BABY BRONCOS HAVE EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW
THE Baby Broncos are back.
Injury-hit Brisbane will tonight field the second youngest team in the NRL, with coach Wayne Bennett forced to shuffle his forward pack and bench for the club’s showdown with the Roosters.
With four internationals sidelined – Matt Gillett (neck), Josh McGuire (ankle), Alex Glenn (knee) and Jordan Kahu ( jaw) – plus the losses of Origin star Jack Bird (sternum) and young gun Payne Haas (shoulder), Brisbane has named a new-look team.
According to Fox Sports Stats, they will be the second youngest side in the NRL this weekend, with an average age of 24.93 years.
The only team with a younger line-up is the second-placed Panthers at 24.57 years.
To claim victory tonight, Brisbane may have to look to the past heroics of the famous 2002 Baby Broncos side, who upset the Tigers 28-14 with a host of inexperienced players.
Bennett admitted there was a huge challenge ahead if the Broncos wanted to avoid their sixth loss of the season.
“It is (a challenge), but we can’t do anything about it,” he said of his young team.
“We have lots of injuries and we have the best players on the field that we can possibly get.
“That’s all we can do. I don’t see it as a blessing in disguise, but it’s a challenge and it’s a part of the game we play. Players do get injured.
“I’d rather have my best team out there every week, that’s what you aim for.”
Most of the team’s inexperience lies in the forward pack, which includes Matt Lodge, Tevita Pangai Jr and Joe Ofahengaue, all aged 22, as well as 20-year-old Jaydn Su’A and 23-year-old Broncos debutant Patrick Mago.
Teenage rookie Kotoni Staggs, 19, will also make his NRL debut off the bench, and 21-year-old winger Jamayne Isaako is set for his 11th first-grade appearance.
If not for the promotion of premiership-winning forward Sam Tagataese to the bench, the Broncos would have lacked even more experience.
However, original Baby Broncos captain Shane Walker said all the youth in the side might not be a negative thing.
He said Brisbane’s young guys could produce the same magic tonight that his side created 16 years ago, despite not being favourites at their own home ground.
Ladbrokes have the Broncos at $2.50 outsiders but Walker believes they have the ability to defy the odds.
“This will be a lifelong dream for a lot of them,” he said.
“It’s brilliant. What better way to be an underdog than at home in front of your home crowd.
“The beauty of having debutants is no one ever plays bad on their debut.
“You are that full of enthusiasm and excitement ... look at Payne Haas the other day when he made five tackles in one set.
“You’ve got that much adrenaline running through your body. You wish you could have debutants every week.”