Broncos' season has come full circle: Sims

They retired years ago, but Willie Carne, Steve Renouf and Chris Johns are still the driving force behind the Broncos’ charge towards another Premiership.<br><br>Just five weeks ago Brisbane’s season appeared to have spiraled out of control, they had lost seven from their last eight games, plummeted from second to ninth and at their lowest ebb, suffered a humiliating 56-0 thrashing to the lowly Raiders.<br><br>The Broncos appeared on a fast-track to miss the finals for the first time in 17 years.<br><br>That is when a group of Broncos legends got involved and brought something to the club that had been feared lost - the winning culture.<br><br>Now, as the Raiders return to face the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane forward Ashton Sims believes his side has turned full circle.<br><br>“I think this game is more a reflection of how far we have come,” he said.<br><br>“Its been well documented what happened to us five weeks ago, Canberra absolutely annihilated us, so we are fully focused on them and shutting them down.”<br><br>Since the lowest point in their season, the Broncos have bounced back to win four games in a row and have remarkably given themselves an outside chance of making the top four. &nbsp;<br><br>Sims believes the iconic Broncos of old have restored pride back into the famous jersey.<br><br>“From a bloke who has spent most of his time in Sydney, to meet Chris Johns and to rub shoulders with Willie Carne and Steve Renouf was absolutely awesome,” he said.<br><br>“They all got up and said what the club means to them, and even from a relative outsider, I’ve only been here two years, it meant a lot to me. &nbsp;<br><br>“We had that chat after the Raiders game and it has really turned things around. &nbsp;<br><br>“They have won several Premierships here and they know the formula to win, so you’d be a fool not to listen to them.”<br><br>After conceding 134 points in three weeks between Rounds 19 and 21, at an average of 44 points a game, the Broncos have rediscovered the defence that wins finals football. <br><br>Since the infamous Canberra game, they have conceded just 46 points in four games, an average of just over 11 points per game.<br><br>“The next week at training after playing at Canberra Stadium, we really knuckled down and had a big meeting with Ivan Henjak,” Sims said.<br><br>“A couple of the old boys came in and told us what the club meant to them and we really took that on board.&nbsp; We have played our best footy this season since then. <br><br>“Like the old saying goes, you have to draw a line in the sand, since then we haven’t looked back.”<br><br>And so the game against Canberra shapes as a measuring stick for the Broncos, a chance to prove just how far they have come.<br><br>“I think our attitude has changed, we probably got caught up in thinking we had already made the finals, because the Broncos always make it,” Sims said.<br><br>“There has been a lot of change of personnel here at the Broncos and we might have got a bit comfortable, but that Raiders game was definitely a wake-up call for us and we have taken the right steps forward since then.<br><br>“The mood around the club is great, we have everyone back on board and could not have a stronger roster.<br><br>“We have a really good team on paper and we just need to click.&nbsp; Against the Cowboys we didn’t have our best game, but we showed a lot of courage in defence and showed we could win those tough games.”<br><br>But Sims was quick to point out that they would not be making the same mistakes this time around. <br><br>The Broncos know from first hand experience that the Raiders are a team to be respected.<br><br>“They put the Dragons to the sword, so it is a bit of a bogey game for us,” he said.<br><br>“They have a massive forward pack and they can all move the ball a bit, so it is going to be a big test for us up front.”<br><br><b><a href="http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=bronind09">Click here for Ticket Information.</a></b>