The Brisbane Broncos are set to rest five key players for their final regular season game against the Melbourne Storm, with Kevin Walters risking the Minor Premiership.
Entering the final round in first place with 42 points, the Broncos are in a two-team race with the Panthers to top the ladder. However, while they may be vying for the minor premiership, they will reportedly rest five of their stars to go with the injured duo of Adam Reynolds and Pat Carrigan and the suspended Kotoni Staggs.
As reported by News Corp, Kevin Walters is set to rest Origin trio, Reece Walsh, Payne Haas and Selwyn Cobbo, as well as playmaker Ezra Mam and English international Herbie Farnworth, to make sure they are fit for week one of the finals and don't receive any injuries.
While the clubs get ready to rest five of their stars, Kevin Walters revealed on Monday that Walsh has no injury concerns after a knee knock on the weekend against the Raiders. The club had a light training session on Monday, but Payne Haas was absent via the AAP.
"I am not sure yet," Walters said on resting the fantastic five.
"I am going to sleep on it the next couple of days. We don't train again until Wednesday."
With Mam set to join halves teammate on the sideline for the clash against the Storm, Josh Rogers is likely to partner up with Jock Madden in the halves. Yet to make his NRL debut, Rogers has been tearing it up in the Queensland Cup for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and was the competition's 2022 Five-Eighth of the Year and top points scorer.
In other changes, Tristan Sailor is the likely replacement for the vacant fullback position and has shown himself capable in the position when Walsh was chosen to represent Queensland and missed games due to suspension.ย
Deine Mariner is also likely to be called-up in the absence of Kotoni Staggs due to suspension, meaning Jesse Arthars will find himself on the wing in the place of Selwyn Cobbo.
Corey Parker, a former club captain, spoke to News Corp ahead of the clash against the Melbourne Storm, which could see them clinch first position on the ladder.
โThe last time they beat Melbourne at Suncorp was in (2009), so it's quite a lengthy time,โ he told the publication.
โA lot of the Melbourne players are Queenslanders who love playing at Suncorp, but styles beat teams sometimes and the Storm have a style that has been able to dismantle the Broncos.
โThe Broncos we see at the moment are different to what we have seen in recent years. Do they have enough to go through and beat the Storm? We'll see. Are Reynolds and Pat Carrigan going to be there? Unlikely.
โThe Broncos get you out of your seat, it's terrific to watch, but that style won't hold up when you come up against the rock solid teams like Penrith and Melbourne. You need stability and someone to pull in the reins.โ
