In their 22-12 defeat to Cronulla, Brisbane’s bench was thoroughly outperformed and overpowered, putting a spotlight on a critical issue that could jeopardize the club’s finals prospects.
The Sharks’ bench, featuring the powerful Royce Hunt and the energetic pair Jack Williams and Thomas Hazelton, brought aggression and momentum to Saturday night’s match at Suncorp Stadium. In stark contrast, the Brisbane trio of Fletcher Baker, Jack Gosiewski, and Kobe Hetherington failed to make a significant impact.
Hunt’s performance was particularly noteworthy, with 88 meters in six runs and six tackle busts, which was double the combined total of the Broncos trio. The lone standout on Brisbane’s bench was hooker Tyson Smoothy, who scored a try but didn’t pose a significant threat to the opposition.
Broncos captain Patrick Carrigan, playing 70 minutes after his State of Origin appearance for Queensland, delivered an impressive display with 48 tackles and 153 meters run. However, he lacked support from his teammates.
Despite leading 12-4 at halftime, the Broncos collapsed in the second half, which coach Kevin Walters described as their “worst half of football” this season. The absence of starting prop Payne Haas, who also played in Origin for NSW, and fellow front-rower Corey Jensen during the Sharks’ second-half surge was notable.
“You can’t question Patty’s commitment,” Walters remarked. “And Payne’s commitment was really good too… but the guys who didn’t play (Origin) didn’t support those who did.”
Walters expressed disappointment with the team’s poor start in the second half, noting, “Our first set in the second half was poor with the ball and it just got worse from there. We will have to look at everything that we are doing.”
Although Walters was asked about his underperforming bench, he was hesitant to single out individuals publicly. “I didn’t see it that way, but the video never lies. I’ll have a look at it again, but our errors cost us in the second half,” he stated.
When pressed further on the bench’s performance, Walters avoided being overly critical immediately after the game. “I’ll have a look at it and I will get back to you,” he reiterated.
The Broncos are set to regain the services of bench forward Xavier Willison for next week’s game against South Sydney on Friday night. Willison missed the recent match due to the birth of his child.
“His partner had a baby during the week, so he couldn’t get to training. We thought it was best he spend time with his family and come in next week ready for Souths,” Walters explained.
During the Origin period, the quality of the bench becomes crucial, and Walters acknowledged that addressing the loss to the Sharks involves eliminating errors and making better decisions.
With six losses out of 13 games, the Broncos have already matched their total losses for the entire 2023 season. The bench is not the only area of concern. Halves Ezra Mam and Jock Madden struggled with their final play options, and the team is missing their injured captain Adam Reynolds, who is not expected to return until the final rounds of the season.
Walters now faces the challenge of addressing these issues to turn around Brisbane’s fortunes and bolster their finals campaign.
