BRONCOS HIT MAN TO LOOK OUT FOR REYNO
BRONCOS forward Jordan Riki has vowed to play bodyguard for busted halfback Adam Reynolds as Brisbane’s Origin cavalry returns for a top-four assault.
The Broncos will welcome back Origin stars Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan, Kurt Capewell and Corey Oates for Thursday night’s match against the Eels at CommBank Stadium.
A win against Parramatta will put Brisbane ahead of the struggling Storm into fourth spot on the NRL ladder, at least until Melbourne faces South Sydney on Saturday.
The Broncos beat the Titans 16-12 last Saturday with eight players missing to emerge from the Origin period in fifth spot with a 4-1 record. They supplied six players to the brutal series.
They are equal on 24 competition with the Storm and Eels, so a win against Parramatta will put them in the box seat for a crucial topfour finish.
While winger Selwyn Cobbo (concussion) and Billy Walters (hip) are out of the Eels game, the Broncos will also be boosted by the return of hooker Cory Paix.
Coach Kevin Walters has been plotting an Eels ambush from the Broncos’ mid-season camp at Kingscliff in northern NSW.
Reynolds is still carrying a rib injury and Riki, his backrow buddy on the right edge, said he would protect Reynolds from the Eels’ imposing pack.
“He is sometimes a bit of a pest around the club and boys and I’ll joke to him, ‘you’ve got your own back this week’,” Riki, 22, said.
“I love playing with Reyno and I’ll do everything I can to make sure he can keep playing for us. The Eels have been in great form. It’s going to be an awesome challenge for us.
“Their forward pack is very physical. We want to get up in their face as much as we can and cut down their running and ball-playing time.”