Origin bad boy deserves shot at Broncos captaincy says Parker
“Mitchell Pearce captained the Knights last year and he had a past. Johnathan Thurston (arrested in 2010) was one of the great captains and had a past. Paul Gallen (Cronulla) was the same, Justin Hodges, myself ... we’ve all had our moments. “I’m following Payne into battle. “He shouldn’t be ruled out because of this.”
While Walters has left the captaincy door open, what has become apparent is the Broncos are devoid of genuine contenders on the back of claiming last year’s wooden spoon.
Despite being a Test and Origin star and the Broncos’ player of the year for the past two seasons, Haas has only played 41 NRL games and is in the infancy of his career.
Glenn, 32, is a 267-game stalwart but appears to be on the outer and is likely entering the final year of his career.
Hooker Andrew McCullough is in the mix, but was last year released to Newcastle for the season and has interest from the Dragons to make an immediate move south.
Forward Patrick Carrigan captained the Broncos at times last year and is seen as a future leader but has only played 38 NRL games.
Maligned five-eighth Anthony Milford is a smoky for the job, holding a close relationship with Walters which dates back to Brisbane’s grand final season in 2015.
The Broncos are no longer a club with established senior stars, having previously had captains like Wally
Lewis, Allan Langer, Darren Lockyer and Walters.
Parker said he was saddened to see the Broncos in such a state.
“The captaincy of the Broncos is one of the most prestigious achievements,” he said.
“To hear it is ‘up for grabs’ … it is what it is.
“There’s been a change over the last few years ... it’s like a lottery at the moment. Previous to that, over the last few decades, you knew who would be next in line.”