Broncos founder takes aim at ‘culture change’
THE Broncos’ founding father, Barry Maranta, claims the club’s famed culture has been destroyed and fears Brisbane’s young guns could be scarred by Thursday night’s debacle against the Roosters.
Maranta watched the Broncos’ 59-0 capitulation and believes the players are unfair targets for a deeper cultural problem at Red Hill.
Maranta, Paul Morgan, Steve Williams and Gary Balkin were the quartet who built the foundations of the Broncos in 1988, and a key principle under inaugural coach Wayne Bennett was playing for the jumper until the 80th minute.
Reflecting on the 10-try hammering – the worst loss in
Broncos history – Maranta turned up the heat on club chairman Karl Morris and chief executive Paul White.
“The poor players aren’t the problem, it’s bigger than that,” he said. “I can’t imagine Lachlan Murdoch (co-chairman of News Corp, a majority owner of the club) would be happy – he would be furious with this.
“This is not the Broncos I know. The culture has changed. What we see now is what I saw in other struggling teams when we first set up the Broncos.
“We made up our minds at the time that we would never be like the battling clubs and we put a lot of emphasis on loyalty, support and team camaraderie.
“The problem at the club has existed long before last night’s performance.
“Paul Morgan wasn’t the only one who would have turned in his grave – Gary Balkin would have as well.”
Maranta says a leadership void has exposed emerging rookies like Payne Haas, Tom Flegler, Pat Carrigan, Cory Paix, Tesi Niu, Herbie Farnworth and Ethan Bullemor.