Latest news with #BrisbaneBroncos

Broncos make huge call on Payne Haas as Bulldogs cop potentially season-ending blow

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a day ago

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Yahoo

Broncos make huge call on Payne Haas as Bulldogs cop potentially season-ending blow

The Brisbane Broncos insist they will keep playing Payne Haas despite admitting they are managing the powerhouse prop's workload in the face of a number of injury niggles. It comes as the Bulldogs' NRL finals hopes copped a major blow with news that fullback Connor Tracey is in danger of missing the rest of the season after being sent to hospital with an abdominal injury. Broncos prop Haas has been dealing with an ongoing lower back issue that troubled him during the Blues' Origin series defeat. And Haas was also seen limping at the end of Brisbane's shock loss to Parramatta last week after a knock to the ankle, which fortunately wasn't serious enough to require scans. But the Broncos' head of football Troy Thomson - who was also the high performance manager for the Kangaroos and the premiership-winning Rabbitohs side in 2014 - explained that it is more beneficial for Haas to continue training and playing with Brisbane. The 25-year-old wrecking ball trained on Monday and will continue to have his workloads managed, but the Broncos have rejected the suggestion that he should be rested. "If Payne can't play a game of footy of course we are going to give him a rest, but this whole notion that giving him a rest is going to fix him is not how the human body works," Thomson told AAP. "Movement helps recovery. If you don't move, you get sorer. "We are managing Payne's loads, like we do all of the players on an individual basis to ensure they are fresh enough but also have sufficient fitness, strength, flexibility and range of motion to play week-in and week-out NRL. It is about ensuring they have the right stimulus ... and volume and intensity of load as well." Thomson said resting Haas for a fortnight would only lead to a de-conditioning of the muscles that support his back. And teammate Billy Walters said the fact Haas continued to defy pain for the sake of his side just showed what an 'ultimate professional' he is. "He seems like he's only going at 50 per cent and he's still one of the best props of the game," Walters said. "I'm out there slugging away trying to be the best and I'm injury-free and can do nowhere near anything he does. He's a freak. He is a one-in-a-generation player and I am so glad he's on my team." RELATED: Damning stat about Latrell as Souths crisis sparks growing concerns Ricky Stuart's message to Newcastle after 'disrespectful' contract offer Stunning development for Cleary brothers as Luai under heavy fire Bulldogs star Connor Tracey cops worrying injury before finals The news is not so good for Canterbury's Tracey, with Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould revealing that the fullback could miss the rest of the regular season. Tracey played the entire 80 minutes and was a standout in Sunday's big win over Manly, but was sent to hospital after experiencing severe abdominal pain in the aftermath of the 42-4 win. Gould told Nine's 100% Footy on Monday night that Tracey had suffered an abdominal strain in recent weeks. And it's since emerged that Tracey has a problem with his 'inferior epigastric artery' that requires a full three weeks of rest before he can even start training fully again. "They were worried he would need surgery ... Apparently it's just the artery and doesn't need surgery, but he needs three weeks' complete rest before he can even get back into light training," Gould said. The Bulldogs have six games of the regular season remaining and will be desperate to see the fullback return for the finals. "That's only hopeful at the moment but it's bad luck for Connor and bad luck for the team," Gould added.

Brutal call made on Broncos' hopes after premiership blow at hands of Panthers

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2 days ago

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Brutal call made on Broncos' hopes after premiership blow at hands of Panthers

