Meanwhile, the Tigers were brave but again fell short after a tough few days for the club. With the losses piling up, a big question around the recent drama remains.<\/p>\n
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WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n
Read on for all of the talking points out of Round 22!<\/p>\n
BRONCOS STAR\u2019S BRUTALLY HONEST MESSAGE AMID \u2018SHOCKING\u2019 SLIDE<\/p>\n
If you thought the Broncos\u2019 season couldn\u2019t get any worse after their slim finals hopes were dashed last weekend up in Townsville, think again.<\/p>\n
Back at home and with nothing to lose, the Broncos were thrashed by Newcastle in what was one of their worst performances of the season.<\/p>\n
The Knights are no slouches and will likely play finals footy this season, but it is still a pretty embarrassing result for the Broncos given the talent on the park. <\/p>\n
NRL legend Cooper Cronk believes it was the sort of performance that should have the Broncos facing the heat once again this week. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think now the heat is going to come for the Brisbane Broncos. Coming off a premiership, not too many teams have done that and missed the finals again,\u201d Cronk said on Fox League.
\u201cWhile there was a mathematical chance it has kept the wolves at bay, but I think it\u2019s going to be a big week in Bronco town.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Broncos have been ravaged by injuries this season and that has to be taken into account when analysing where their 2026 campaign went so wrong. <\/p>\n
However, they fielded a mostly full strength team against the Knights, who were missing their $1.3 million man Dylan Brown. <\/p>\n
Broncos star Kotoni Staggs wasn\u2019t willing to make excuses post-game.<\/p>\n
In a brutally honest reflection of where the team are at, Staggs didn\u2019t pull any punches.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we planned to do tonight \u2026 I don\u2019t think we nailed it on the head,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he (Madge) will go through that, but at the end of the day I think it\u2019s the players that step on the field that need to have a good look at themselves and what they need to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it\u2019s (to) turn up with a better attitude or do some more video, whatever it is. But at the end of the day it\u2019s more relied on us players that step foot on this field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kotoni Staggs said post-game that Broncos players “need to have a good look at themselves”Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Coming off the high of a drought-breaking grand final win, the Broncos\u2019 premiership hangover was evident early. <\/p>\n
In what was a sign of things to come, Brisbane were upset by Hull KR in the World Club Challenge and never recovered. <\/p>\n
Cronk theorised why the Broncos season have fallen \u201cshockingly\u201d short of the lofty expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were on the highest of highs and almost set up for a chance at some sort of dynasty under Michael Maguire. Reece Walsh did his thing. Patrick Carrigan and Payne Haas, arguably Adam Reynolds, are all rock stars at their positions,\u201d the multiple premiership winner said. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor them now with four or five rounds to go to have no chance of making the finals, the only thing I can put it down to is they have all the ingredients to be a top-four team for a long period of time and when you slightly dial back the accountability, when you slightly dial back the areas to improve or hard work as an individual, it then plays a part in the team. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you dial it back two per cent and then every player does that you\u2019re going to be a fair way below where you were \u2026 maybe, and this is my opinion, the hardest parts of the game they didn\u2019t focus enough on. Defend for long periods of time, kick chase, hold the ball and pressure the opposition. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not talking about set plays and scoring tries. I\u2019m just talking about the hardest parts of the game. When you don\u2019t do that consistently enough, you get found out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn pre-season and in the early parts of the year you build good habits that you can build on at the back-end of the year. <\/p>\n
\u201cLook at Penrith for example. If you don\u2019t build enough good habits, bad habits kick in and it will catch you out when you don\u2019t want it to. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just don\u2019t think the Brisbane Broncos have created enough good habits over the course of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Broncos Finals Hopes End | 05:38<\/p>\n
MIXED VIEWS ON DOUEIHI\u2019S RETURN TO TIGERS<\/p>\n
Adam Doueihi returned to the Wests Tigers\u2019 first grade fold in the side\u2019s heartbreaking 16-13 loss to Parramatta on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Not surprisingly, the spotlight shone fiercely on the halfback\u2019s individual performance \u2013 and the results are in.<\/p>\n
