Another rant from a Brisbane Broncos fan

I have been closely watching every Broncos loss since last year and one thing is glaringly obvious – the true spirit of the Bronco is not in this team.

You see glimpses of the old flames in young bucks Thomas Dearden, Xavier Coates and Patrick Carrigan. Likewise with older stallions Alex Glenn and Corey Oates. These are through and through Broncos and Queenslanders. Their loyalty is absolute, and their pride a badge of honour.

What did it mean to be a Bronco? It meant earning your place on the team and fighting for a spot to play. More than that, it meant accepting a lower salary so you could play for the team you loved.

In the mighty Broncos teams of yesteryear, I would tell the Broncos were gaining momentum was when they would smash defenders with their “gang-tackles”. The entire team would visibly lift when they did that. Rushing up on defenders like a single unit. On the couch my brothers and I could not help standing from all the adrenaline when the Mighty Bronx were on song.

In attack, they would run like madmen on either side of Darren Lockyer or Allan Langer as they chose who to launch crashing fearlessly into the enemy line. You would almost feel they would die rather than let their team down.

Supermen they were, because they played for each other, their great club and their adoring fans. Only one fanbase in the NRL calls itself a nation – we are the Bronx Nation.

This team has none of that. They are a bunch of individuals who don’t really know what is wrong because the management have lost the plot.

Alex Glenn’s tears were real and were felt by each true Bronco, be it fan or player. It touched a nerve, as the Broncos visibly lifted the next game against the Bulldogs. It was a scrappy win, yes, but a spirited win nonetheless. Sadly Glenn got injured and in the next game, the Wests Tigers humiliated the Broncos.

The Tigers are of course higher on the ladder than the Bulldogs and are playing better, but it is not the fact that the Broncos lost that was most telling. It was how they lost. They lost with no spirit.

What went wrong in the space of one week? Was Glenn so important to the team and why? Glenn is important because he is a true Bronco. He represents the heart and soul of the team. There are only a few of him left in this Bronco team.

After Glenn signed his recent contract deal, you could tell clearly he was relieved he would play his career out with his beloved Broncos. Money wasn’t the most important factor for him – he loved the team.

Looking back, I can handpick certain moments where the Broncos management did not handle true Broncos like Glenn very well. This for mine contributed to the drone of the team.

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Josh McGuire. That man should not have been allowed to leave the club. The Broncos should have fought for him to stay. He epitomised the true Bronco spirit. I remember an article where Wally Lewis said the Broncos would sorely miss Maguire’s grit and competitive spirit, and the King was right.

Andrew McCullough. The lack of respect shown to a true Bronco son was appalling. The years of dedication and service had to count for something, and the management failed. Jake Turpin is a good young player. Yet he is unproven and the coach and management should have told Turpin he needs to wait his turn and earn his place like Macca did with years of loyal service.

The Melbourne Storm brilliantly handled Harry Grant in the loan arrangement in respect for Cameron Smith. Macca is not an immortal like Smith, but he bleeds Bronco. The club should have shown loyalty to a faithful servant.

Queenslanders pick on loyalty and not performance. Where was the loyalty?

A very unfortunate loss was the loss of another true Bronco son, Matt Gillett. When Justin Hodges, Corey Parker and Sam Thaiday passed on the baton, it was men like McGuire, McCollough and Gillett who were expected to carry it on the pride of the jersey.

All three of these men are not in this team anymore. The men playing have no pride in the jersey because pride is earned from sacrifice and blood earned in the trenches.

Defence, in particular, has been the telling factor with the Broncos. All three men above are defensive specialists. A team’s spirit is shown in their defence and the signs are ominous.

Carrigan, Thomas Fledger, David Fifita, Tom Dearden, Coates, Herbie Farnworth and Joe Ofahengaue need men to pass on the baton. They need to play alongside men who have sacrificed and bled for the jersey. Then only can they grow to love the jersey from their own experiences.

I use the term “true Bronco” and this is what I mean by it. True Bronco players to me are the players that came up through the Broncos’ system. They are players who would be qualified to play for the Queensland Maroons. They love Queensland and the Broncos with all their hearts and would never play for another team unless told to leave by the club.

They are one-club players and will live and die a Bronco if they had the choice.

The Broncos team was always built around true Bronco men. Not this team – and that is why they are losing the way they are.

