'Unlucky the poor fella': Broncos star signing set for time on sidelines

Tyrone Roberts will get the chance to play as an NRL half for the first time since COVID-19 stopped the league when he replaces Adam Reynolds at Brisbane.

Roberts will start at halfback in Friday night’s blockbuster against Melbourne, with Reynolds ruled out with a rib injury.

The Broncos captain trained away from the main group on Tuesday morning, with Roberts filling in at halfback before his selection was confirmed later in the afternoon.

Brisbane remain confident Reynolds’ injury is nothing major, but will take a cautious approach on their marquee man.

“Renno is just unlucky the poor fella,” Corey Oates told reporters.

“He’s all right, I don’t think it’s a real serious one, if he has a week off he can heal and be a lot better for it.

“I think they said he could play on with it … would you rather him re-injure and be out for eight weeks or have the rest and heal up?”

Roberts came off the bench for just eight minutes for Brisbane in round one, after not playing in the NRL at all in 2021.

Before that, his most recent start in the halves came in round two of 2020 for Gold Coast, with the Titans loss to Parramatta the last game before the NRL’s unprecedented two-month shutdown.

“He’s been a class player for a long time, he’s done great in the training session just then,” Oates said.

“We’ve got a massive job on our hands against Melbourne, they’re going to be hard to beat but we’ve just got to do our jobs.”

Prop Payne Haas did not train with a shoulder complaint but was named to play alongside a returning Kurt Capewell.

Meanwhile, Oates was quizzed on his State of Origin chances with Queensland needing to find a winger to replace the injured Xavier Coates for Game II.

The eight-time Maroons representative said he was unsure if coach Billy Slater would look for a younger option, not having played Origin since 2019.

“Coaches always have their preferences in players, I can only do what I can do,” he said.

“If that’s what they’re looking for then I could be a chance and if not then it’s not going to affect my performance on the weekend.”