Fox League\u2019s Matty Johns reckoned Doueihi did enough to put the past nine days behind him, in which he elected to sit out of a clash against Canberra after being named out of position by Benji Marshall at lock.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll eyes on Adam Doueihi. He was really quiet in the first 60 but in the last 20, well he almost got them home,\u201d he said on Sunday Night with Matty Johns.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything that\u2019s gone on, has this been put to bed? I get the sense it has, but I think the results are still going to bubble along.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doueihi\u2019s contribution in the game included one try, one field goal, eight runs for 96 metres, one line break and 14 tackles.<\/p>\n
While Johns was relatively satisfied with the way the under-fire half finished the game, colleague Cooper Cronk was less convinced \u2013 describing the performance as \u2018okay\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was very excited to see how engaged and determined Adam Doueihi was to start this game. He only had eight tackles in the first half and two runs. I thought he would\u2019ve been far more involved than that. I thought he would have been inspired,\u201d the former premiership winner said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the second half, he really started to have an impact on this game. Six runs in the second half, six tackle busts, one try, and the try assist. And when he scored the try, there was a hell of a lot of emotion and intensity in the way that he got up and celebrated because he has been under pressure for a lot of different reasons the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201dHe came out and had a couple of moments, but overall it was an okay performance from Adam Doueihi.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Tigers earn a welcome reprieve \u2013 both in terms of playing and the ongoing media scrutiny around the club this past month \u2013 with a bye in Round 23.<\/p>\n
According to Cronk, the week off should be used to rejuvenate the club and its players, potentially helping them to finish the remaining season strongly.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Benji Marshall and the team, well look, the bye week can be used to freshen up players and getting some extra work in,\u201d Cronk said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey need to find some type of mojo, something that inspires them for the back end of the year because their sponsors, their players, the supporters love their club. They need to give something back to the Tigers faithful in the back end of this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tigers fail to beat error-riddled Eels | 06:59<\/p>\n
UNSUNG ROOSTERS HERO \u2026 AND THE BIG CHALLENGE TO COME<\/p>\n
Following a record 70-point win, it\u2019s difficult to pinpoint one or two players, however the performance of a hulking front rower was praised following the Roosters\u2019 82-12 win over the Cowboys.<\/a><\/p>\n His effort also proved how well-rounded this Chooks team is as they approach the finals where a potential grand final showdown could ensue against the all-conquering Panthers.<\/p>\n Naufahu Whyte has emerged as one of the game\u2019s premier props.<\/p>\n While James Tedesco and Sam Walker got most of the praise after the massive win, Whyte ran for 149m from 16 runs, with four offloads and two tackle breaks.<\/p>\n Fox League\u2019s Cooper Cronk said the Roosters\u2019 \u201cabsolute clinic\u201d was set up by hard running early. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at their start to the game, it was Reece Robson, Naufahu Whyte, James Tedesco with the power game through the middle and then they got the attacking possession and opened up the field for Walker to do his thing,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s one stat that isn\u2019t recorded, and that\u2019s play-the-ball speed. He (Whyte) took on every middle forward of the Cowboys and they couldn\u2019t stop him.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the good stuff the spine did was after a big Naufahu Whyte, or a Victor Radley, short pass. This team has a really good balance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe (Whyte) toyed with them. Men against boys stuff,\u201d commentator Andrew Voss added.<\/p>\n Naufahu Whyte has emerged as the Roosters unsung hero.Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n The Roosters may have beaten up a poor Cowboys outfit, but the real test will come when they face Penrith in a fortnight at CommBank Stadium.<\/p>\n The Roosters have only beaten Penrith once since they won the 2019 grand final. <\/p>\n And on many occasions, the games have been one-sided in Penrith\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n Can they crack their Penrith hoodoo<\/a>?<\/p>\n While they play them in a few weeks, it\u2019s likely they\u2019ll have to beat them to win the title later in the season. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve just got all the ingredients and Trent Robinson in his years that he\u2019s won a comp, he has just timed his run to perfection and you feel like the Roosters are projecting in the right way,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n \u201cTake the opposition (Cowboys) out and look at what you did well and pretend that\u2019s Penrith and you need to do it again in September.\u201d <\/p>\n Sam Walker’s Spray ‘MARKS’ Turning Point | 01:13<\/p>\n \u2018I DON\u2019T THINK THEY BOUNCE BACK\u2019: GREAT\u2019S BRUTAL COWBOYS VERDICT<\/p>\n It was described as their \u201cdarkest day\u201d and Cooper Cronk fears the Cowboys won\u2019t recover from the 82-12 smashing at the hands of the Roosters on Thursday night.<\/p>\n