Historic nightmare: Brisbane Broncos in total danger” Five is already down” heading into a crucial match” report..
Three crucial games remain until the struggling Brisbane Broncos face Penrith in the grand final rematch, despite the absence of five middle and edge forwards. Nevertheless, coach Kevin Walters believes his team can still finish in the top eight. Props Ben Te Kura (foot) and Fletcher Baker (knee) will not play against the Panthers on Friday night. Additionally, second-rowers Jordan Riki (suspension), Jaiyden Hunt (hand), and Jack Gosiewski (arm) will not be available. The Broncos, who have lost four straight games and are in ninth place, will face the Panthers.
Gosiewski’s broken arm from Saturday’s 32-16 loss to the Warriors will keep him out of the game for up to eight weeks, while Baker will have scans to rule out a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury.
In what looks to be a must-win match, the Broncos will welcome back Payne Haas (prop), Patrick Carrigan (lock), and Reece Walsh (fullback) from the State of Origin. They are looking to exact retribution for their devastating 26-24 grand final loss from the previous year and their 34-12 loss in round three of this season.
The Broncos only have seven middle and edge forwards out of their top-30 players to choose from this week. All of their returning Origin forwards, prop Corey Jensen, versatile Kobe Hetherington, second-rower Brendan Piakura, giant in-form Tyro Xavier Willison, veteran Martin Taupau, and other players are expected to play against Penrith.
Three days after the State of Origin final, the Broncos go to Newcastle on the road before hosting St George Illawarra in round 19 in the absence of Origin stars. After yet another defeat to a team outside the top eight, Walters faced backlash for resting the Origin trio against the Warriors.
“I think it is a really smart decision,” he stated. “The competition still has nine rounds remaining. They still have to finish another Origin game. “I’m just taking care of them and prioritizing them. We are aware that if they get past this phase, things will pick up speed. “Last year, we took the identical action. didn’t appear to annoy many people last year. Nobody took notice. That’s funny.
The Broncos finished second in the league with the most wins at this same point the previous year, with 11 out of 16 in 2023 compared to seven out of 15 this time. Given that the Broncos need to win six of their next nine games to qualify for the eight, Walters might not have the luxury of resting Origin players against the Knights. This makes the injuries to Gosiewski and Baker even more concerning. However, the coach is not giving up and still thinks they can make it to the finals.
“Certainly,” he replied. A few teams similar to ours are in the race and trailing the leaders, if you take a close look at the table. “I expect us to get ourselves together sooner rather than later with some really strong performances leading into the finals.” The NRL’s largest club would have missed the playoffs four times in the previous five seasons if they were to miss.
With their previous championship coming in 2006, the Broncos have the eighth-longest premiership hiatus in the league, excluding the Dolphins in their second season.
