Brisbane Broncos coach Kevin Walters has made a bold declaration that his team will still feature in the finals despite recent struggles and the impending absence of star players Reece Walsh and Payne Haas for their crucial upcoming match against the Dolphins.
Injuries have hit the Broncos hard at a critical time. Walsh, sidelined with a hand injury, and Haas, dealing with a foot complaint, will both be unavailable for the upcoming Battle of Brisbane derby against The Dolphins.
Both teams are desperately scrambling for a place in the finals, with the St George Illawarra Dragons also in ladder contention to end the hopes of both Queensland sides.
Walters' facade is unwavering.
โWe will play finals,โ he asserted.
โThere is no โif' here, we're going to make the finals. We will make the finals, but we've got to play well next week against Redcliffe,โ he added.
Brisbane's win over Parramatta was a confidence booster, but pundits have been quick to highlight that the Eels' 2024 will see them vying to avoid the wooden spoon, and that anything but a comfortable win would be an under-performance.
โIt was not a very good start from our fellas, we went against everything that we spoke about to start. But I admire their courage to stay in the game and fight hard through that first half.โ
The narrow victory over Parramatta has kept finals hopes alive, but Walters was quick to note that a similar performance would not suffice against the Dolphins.
โWe didn't play well and we managed to win but if we come up with that next week (against the Dolphins) it won't be the same result,โ he warned.
It is likely that neither Reece Walsh or Payne Haas will be available for the crucial clash.
Adam Reynolds was candid about his own shortcomings after overcoming Parramatta.
โThere was a lot on the line. There were moments in the game there I was happy with but also moments I'm not proud of.โ
The Broncos' current form is a far cry from their performance last season when they were 20 minutes away from being the premiers.