NRL great Greg Alexander has called out the Brisbane Broncos and questioned if they have enough in them to win the NRL title after a shock defeat to the Parramatta Eels on Friday night. The Broncos headed into the clash against the Eels as heavy favourites after steadying their top eight hopes with five straight wins. However, Michael Maguire was left deflated after the 22-20 defeat at home to Parramatta with the Broncos once again folding when the pressure was piled on them. Reece Walsh had a rocks and diamonds game with errors mixed in with flashes of brilliance. Although Broncos great Corey Parker defended Walsh and claimed veterans Adam Reynolds and hooker Ben Hunt didn't stand up on Friday night. While Payne Haas appeared to finish the game struggling with a reoccurring back injury. The Broncos slipped to sixth on the ladder, but are only two points ahead of the Manly Sea Eagles in ninth. Maguire's men have been accused of lacking grunt in 2025 and they were once again called out after their latest display. And NRL commentator Andrew Voss claimed the team lacks the resilience to finish in the top four. 'I have not hopped on the Brisbane Broncos bus at all this year,' Voss said on Monday morning on SEN Radio. 'I still think they are absolutely capable of torching sides between now and at the end of the season. 'However, it's not consistent and I don't see any resilience. I do not see the top four toughness. I see them as pretenders." And Penrith legend Alexander claimed the team are prone to errors and capitulations once the game gets tough. He also questioned if their five-game winning streak was inflated because they beat the Titans twice. 'They are fair weather,' Alexander said. 'On their day, they can beat anyone. They were looking to make it their sixth win in a row and the Gold Coast Titans were two of those wins. The Eels exposed the frailty of this Brisbane side. They don't like it when sides get down and dirty. They don't like sides who play boring and relentless footy and that's what Mitch Moses did (for Parramatta). 'The Broncos couldn't handle it and once the scores got close, the errors and inability to get down into the grind exposed Brisbane. I'm with you (Voss). They are a fair weather team who (only likes) to play in front.' The Broncos are contending with a surging Penrith Panthers side who have moved from last on the ladder to fifth. The Panthers now sit one point ahead of the Broncos with Nathan Cleary leading his side to a 36-2 win over the Wests Tigers on the weekend to mark their seventh straight victory. The Broncos still have to play the Storm twice before the end of the season. RELATED: Stunning development for Cleary brothers as Luai under heavy fire Cameron Munster 'open' to switch to Melbourne Storm's rival Corey Parker defends Reece Walsh after loss Walsh came under scrutiny for his game, despite coming close to winning it for his side at the end only to be called offside. Walsh tried his heart out, but came up with a number of errors. Although former Broncos forward Parker was more critical of the veterans in the team who failed to outperform their counterparts. "There are moments in any sport when you need leadership," the Broncos legend said on SEN radio on Monday. "There comes a time when your most experienced players and your leaders have to stand up and make some bold calls, and they have to stay on task. "The Broncos have got Adam Reynolds at 35 years of age and over 300 games of experience. He's the No.7. He's what you would think is the leader of the football side. He's the captain, and he plays a real pivotal position. "Then you've got Ben Hunt at No.9 with just shy of 350 games. So between those two individuals you've got a collective 651 games between them. We hear so often when the Broncos win or don't win, it's either Reece Walsh has had an ordinary game or Reece Walsh has had a great game. [But] experience in big games and pivotal moments is paramount."

Former All Black Brad Thorn has just one regret: he never played against the Lions

Irish Times

4 days ago

Sport
Irish Times

Former All Black Brad Thorn has just one regret: he never played against the Lions

