Broncos great Corey Parker has claimed the club’s titles hopes rest on the shoulders of superstar fullback Reece Walsh as Corey Jensen said his teammates have been working on their discipline ahead of the finals.
The Broncos have the opportunity to finish in the top four this season sitting two points behind the Warriors on the NRL ladder.
A win this weekend against the Cowboys would put the pressure on the top four with the Warriors potentially needing to win against the Eels and the Sea Eagles to wrap-up a home final. The Broncos have enjoyed a late season resurgence, despite losing their halves pairing of Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam for a number of games.
Although club great Parker feels the Broncos will be relying heavily on Walsh to win their elimination games. The Broncos fullback has returned from his knee injury in stellar form having timed his run into the NRL finals with aplomb.
Walsh has three tries and six try assists in his last four games with the fullback offered more room to roam in recent weeks. While there has been calls for the 23-year-old to rein in his errors and inconsistency with a number of stars ruled out, the fullback has taken on more responsibility wearing the No.1 jersey.
And speaking on SEN Radio, Parker feels the fate of the Broncos’ finals push rests on Walsh’s shoulder. “If the Broncos are to make a run, they can’t do it without Reece Walsh,” Parker said on Thursday. “The way the game is at the moment and the style they play, they cannot win semi-finals or grand finals without him. He brings so much energy, attacking threat but the way the Broncos play, they need Walsh.”
Parker’s sentiment was echoed by teammate Jensen who claimed Walsh is one of the hardest workers on the Broncos squad. “Everyone loves playing with him. He doesn’t mind a bit of a spray out there on the field and he can cop a spray as well. He is the heart and soul of everything…and he is one of the hardest workers in the team,” Jensen added.
Only a few weeks ago, Walsh was copping criticism with the Broncos dropping points to the Eels and Melbourne Storm. Former Broncos player Denan Kemp claimed the fullback needed to find a balance in his game to lead the team. Although Parker feels it is these extraordinary games that will see the Broncos remain a dangerous team in the NRL finals. While Walsh could be the key to unlock more points, Broncos forward Jensen said the side are still working on their discipline at the crunch end of the season.
Corey Jensen reveals team improvement
Speaking with Parker on Thursday morning, Broncos forward Jensen revealed the team have been working on keeping their intensity up for the full 80 minutes as they seek a top four position. And one of the main focuses was eliminating silly errors in their own half before they play in the NRL finals. Parker applauded this self-criticism from Jensen as the team addresses the issue.
“We put a lot of momentum and a lot of pressure through that first 20 minutes. We’ve got a pretty fit group and we just need to know we can play 80 minutes and not go away from the game plan…we still have to work on our discipline, I think we give away too many penalties, especially coming out of our own end,” Jensen said to Parker on SEN Radio.
Jensen revealed Reynolds is a slight chance of playing this weekend, but will most likely return for the final regular game of the season. Payne Haas is in some doubt for the weekend’s Queensland derby, but Jensen also claimed the front-rower should be ready to go as he recovers from an illness.
