They've been hyped and publicly scathed. This is how the Broncos handle it

Sydney Morning Herald

06-06-2025

When a teenage Blake Mozer spoke of his adoration for Cameron Smith, little did he know it would trigger a ripple effect that would follow him throughout the fledgling stages of his NRL career.
Overnight, the talented Broncos hooker was shackled with expectations to become the heir apparent to the Melbourne legend.
When asked how he handled the burden of comparison with one of the code's finest, he delivered an insight.
'At first, I was a bit annoyed by it because he's such a great of the game and to get compared to him is a lot of pressure. It's been the same sort of stuff since I was 15, so I've just accepted it and gone with it,' Mozer tells this masthead.
'The comparisons are something that's outside noise, you don't listen to it too much.
'Everything in the building is everything we care about.
'But with expectation, it means my bad game becomes worse than most. I'd like to think my worst and best isn't a far difference, it's just a lot more critics when you fail.'
After the Broncos' fall from grand finalists to 12th last year, the team was subject to extensive criticism.
'That's basically our team,' Mozer says, 'when we fail everyone seems to have a word to say and not much when we win.'
The comparisons are something that's outside noise. But with expectation, it means my bad game becomes worse than most.
Blake Mozer
That intensified in 2025 as the Brisbane side have lost six of their past seven matches.
They have been slammed for a perceived 'rock star' culture, with most eyes on fullback Reece Walsh, whose Instagram following exceeds 500,000.
The spotlight will shine more intensely upon his comeback from a knee injury on Saturday against the Gold Coast Titans.
'I guess it's something you adapt to. I feel like I've probably had that my whole career,' Walsh says.
'I've got a good circle around me of friends, family and people at the club who keep me accountable, hold me to a high standard and want to see me do well.
'If I just keep ... working hard on myself, and at the end of the day just being a good person and dad, everything will be all right.'
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Navigating attention has become a core focus for the Broncos' NRLW coach, Scott Prince, as women's rugby league grows.
Broncos winger Julia Robinson has been targeted in the past with body-shaming on social media, while Queensland Maroons captain Ali Brigginshaw received death threats after the State of Origin series defeat.
It is a reality facing emerging talents no matter the code, with 17-year-old Brisbane rookie Shalom Sauaso's exploits in rugby union for the Queensland Reds making her one of the nation's best multi-code prospects.
'If you put yourself in that realm, you have to deal with what comes with it,' Prince says. 'I try to change her focus, and not worry about the white noise.
'All that stuff will always be there, and it's growing fast. Give it two to five years, and that's when the real stuff begins and that's where pressure comes.'
Prince regards pressure as a privilege, part and parcel for professional athletes.
'When they talk about the next player, they pump them up but turn around next week and talk about how poor they are.
'Whatever is written, that's their opinion, so it's reinforcing the fact you've got to focus on yourself.'
About one in three elite athletes experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, while depression is expected to be the leading global health concern by 2030.
It has prompted the Broncos to launch their mental health round, collaborating with Black Dog Institute on a black kit to be worn against the Titans, with jersey proceeds going towards their work.
In learning to cope with external pressures, Mozer walks in the footsteps of another man who lived it: Karmichael Hunt.
Hunt debuted for the Broncos at 17 before winning the 2006 premiership, and now coaches Souths Logan Magpies, where Mozer has spent the season as he plots his ascent to Brisbane's No.9 jumper.
'[Hunt's] been a big part of my life and in senior footy, and he's gotten me to where I am today,' Mozer says.
'I've learnt enough and matured enough to know myself. Now I just need to prove that on the NRL stage, which will slowly but steadily happen.
'When I get there, I'm going to be ready for that week in week out, which I probably wasn't last year.