Brad Thorn achieved pretty much everything over the course of his truly extraordinary career. Famously, when completing a short-term deal with Leinster at the end of the 2011-12 season, Thorn became the first player ever to win the World Cup, Super Rugby and Heineken Cup. But there was one thing he never did, and it remains the biggest regret of his career. He never played against the Lions. It was a case of timing, for this New Zealand-born resident of Queensland – who played for the Kangaroos and the All Blacks – had returned to Rugby League with the Brisbane Broncos when the Lions visited New Zealand in 2005. 'I remember playing the Springboks in 2009 and they'd had a good ding-dong battle with the Lions. We played them in South Africa in two Tests straight after it. We're 100-year-old rivals. Usually, it's like a war but the first Test in Bloemfontein just felt flat. The energy just wasn't there. It fell flat on our side and they had a flatness too because the Lions are every 12 years for the host nation. It's such a big deal and they had put everything into it. 'You wouldn't be able to say that about many Springboks-All Blacks Tests. It just shows the emotion and the importance of a Lions tour, and that was a pretty classic series in '09.' READ MORE Thorn put his name forward to play the Lions in their warm-up match in Hong Kong in 2013 but was turned down, and thus it remained an unfulfilled ambition. So now he's a fan, like so many others. 'The Lions are big in Great Britain and Ireland, but they're huge in the southern hemisphere too. This is something that's got Aussie rugby excited for some time. It's huge, the history of it, and the thing that makes it so cool is the Lions fans. They travel so well.' Fans at the Australia v British & Irish Lions match in Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, on July 19th. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Thorn was in the Suncorp Stadium – just five minutes from where he lives – last Saturday, and believes the Wallabies will be significantly better in this second Test with that game under their belts and with the return of Rob Valetini. 'He's a go-forward guy. You need that in the Test arena. You've got to have the artillery. You know the old saying, don't take a knife to a gunfight.' Thorn is also glad Tom Lynagh has been retained as the Wallabies outhalf as he is a player he coached through the Queensland Reds set-up since the age of 17. [ Joe Schmidt plots unlikely Lions scalp amid feeling of 'now or never' for Australian rugby Opens in new window ] 'I know his father and I'm so proud of him, mate, and so much respect for him. I just love the story. He could have played in Europe, but he came back to the other side of the world, where his name is legendary. That's a heavy name to carry, Lynagh. 'You meet Michael, you can't help being a little bit in awe. 'Noddy' is a legend over here and a real gentleman. Tom could have stayed in Europe but came and within a couple of weeks I had him when I took the boys to military camp, which are brutal; food deprivation, sleep deprivation, in the heat and bush of Queensland. And he got a bit of banter about his accent but he put his head down and got through that. 'He's a very skilful guy. Very similar to his father. He looks like a soft-faced boy, but he will put his body on the line. He loves to run the footy but when I was the Reds coach, I thought he had the best kicking game in Australia, just like his dad.' Australia's Tom Lynagh with his father Michael after the first Test against Lions on July 19th. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho The Lions have grown and shown more cohesion with each game, even allowing for last Tuesday's match. But for the Wallabies to have a chance of levelling the series, Thorn believes Lynagh was the right choice at outhalf. 'If I'm playing them, I want to play in the right end of the field. You wouldn't be mucking around too long in your own half. To do that you need to have an outhalf with a good kicking game and Tom's kicking game can be a strength for Australia.' Thorn is now an assistant coach with Brisbane Boys' College and believes that at grassroots level rugby union is still healthy. 'I don't think the playing numbers are too much different between league and union in Queensland. It might be 50,000 rugby/60,000 league, but as well as being 23 years since Australia's last Bledisloe Cup no Australian team has reached a Super Rugby final since 2014. 