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'Put the Broncos back on the map': Riki has ambitious goals for restoring pride

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Brisbane back-rower Jordan Riki and his teammates are far from finished when it comes to restoring the Broncos’ NRL reputation.

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For so long a powerhouse of the competition, Brisbane have gone from penthouse to outhouse in recent years.

After six straight years of finals football, they finished dead last in 2020 and 14th on the ladder last year in Kevin Walters’ first campaign at the helm.

Finals football appears to be very much be back on the agenda in 2022 though, with last weekend’s 16-12 derby win over Gold Coast keeping the Broncos fifth on the ladder and eyeing off a top four berth.

Having won five premierships in nine seasons between 1992 and 2000, and missing the finals just six times since their debut campaign in 1988, the slide to also-ran status has never sat comfortably at Red Hill.

Riki says it was a stated goal of the group heading into this season to be the squad who would restore the club’s reputation.

“We really wanted to be one of those teams that put the Broncos back on the map,” he told reporters.

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“We know that for many years, when the Broncos very first started, they were one of those teams that everyone wanted to knock off.

“We want to get back up there and be in that top four spot … play in the finals and make it all the way through.

“That’s our goal for this year and we just want to keep putting our heads down and keep working hard.”

Brisbane face a test of their finals credentials on Thursday when they play Parramatta at Commbank Stadium.

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The Broncos’ last finals match was against the Eels at the same venue in 2019 when they were humiliated 56-0 by Brad Arthur’s team.

Having played an undermanned side against the Titans, Brisbane will be boosted by the return of Queensland State of Origin trio Kurt Capewell, Patrick Carrigan and Corey Oates this week.

Selwyn Cobbo will miss a second game due to HIA protocols after his concussion in last week’s Origin decider but barnstorming prop Payne Haas has been named to return from his shoulder issues.

Riki says the Broncos will need Haas, Capewell and Carrigan’s added grunt in the forwards against an Eels pack featuring NSW Origin prop Junior Paulo as well as Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Isaiah Papali’i and Shaun Lane.

“It’s going to be an awesome challenge for us,” Riki said.

“We really want to try and get up in their face as much as we can … limit their running time and their ball-playing time as well.

“They’re fighting for the top four spot just as much as us so it’s going to be a really good game and we’re looking forward to it.”

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J
JW 27 minutes ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

I didn't really get the should tone from it, but maybe because I was just reading it as my own thoughts.


What I read it as was examples of how they played well enough in every game to be able to win it.


Yeah I dunno if Ben wouldn't see it that way (someone else would for sure need to point it out to him though), I'm more in the Ben not appreciating that those close losses werent one off scenarios camp. Sure you can look at dubious decisions causing them to have to play with 14 or 13 men at the death as viable reasons but even in the games they won without such difficulties they made a real struggle of it (compared to how good some of their first half play was). This kind of article where you trying to point out the 3 losses really would most likely have been wins only really makes sense/works when your other performances make those 3 games (or endings) stand out.


There might have been a sentence here and there to ensure some good comment numbers but when he's signing off the article by saying things like ..

Whilst these All Blacks aren’t blowing teams off the park like during the 2010s, they are nuggety and resourceful and don’t wilt. They are prepared to win the hard way, accumulating points by any means necessary.

and..

The other top sides in the world struggled to put them away. France and South Africa both could have well been defeated on home soil.

I don't really see it. Always making sure people are upto date with the SH standing/perspective! NZ went through some tough times with so many different perspectives and reasons why, but then it was.. amusing how.. behind everyone was once they turned a corner. More of these 'unfortunate' results returned against SA and France at the start of the RWC which made it extra tasty to catch other teams out when they did bring it. So that created some 'conscious' perspective that I just kept going and sharing re thoughts on similar predicaments of other teams, I had been really confident that Wallabies displays vs NZ were real, that the Argentines can backup their thing against Aus and SA (and so obviously the rest), and current one is that England are actually consistent and improving with their attack (which everyone should get onboard with), and I'm expecting a more dominant display against Japan (even though they should have more of their experienced internationals for this one) that highlights further growth from July. 👍

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