swans.
Rob
Guest
I tend to agree about Darius not wanting to be at the Broncos anymore. It’s either a conscious or sub conscious lack of desire about not having Bennett around IMO. I’m not sure the narcissistic, vengeful way Bennett has conducted himself hasn’t rubbed of on a few players.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Free falling into 2nd place after 4 straight losses. At least the Bunnies have your Roosters soft feathers to land on! LOL
Peter Piper
Guest
He looks to be going the same way as Inglis. Lost his passion for the game and possibly a bit of depression ? I doubt that Bennett would take him. Boyd is finished when his contract ends in my view.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
The way I see it, Storm, Roosters, Rabbitohs, Knights and Raiders will play finals. That leaves only 3 spots left and I don't see Broncos filling one of them. Boys is useless, Milford isn't a game manager and their much hyped forward is pretty tame
steveng
Roar Rookie
James Roberts average, wash your mouth out 'souvalis', Boyd might be but just wait until we get all our boys back and this SOO fiasco ends. Go You Bunnies!
souvalis
Roar Rookie
That doesn’t make any sense,surely if Darius wanted to leave, considering the current negative cost/benefit to the Broncos, they’d fall over themselves to let him go...nothing more than another average player they’ve bundled off to the free falling Rabbits..
Con Scortis
Roar Guru
Yeah, the Storm are the only side travelling nicely. Both Souths and Rorters have lost 4 out of their last 5, Manly look solid now that they are getting players back, Sharks should rise up with their key players back. I like the look of Raiders and Knights, but the rest are super inconsistent. As for the Broncos, I think Wayne must be smiling into his earl gray.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
Meninga will release his performance report on the Titans. It will recommend they need a senior and experienced captain - enter Boyd in 2020.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Mate, Souths have lost 4 in a row and they are STILL coming 2nd on the ladder after 15 rounds even with key personnel still missing! Were Souths going THAT good? Or are the teams behind them going THAT badly? Normally at this time of the year if a team loses 4 games in a row they fall out of the top 8 but the Bunnies seem to have developed wings and are riding the thermal winds of the mediocrity of the 14 teams below us. Psst, Con. Now THAT should get a reaction! ;-)
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
IMO Boyd either no longer wants to play for the Broncos or he doesn't want to play under Seibold and is doing his best to undermine him as a coach. Boyd should be leading the team instead of being a dead weight that has to be dragged behind them. I think Boyd is doing a "Jimmy the Jet" to either get released from his contract with the Broncos or to get dropped and play the remainder if his contract in QLD Cup. So the ball is now in Seibold's court. Game set and match James Roberts and Darius Boyd.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
It’s a sad state of affairs when the younger blokes Seibold keeps excusing himself over are in fact the best players in the side..Flegler Haas the two young centers and Lodge work their butts off whilst Boyd Milford Gillett and Mculloch whoos around the field catching and passing offering zilch..smacked ...and these are the same sad sacks Bennett dynamited the clubs cap over...a tragi- comedy..