'You think about that, mate. You're trying to have heroes, you're trying to sell a game. You need to have some wins, you need to at least have teams in the final.' He describes Rugby Australia's decision to get rid of the National Rugby Championship as 'crazy', adding: 'You've got to have that level, in my opinion.' Thorn speaks with vast experience, and can reflect on an exceptional 23-year playing career which encompassed two spells at the Brisbane Broncos from 1994 to 2000 and from 2006 to 2007, and two stints in rugby union from 2001 to 2004 to 2016. New Zealand's Brad Thorn celebrates victory against France at the 2011 Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park, Auckland. Photograph:In league he was part of three grand final title wins and played in the State of Origin series and for Australia. In union, he was part of the aforementioned treble title wins, playing 59 times for the All Blacks, and had fruitful stints in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, England and Ireland. 'I loved it. I just thank God for how that all played out. Basically, if you look at it, I had 10 years at the Broncos, with all those experiences, and then I had about 10 or so years in rugby. So I almost got to have two careers. I got to do them both.' [ Brad Thorn to return to top-class rugby at age 41 Opens in new window ] Thorn played until he was 41 and attributes his longevity to his assiduous preparation, something which his then Leinster team-mates still reference. He actually loved preseason and was fortunate to largely avoid injuries, unlike his brother. 'He got all the injuries I didn't get and had to stop playing as a young guy.' When playing with Leicester at the age of 40, Thorn was doing an hour's preparation before training, and then 'a foam roller, full-body stretch and a hot-cold shower after every training'. Paul O'Connell was one of those who rang Thorn to seek advice. 'A great, great guy. My message to him was, by that stage in your career, you become the expert of your own body. You listen to all the physios and doctors, and you are the best-placed guy to know where your body's at and what it needs.' If Thorn left a lasting imprint on Leinster in his three months and eight games for the province in 2012, the reverse is also true. Leinster's Brad Thorn with the trophy following their Heineken Cup Final defeat of Ulster at Twickenham in May 2012. Photograph:'I had a coffee with Joe [Schmidt] and Mike Cron a few days ago and we were talking fondly about those times. That's one of the highlights of my career. It was an absolute joy. I just felt like I connected so well, and they took me in, and my mindset was, 'Wherever I go, I'm there to serve. I'll give everything I have on and off the field, and more than what you asked for.' 'And I had great times, great battles; the game in Bordeaux against Claremont,' he added, signalling out that epic 19-15 semi-final win. 'Yeah, we went to war against them. They had internationals on the bench and we had players like Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll, Leo Cullen and Cian Healy, and also Seán O'Brien. 'We loved Ireland. Me and my wife still talk about it because my wife's heritage is half Irish and half Maltese.' On retiring in 2016, Thorn and Mary-Anne returned home to Brisbane with their four children, Brendan (who is now 21), Aiden (20), David (18) and Neva (16). On foot of coaching Queensland Country to the NRC title in 2017, he became the head coach of the Reds in advance of the 2018 season. They had finished 14th the season before and made steady progress in Thorn's six seasons at the helm, finishing seventh and eighth in 2022 and 2023 before losing quarter-finals away to the Chiefs and eventual champions the Crusaders. He had intended to stop coaching altogether but was persuaded by former Samoan international Dan Leo to be an assistant coach at Brisbane Boys' College, where he is now in his second season. 'I have four children and wherever I went, they went. We didn't leave them behind,' says Thorn, who made a vow that he and his family would stay in Brisbane until at least Neva finishes high school. 'It's been a reverse of what everyone else does. Usually you start in schools, go to a club, and then you go to the next level. I was like a baby thrown into a pool, trying to keep my head above water and learning as I went,' he says of his time with the Reds. 'I gave it my best effort and I like to think it was left in a better place when I finished. 'Les Kiss has done a good job now and I'm enjoying doing the coaching I'm doing. I'm doing other things as well and having a bit more fun with my family because as a head coach, it consumes you. It's not a nine-to-five gig, mate, but thank God I got that opportunity and we'll see what happens going forward.' Growing up in New Zealand, he had liked going to church, but his family stopped doing so for a few years after moving to Australia when he was nine. His parents and brother went back seven or eight years later and, encouraged by a good friend and Australian rugby league team-mate Jason Stephens, Thorn followed suit at the age of 23. 'Where my body is as a Christian, it perfectly aligns with a team sport. Because rugby is team first. It's not the individual first, it's the team, and caring about your mates and serving the team, and having humility. 'So, I thank Him for what you say is that great career, and getting to play all over the world. I'm so fortunate. I'm so grateful.'

