Broncos focus on faster game plan
Broncos coach Anthony Seibold has turned up the heat on his pack, putting Brisbane’s forwards under pressure to be fitter and faster under a new game plan to unleash star playmaker Anthony Milford.
The post-Wayne Bennett era officially begins for Brisbane tomorrow night when Seibold makes his Broncos coaching debut in his side’s seasonopening blockbuster against Melbourne at AAMI Park.
And Seibold has wasted no time making key changes to Brisbane’s tactical style, believing the Broncos need to play a more up-tempo game to break the longest premiership drought in the club’s 31-year history.
The Broncos haven’t tasted title success since 2006 and at the core of Seibold’s shift is imposing responsibility on his forwards to win the ruck and create a platform for halves Milford and Kodi Nikorima to fire.
Under Seibold’s game model, big boppers such as Matt Lodge, Joe Ofahengaue, Tevita Pangai Jr, Tom Flegler and Payne Haas will need first-class levels of fitness to overturn Brisbane’s sluggish play-the-ball speeds of last season. Ofahengaue, who will start in the front row at AAMI Park, admits the pressure is on Brisbane’s posse of forwards to be more proactive as they prepare for a daunting showdown with Melbourne front-row giants Jesse Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona. “We need to bring energy and try to transition fast (between defence and attack),” Ofahengaue said. “We have been practising that all pre-season and if we can transition fast, hopefully we can be one of the fastest teams in the comp. “We have been working hard with Seibs (Seibold) and we will be trying to adapt to the way he wants us to play. We are busting our butts off the field and hopefully it transfers to the field.” Brisbane’s players trained in sweltering 36-degree heat yesterday in the ultimate test of their aerobic conditioning ahead of their showdown with the Storm – the best team of the past decade. Ofahengaue concedes the fitness of Brisbane’s top squad will be tested under Seibold’s game plan. “It takes a toll in the middle ... the forwards have a lot of work to do and it’s a price to pay when you are playing in the middle,” he said.