Parker calls for full club review as Broncos fall out of finals contention

The Brisbane Broncos’ season is all but over after suffering a 46-18 loss to the Titans in front of a packed house on the Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon.

The Broncos led 18-10 at half-time courtesy of two moments of individual brilliance from mercurial fullback Reece Walsh but conceded seven unanswered tries in the second half to tumble into the bottom four on the NRL ladder.

The Broncos’ eighth loss in their past nine matches has led Brisbane great and SEN’s Corey Parker to question the side’s attitude and whether they are fully committed to the 2024 season.

“You get what you deserve in rugby league,” Parker declared on SENQ.

“As harsh as that sounds, you always get what you deserve and are we seeing what the Broncos deserve?

“Absolutely we are. This season, the Broncos are quite simply not prepared to pay the same price (as last year).

“Accountability needs to be held at the Broncos from coach to players, management to board and right across the organisation.

“There has to be an overhaul and there has to be a review from the Broncos. When you start to sift through their performances, decisions and efforts collectively over the course of the year, there will be a big change in those standards.

“You need to have people in the club that are challenging you. If you have continual yes men around you that make you feel warm and fuzzy (then you’re doomed).

“I feel as though the Broncos have missed certain standards and they are not willing to pay the same sacrifices as last year.

“We are now seeing the results of that.”

The moment that typified the Broncos’ performance in Round 22 was when Walsh threw a hospital pass to teammate Corey Oates who immediately dropped the ball when confronted by two Titans players.

Walsh was visibly frustrated and engaged in a heated conversation with Oates. Parker said the demonstrative language from Walsh speaks to the level of disharmony between the playing group.

“Reece is young and he is still learning,” Parker said.

“I’ve been part of teams where you give players a spray but it’s about holding them accountable. It is never anything personal.

“The reason it was highlighted is because you’ve got a 21-year-old in Reece Walsh having a go at a 30-year-old and 200-gamer in Corey Oates.

“To dig deeper, the senior playing group should make sure that something like that doesn’t happen.

“If I gave Shane Webcke lip like that, oh boy.”

The Broncos must win their remaining three games and have other results fall in their favour if they have any hope of sneaking into the finals.

Brisbane travel to Townsville in Round 23 to take on the Cowboys on Saturday.