Ben Te'o: ‘Guys were fighting for spots. After too many drinks sometimes that spills over'

The Guardian

7 days ago

Sport
The Guardian

Ben Te'o: ‘Guys were fighting for spots. After too many drinks sometimes that spills over'

Ben Te'o emerges from Brisbane Broncos' headquarters, umbrella in one hand and walking a little gingerly. As we head for the cafe at the Broncos' lavish training base, where Te'o is now an assistant coach, he explains he has just spent two nights in hospital due to a burst appendix. To his great credit, he still felt obliged to meet, and he is good company. It is entirely complimentary to remark that Te'o has never struck as an overly complicated person. He says it how he sees it. And there is plenty to say. It is 8am, the day before the first British & Irish Lions Test in Brisbane. Te'o has been in demand of late, for the local press wants to know how the Lions measures up against NRL's State of Origin and the former England centre is the only man to both represent the former and play in the latter. Before we get down to a globe-trotting cross-code career, the booze-fuelled incident that precipitated his departure from England and his transition to coaching, Te'o insists on introducing me to the Broncos superstar Payne Haas. 'A freak,' Te'o enthuses, a union loose forward to die for if he ever made the switch. This is the second time we have sat down for an interview. The first was six years ago but it never saw the light of day because it was conducted in the buildup to the 2019 World Cup and Te'o was not picked in the final squad. He and Mike Brown were jettisoned by Eddie Jones after clashing during a night out in a pre-tournament training camp in Treviso and that incident is as good a place as any to start. Te'o scoffs at the idea a 'brawl' broke out, before confessing that he jabbed Brown, the culmination of simmering tension brought about by competition for places in squad. Jones unceremoniously ditched both players, sending the rest of his squad – who went on to reach the final in Japan – a clear message. 'There were a whole lot of guys who were fighting for spots and when you're doing that, things get a little sticky,' says Te'o. 'After too many drinks sometimes that spills over. My regret would be that after a few drinks the confrontation happened whereas it should have just happened before. You should have approached it before you had the drinks, because that blurs the line. 'I thought it galvanised the group and if I was Eddie I would have done the same thing. I don't think Browny was going anyway, I was teetering on not going because I had torn my calf earlier in the camp. Maybe Eddie saw an opportunity, get these two out of here right now, set a standard, make a statement to the rest of the team and put everyone on notice. It worked.' Almost immediately Te'o signed for Toulon. He was criticised for doing so, for jumping ship, but he wants to set the record straight about his swift exit to the Top 14. Complicating matters, his contract with Worcester had expired and he was a free agent. 'The backstory is I was having issues with the RFU about pay and insurance,' he adds. 'It was getting to the point where I was going to pull out. It kept on going, Eddie was saying it would get sorted and then we have this issue [with Brown] and I'm out [of the squad]. So I'm thinking, I'm [off] because they had not made it easy for me at that time.' Still, Te'o's eyes light up when recalling his three years in England. Once he had set his heart on union he initially held talks with Michael Cheika about playing for the Wallabies, but Te'o wanted to broaden his horizons and so the recently departed Leicester head coach arranged a two-year stint with Leinster. 'I was in a team with a lot of good people,' says Te'o. 'From going from league to union I had never spent so much time with my teammates. I roomed with Kyle Sinckler and I feel like I lived with Kyle for three years. And I learned so much from Eddie. I'm sitting here as the assistant coach of the Brisbane Broncos. I think I'm only here because of the time I spent with Eddie. 'For the majority of the time I thought I was a really good impact player. Eddie had that phrase, he used to call us the Finishers. It was Mako [Vunipola], Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, George Ford, me and Danny Care and we used to fly off that bench for the last 20 minutes of the game and smash it. We didn't mind being the Finishers.' In the middle of his England career came the 2017 Lions tour of New Zealand. Te'o finished with 20 England caps but his form in New Zealand – where he grew up – saw him add two more for the Lions in the drawn series. 'I never thought I was going to be a British & Irish Lion,' he adds. 'I was probably at the back of the line and I do feel like I played my way into the team. I was proud of that. My mother is English, I had gone over [to England] purely to play rugby, I then had the opportunity to represent her and ended up in the Lions squad.' As with Jones, Te'o waxes lyrical about Warren Gatland and believes it was inevitable that Andy Farrell – assistant in 2017 – would one day replace him as Lions head coach. '[Warren] was unbelievable. Now that I'm a bit older and I sit back I think he's one of the best coaches I've ever seen.' Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion I wonder if the 2013 Lions tour might have sowed the union seed in Te'o's mind. He does not think so – interestingly, he believes it did for Sam Burgess – but Te'o recalls avidly watching his close friend Israel Folau announce himself on the global union stage and is struck by the similarities between him and Joseph Suaalii. 'Izzy and Joseph are very similar,' adds. 'From a rules point of view, probably raw but from an athletic point of view, exceptional. Big, long, fast, unbelievable in the air. They're the same thing. I reckon [Joseph's] best position will eventually be full-back. You want him touching the ball in more space.' Te'o's time in Toulon was ill-fated. He was released early on Christmas Eve, spent the night packing and flew back to Australia on Christmas Day. It goes down as one of the many lessons that Te'o is now putting to use as a coach, a transition that came about after Covid curtailed his stint with the Sunwolves in Japan and precipitated a move back to the Broncos, first as a player, now as an assistant coach. 'I just started to think about all the things I had learned on my travels,' says Te'o. 'Being at Worcester, there were some real lessons I learned about always being in a relegation battle. Then being with Eddie and understanding how he would see things tactically and from a psychological point of view, thinking about how Warren brought together a team. So I started thinking to myself: 'I know a fair bit, it would be a waste if I didn't teach it to someone else.'' For now Te'o is settled in Brisbane with a young family but at some point in the future he would like to travel again and coach in union. The 15-man code is ailing in Australia at present but having grown up in New Zealand, where union remains a religion, it is clear Te'o still has a deep connection with the sport. 'Union, it's really fading over here,' he adds. 'Most kids aspire to be rugby league players. People have to understand that rugby league is in your face, it's everywhere. If you pick up the paper, it's rugby league. Turn on the TV, league, social media, league. All the podcasts, league. It's everywhere and rugby union is just not. 'I love both games. I love union more, to be honest, as a game, when it's played the right way. I don't want to be one of those people that says 'back in my day' but Super 12 rugby was phenomenal. As a kid growing up in New Zealand it was phenomenal. 'Rugby league is a great foundation as a coach so I'll stay here but my long-term goal is to travel and coach rugby union. When I first retired from footy, I also coached a second XV side at a local college up the road. Honestly, coaching the second XV was more fun than you could imagine. If union is played in an entertaining way, you can't beat it.'

The Star