Reporter Paul Crawley has taken aim at the Broncos over their culture, with two examples of ill-discipline threatening to derail their push for a top four finish.
Centre Gehamat Shibasaki has been stood down from the Broncos’ team to face the Storm in a blockbuster clash on Thursday night.
Shibasaki was stood down due to a breach of Broncos team standards, as Crawley explained on Fox League’s NRL 360.
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It comes after Broncos fullback Reece Walsh posted a video of himself drinking from a toilet on social media.
“You mentioned the culture,” Crawley said on NRL 360 on Tuesday night.
“Shouldn’t the culture be sorted out before Round 27?
“Is that the issue with the Broncos?
“It’s a pretty bloody costly mistake at this time of the year.
“The Reece Walsh thing, again, not the crime of the century but pretty bloody silly.
“And then (the Shibasaki issue) before a match where you’re fighting for a top four spot.”
The loss of Shibasaki shapes as a huge blow to the Broncos, who are in a three-way battle with the Sharks and Warriors to finish in the top four.
All three teams are on 34 competition points, in equal fourth spot with one round to play. The Broncos have easily the best differential of the three teams.
But 27-year-old Shibasaki, who made his State of Origin debut for the Maroons in this year’s series, won’t feature in this game, meaning regular winger Deine Mariner will now be forced to shift to the centres.
Co-host and Broncos legend Gorden Tallis explained why Mariner’s move to the centres could leave the Broncos vulnerable.
“Well, defensively, he’s a winger so he’s going to get asked a lot of questions,” Tallis said.
“(Storm coach) Craig Bellamy would probably be licking his lips, just the way that they’re going to attack.
“I think (the Broncos) do lose a bit.
“Shibasaki showed in State of Origin when he went there. It was a big task for him and Robert Toia and they did a job.
“So they are going to lose there but Mariner’s such an excitement with the football but it’s defensively where Brisbane have lacked.”
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Host Braith Anasta echoed Tallis’ views on Mariner moving into the centres.
“For the punter at home, the difference between defending in the centres to a winger is significant, it’s huge,” Anasta said.
“You’ve got to make more decisions. You’re getting more thrown at you in defence in that position.
“A lot of wingers that do move into the centre struggle in defence because it is so different.
“It’s a big loss. It really is.”
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