Bruised Broncos on offence with defence
THE Broncos are set for a defensive overhaul, with coach Wayne Bennett to turn up the heat on his side ahead of Thursday’s all-important showdown with the Cowboys.
Before Round 25, Brisbane were the second-best defensive team in the competition and were sitting in the top two on the ladder with Melbourne.
But after leaking 52 points to Parramatta last Thursday, they have now conceded more points than the Storm, Sharks and Roosters this season.
After also slipping out of the top two, Bennett will not be impressed by his team’s efforts and will look to fix things as soon as Thursday.
The focus on defence was already evident yesterday, as the team hit the training paddock for the first time since the embarrassing loss to the Eels.
Left-edge combination Corey Oates and Tautau Moga became the first to feel the brunt of the reaction to the defeat, with the pair taken through a number of defensive drills by Bennett and assistant coach Jason Demetriou.
Skipper Darius Boyd and hooker Ben Hunt also weighed into what towering winger Oates could do better to sharpen up his defence.
But it is not expected that Oates and Moga will be the only two targeted this week, with the whole team set to be put through their paces as they edge closer to the highly anticipated Queensland derby.
North Queensland will provide a massive test for the Broncos, with Oates himself to be marked up against winger Kyle Feldt, who won the Cowboys their match against the Tigers over the weekend.