Corey Oates is a true Bronco, but not quite a senior or leader yet, he sorely misses Gillet, McGuire and McCullough and looks like he is in limbo right now. You can see the effort, but he desperately needs the men who are not there anymore.

The Broncos made a grave error by selling this new promising forward pack too soon. They should have allowed them to earn their place.

The contract given to Payne Haas was a defining moment in my opinion. Gorden Tallis said that this would bring dissent among other young forwards, and the Raging Bull was right. Fifita’s exit clearly shows this.

Haas should have been told to earn such a contract before it was given to him at only 18 years of age. That was a bad precedent.

Haas’ attitude is not good for such a young man yet to earn a place at the greats table. The way he stared at captain Alex Glenn a couple weeks ago was disrespectful and he seems to play a very individual type game, focused on building his own stats and making a name for himself.

Being paid big money too early spoils young men. Their attitude is not right and it is infecting others in the team. They should be told to tough it out and earn their place and the big money after a good number of years. If they choose to go, then let them go.

The Broncos management should take a more active role to convince good young players to stay and develop their skills. Melbourne does that.

Attitude and team spirit are more important than talent. Is this year’s performance by the Broncos in comparison to the Storm not proof?

One star young player with a bad attitude should be allowed to leave for the good of the team. A great team is more important than a few talented players. Roosters lost the prophesied “next Inglis” Latrell Mitchel, but they are still a great team.

Matt Lodge is another player who the Broncos have thrown big money to that has not earned the right to be a senior Bronco yet.

What’s more, Haas and Lodge are New South Welshmen. Am I the only one who sees too many New South Welshmen in this Broncos team? I think this team has more players who qualify to play for the Blues than any Broncos team before. Is it a coincidence this team has racked up the worst record in Broncos history?

Too many individuals playing for money and not for the team and the jersey.

A sad case is Darius Boyd. A Bronco junior and servant but I think he loves Wayne Bennett more than the Broncos, so when Bennett departed from the team, he lost his spirit. He is a zombie and looks like he can’t wait to get this year over and done with so he can retire.

Anthony Milford was never a true Bronco. He is a talented player that got thrown a big contract without earning it. The team and Milford have become worse off after that contract. It is easier said in hindsight, but the Broncos must learn from this for the future.

(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

This year’s campaign has gone to the dogs, but if the Broncos have learnt anything, they will start acting decisively for next year.

I have a few suggestions.

The Broncos need leadership, and they need it big.

My first suggestion is to throw every last penny they can afford and send an SOS to Greg Inglis. Though not a Bronco, he bleeds Maroon. He will command instant respect among the players and will be a good mentor on-field for rising stars Coates and Farnworth.

Oates and a few others will improve and welcome his leadership. Darius Boyd leaves at the end of this year, so give the money to Inglis to come in and solve the defensive issues at fullback.

Secondly, I would do a player swap for Josh McGuire and Payne Haas. I know this will be a hard call, but this I believe needs to happen. Haas needs to go, and bring back one of Broncos finest sons. We need grit back in the middle of the field.

In the same way, I would go all out and convince Jai Arrow to return and swap him with Matt Lodge. We need some die-hard Queenslanders back in the team.

When Macca returns, he needs to be made vice-captain and re-signed to finish his career as first-choice hooker. Jake Turpin must be convinced to learn from him off the bench or do a loan arrangement like Harry Grant.

Finally, I would swap Milford with Kieran Foran from the Bulldogs. Foran is a premiership winner and will play a role similar to what Cronk did at the Roosters. He will bring direction in attack and compliment well and develop Dearden and Corey Paix’s skills. He is a Kiwi and should fit in comfortably with Glenn as captain.

My team for next year is:

1. Greg Inglis
2. Jamayne Isaako
3. Kotoni Staggs
4. Herbie Farnworth
5. Xavier Coates
6. Kieran Foran
7. Thomas Dearden
8. Josh McGuire
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Jai Arrow
11. Alex Glenn
12. Corey Oates
13. Tevita Pangai Jnr

14. Jake Turpin
15. Pat Carrigan
16. Thomas Fledger
17. Joe Ofahengaue

To coach this team, I would give Kevin Walters the job. Time to bring some true Broncos back into running the team. In addition, I would make Darren Lockyer the Maroons coach to give Brad Fitler a run for his money.