The Broncos have confirmed that highly touted assistant coach Ben Te\u2019o has sensationally quit his role at the club just three rounds into their premiership defence.<\/p>\n
Reports surfaced on Tuesday morning that the defensive specialist tendered his resignation following a disagreement with coach Michael Maguire over tactics ahead of last week\u2019s grand final rematch. <\/p>\n
Te\u2019o won a premiership in 2014 at the Rabbitohs playing under Maguire and had been a crucial member of the coaching staff, with the club confirming the news on Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Brisbane Broncos can confirm that NRL assistant coach Ben Te\u2019o has resigned from his position within the club\u2019s football department,\u201d the club statement read.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe club is in ongoing discussions with Ben regarding his future and the timing of his departure. Arrangements have not yet been finalised.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst and foremost, the club is focused on supporting Ben and his family through this process and prioritising their wellbeing and welfare.\u201d<\/p>\n
Players had been asked about the shock news earlier in the day at their weekly media commitments. <\/p>\n
\u201cI saw it on Instagram this morning and I haven\u2019t read too much into it,\u201d Broncos forward Ben Talty said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s coming or how true the situation is, so I can\u2019t really comment on that (him leaving).<\/p>\n
\u201cBenny is a fantastic coach. He\u2019s our defence coach and we try to pride ourselves on our defence as a team.<\/p>\n
\u201cBen is an exceptional coach, but I don\u2019t really have a comment because I don\u2019t know too much about the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fellow forward Brendan Piakura has evolved his game after learning off Te\u2019o, who was one of the most physical edge forwards during his time in the NRL. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s done really well for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLearning off him, he was a really great player and a great coach as well. We won a grand final with him. <\/p>\n
\u201cUs players really took his practices into the games.\u201d<\/p>\n
The news comes on the back of last week\u2019s public spat between the club and Broncos legend Gorden Tallis following his criticism of how Brisbane and skipper Adam Reynolds handled a rib injury. <\/p>\n
The off-field dramas come at a bad time for the glamour club just days out from the Battle for Brisbane where they\u2019ll face the Dolphins in a Friday night blockbuster.<\/p>\n
Superstar prop Payne Haas looks set to miss the match with a shoulder injury and will leave a gaping hole in the middle of the field. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a huge loss,\u201d Piakura said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone knows the calibre of player that Payne is and what he brings to the team, but we\u2019ve got other boys that can fill into his role and make it the next man up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reynolds is a good chance of playing this week, with Talty and other big men like Xavier Willison needing to step up big time if Haas is ruled out. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure whether he\u2019ll be in or not yet because I know there is some discomfort in his shoulder,\u201d Talty said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he\u2019s not to play, he\u2019s quite hard to replace, so it\u2019s going to be a big role for me and Xavier and the rest of our middle forwards to step up to the plate and play a bigger role.\u201d<\/p>\n