You have skipped the navigation, tab for page content
Broncos prop Adam Blair has quickly established himself as a forward leader at Red Hill.

He arrived at Red Hill late in 2014 seeking to rectify a reputation that had suffered some significant damage in three years at the Wests Tigers but first Adam Blair had to learn what it meant to be a Bronco.

 

Qualities cultivated by coach Wayne Bennett and carried forward by legendary Brisbane figures such as Glenn Lazarus, Shane Webcke, Brad Thorn, Gorden Tallis and Petero Civoniceva to name just a few.

A late arrival ahead of the 2015 campaign, Blair was energised by the opportunity to re-establish himself as one of the game's premier forwards and said that what defined a Bronco suited his style of play down to the ground.

"I learnt very quickly that one of the main qualities around here is being competitive in everything that you do," said Blair, who will play his 47th game for Brisbane in Friday night's semi-final against North Queensland.

"We play a lot of games here where we're playing under fatigue and it's about turning up for your mate and competing the whole time and not giving up.

"Your teammates see it in the actions that you do and that's a lot of the things that we do at this club.

"We try not to talk about it too much but we go out there and put it on the field and do it with our actions.

"That's what a Bronco is, someone who competes the whole 80 minutes."

Blair's uncompromising style of play will be put to good use against Cowboys stars Johnathan Thurston and Michael Morgan at 1300SMILES Stadium on Friday.

Renowned amongst his teammates for the work he does away from the ball such as putting pressure on the opposition kickers, Blair will be harassing Thurston and Morgan at every opportunity.

It's been a part of his make-up for the 11 seasons of his career to date and why he has fitted in so well at the Broncos according to Blair's former 'Fro Bro' Sam Thaiday.

"Even towards the end of last year he was one of our best players," Thaiday said.

"You talk about the great forwards of Broncos past – your Shane Webckes, your Petero Civonicevas – they were the guys that always put their hand up for a tough run or come up with a big tackle or an effort play and 'Blairy' is doing all those things at the moment.

"He's definitely got Broncos DNA in him and with him around in our club he'll guide our Tevita Pangais, our Jai Arrows, our younger forwards to be fantastic players in the future."

Riding the wave of momentum that comes with a six-game winning streak, Brisbane's tough run through the middle of the season where they won just two of eight games is now but a distant memory.

They leaked points and, for a period of two months, looked a shadow of their usual selves. But rather than a lack of effort Blair believes they may have been guilty of in fact trying too hard.

Cowboys v Broncos tickets

"I wouldn't say it was pressure from outside but more internally as a group that we weren't being the Broncos so we had to change it," Blair told NRL.com.

"Maybe a few of the little things that we're really good at may have gone missing throughout that little break but it wasn't from lack of trying. There could have been some times where we were trying too much.

"[Wayne] obviously knew that we weren't being the Broncos and all he wanted us to do was be the Broncos.

"That's by doing everything that we do really well. The little things, playing together as a team, defending as a team and enjoying football as a team.

"The only pressure was not coming from the outside but us putting pressure on ourselves and not being the team that we know we can be."

Game on. Data off.

Stream every NRL game, including finals, live and data free with a 2016 Footy Pass, exclusive to Telstra mobile.

Watch all the NRL action live on your compatible tablet or mobile device with data-free streaming on your Telstra mobile plan.

Get your 2016 Footy Pass now!

For use in Australia only.

Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

Premier Partner

Media Partners

Major Partners

View All Partners