Broncos promise cultural change
BRISBANE boss Dave Donaghy has put the players on notice and vowed to fix the Broncos’ culture after a third off-field incident in 14 days.
The Broncos’ famous brand has been battered by a series of off-field dramas that have taken the gloss off Brisbane’s planned fightback next season.
Brisbane’s final game of the regular season against Newcastle on September 4 had an explosive postscript when teammates Tom Flegler and Jordan Riki had a fight in a pub that left a bloodied Riki requiring stitches to a facial injury.
Then on Sunday, South Sydney-bound five-eighth Anthony Milford was locked up by police following an altercation with at least one female.
And now TC Robati will face court on Thursday after being charged with dangerous use of a motor vehicle.
The incidents come after Broncos rookie Tesi Niu copped a six-month driving suspension in March, while star centre Kotoni Staggs has been involved in two off-field incidents that have led to $30,000 in fines from the NRL.
Donaghy, who started as Broncos CEO in May, knows what it takes to be a rugby league force after his tenure at the Melbourne Storm.
He has had enough of Brisbane’s off-field dramas and warned Broncos players to shape up or be shipped out.
“I’m incredibly disappointed with how the last few weeks have unfolded,” Donaghy said. “If we are fair dinkum about being a world-class sporting organisation, we can’t just talk the talk, we need to walk the walk, and that’s everyone.
“We have reported our matters to the NRL integrity unit and the players understand
how disappointed I am with what’s happened.”
The Broncos have had a leadership void over the past three years and there is a view that Brisbane’s emerging rookies, such as Robati, Staggs and Niu, can benefit from more experience at Red Hill.
Broncos head of football Ben Ikin has moved to address the leadership vacuum by signing Souths skipper Adam Reynolds, Penrith’s Queensland Origin backrower Kurt Capewell and former Titans captain Ryan James.
Brisbane offloaded the wooden spoon this season but Donaghy is not satisfied with a 14th-place finish as coach Kevin Walters looks to deliver a finals campaign next season.
Donaghy said support systems would be beefed up to ensure the Broncos were not the bad boys of the NRL.
“We will keep putting good people in place,” he said. “We will be investing in support services available for players.
“We have committed to that and we think that is an area we can address.
“Adam Walsh (Broncos welfare chief) is very good at what he does and he has spoken to us about the need to increase resourcing and investment to support cultural change, so that we develop not just good footballers but wonderful people.
“Leadership in rugby league is a really underestimated part of a successful program.”