Broncos mentor Cameron Smith says Brisbane face an enormous dilemma with Adam Reynolds’ suspected rib harm amid their shedding begin to the season.
The much-maligned Broncos stay winless in 2026 and may very well be with out Reynolds for an prolonged interval after the veteran halfback stumbled from the sphere at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday evening clutching at his ribs.
The destructive headlines that engulfed Brisbane this week are solely going to multiply and develop uglier after the reigning NRL premiers slumped to a 40-32 defeat to Parramatta, in a match brimming with attacking brilliance however missing severely in defensive resolve.
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Coach Michael Maguire would not solely have a premiership hangover to mull over however the health of Reynolds after the two-time premiership halfback was crunched in a deal with with 5 minutes remaining.
The 35-year-old was within the movement of passing when Eels back-rower Kitione Kautoga put him on his bottom.
Reynolds sat on the turf receiving medical consideration for a number of minutes after which trudged off as his facet crashed to a 0-2 begin to the season.
“It is a main concern for the Broncos. He’s their major man. He is their goal-kicker, the No.7 and he is the one which steers the group across the park,” Smith mentioned on 9’s protection.
Adam Reynolds trudges off injured. NRL Imagery
“They need to attempt to get him on the market as a lot as they’ll to have the ability to play and construct mixtures all through this season.
“Fingers crossed they’ll discover some ache reduction for him. There’s not a lot you are able to do about ribs. There’s no approach to assist them heal faster.
“It’s going to simply come right down to: is he gonna be capable to handle the ache?”
Both that or the Broncos should let him sit for some time, based on Andrew Johns.
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“If he has popped that rib cartilage, on the very least it is in all probability a month and at most he could be eight to 10 weeks,” Johns mentioned on 9.
The Broncos will meet the Storm in Melbourne subsequent Friday evening.
“Make no mistake about it, they’re going to be aiming some fairly huge our bodies in direction of him to make him put his physique in entrance and proceed to make tackles. Do the Broncos wanna run that danger? It is nonetheless fairly early within the season.
“I do know they have not bought a outcome go their approach this yr, they’re 0 and a couple of, however do they wanna run the danger of placing a man on the market with severely broken ribs?
“After which, , placing him again even additional all year long.
“So a few inquiries to be answered this week.”
Reynolds reduce a dejected determine within the sheds and through Brisbane’s press convention.
He was tight-lipped when prodded on his harm.
“It is all proper. A bit bit sore, however [I’ll put] a little bit of ice on it and we’ll see the workers on the weekend,” he mentioned.
Requested if he’d be proper to face the Storm in Melbourne subsequent Friday evening, he batted the query away.
“[I’ll] see the workers and go from there,” he mentioned.
The Broncos misplaced regardless of having shot out to a 20-6 lead inside the primary 26 minutes.
A number of the tries Parramatta scored have been on the again of terrific assault, such because the double scored by electrical younger fullback Isaiah Iongi and the strive Jonah Pezet arrange for Sean Russell with a wise grubber kick.
However because the scoreline suggests, the Broncos have been terrible in defence.
For the primary of Parramatta’s tries, Kelma Tuilagi brushed previous Ezra Mam and Jack Gosiewski like he was taking part in Oztag, swerved round Reece Walsh, and held off a few different defenders from behind as he crashed over to attain.
“It takes a group to have a robust line of defense,” Maguire mentioned.
“There’s all little issues that go on inside, whether or not you are profitable the ruck, whether or not you are getting your third man again, the changes, so we’re undoubtedly gonna have to take a look at that, and on either side [of the field]. We have had a couple of points there on the left.
“However as a bunch and as a group, all of them assist one another and that is what a line of defense is, and we’re simply not hitting the mark there.”
Maguire was requested if his group had the drive to win this yr, having reached the top final yr.
“That is a query that you may ask, however what they’re doing and what I am seeing, they seem to be a hungry group,” he mentioned.
“However the competitors calls for you to be hungry each single day.”
How is Maguire feeling?
“Look, I am simply disillusioned,” he mentioned.
“I do know, as we confirmed for 20 minutes, what kind of group we’re able to being, however on the finish of the day, as all of us say, it is an 80-minute recreation.
“Until we need to dig in deep to get to that, then we’ll undergo, probably, a little bit of ache.
“However I do know this group are working within the background, and in the event that they keep on with it, they’re going to discover their option to what they’re able to doing, and we confirmed that for the primary 20 minutes.”
The Eels’ upset victory was orchestrated by Pezet, the extremely rated younger playmaker who will be part of Brisbane on a three-year deal from 2027 after a one-year stint with Parramatta.
