Broncos coach Kevin Walters has backed his captain Adam Reynolds to step up against his former club and guide last year's grand finalists to their first win of the season.
It has been a tough few weeks for Brisbane who lost their opening round encounter against the Roosters in Las Vegas, with their captain also coming in for some scrutiny after the loss which followed on from their defeat in last year’s decider.
“We've got a lot of faith and confidence in Reyno,” Walters said.
“Playing against your old club, that’s always a big occasion for everybody and Reyno is no different.
“I'm sure he'll be right to go tomorrow night and lead the side the way only Adam can lead.
“I don't think the end of last year has impacted him; for Adam, it's about playing his best football and how he does that is that he passes well, he kicks well and he defends well.
“It's pretty simple for him and that's what he'll be expecting to do.”
While it is only Round 2, tomorrow night’s match holds plenty of importance, with the Rabbitohs also seeking their first win of the year to avoid starting the season with a 0-2 record.
Match: Broncos v Rabbitohs
Round 2 -
home Team
Broncos
9th Position
away Team
Rabbitohs
16th Position
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Both sides have be dealt a particularly tough opening to their draw, facing four of 2023’s top eight sides in their first six rounds.
Walters said his side’s continued focus on strong defence and the natural speed of their outside backs would stand them in good stead in their effort to open their account at Suncorp Stadium.
“We've both got tough draws and that's the reality of the NRL,” Walters said.
“You don't win the grand final in March and you don't lose it either.
“We're expecting to go out and play well and win, that's what we do here.
“(The Rabbitohs are) all a threat, 1-to-17, they're a good side. They're a side that can score points certainly, so we've got to be (alert).
“That's a big focus for us again this year, our defence and making sure that we get that right.
“One of the traits of our side is our speed and our athleticism, and that will come into play tomorrow night at some stage for sure.
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“But we get our defence right and everything else – our attack – will flow off the back of that.
“It's a big defensive focus for us tomorrow.”
Focus has been a key word for the Broncos this past week as well, with the club forced to deal with the emotions brought about from the incident surrounding star five-eighth Ezra Mam, which saw Roosters forward Spencer Leniu banned for eight weeks for his use of a racial slur toward him during the match in Vegas.
“We put (the Spencer Leniu case) to bed at the end of last week when it was handed over to the NRL,” Walters said.
“Our focus this last three or four days has been on the game tomorrow night, which is really important to us as a club.
“We have got to get our focus in the right direction, rather than looking around and looking too far ahead.
“(Ezra’s) been fine, he’s been good, he's ready to go.”
