Flegler gets dream Broncos script, declares Waugh

Joel Gould | September 12, 2023

Thomas Flegler is not sure who is writing his scripts but so far, so good for the Brisbane prop as he takes a leaf out of Steve Waugh’s book.

Flegler will depart for the Dolphins next year but his final home game in Broncos colours will be at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday week in a preliminary final against either the Warriors or Newcastle.

“I couldn’t have scripted it any better,” he said.

The 24-year-old has helped write the Broncos’ success story of 2023 through his own quest for self-improvement.

Waugh, Australia’s former Test cricket captain, wrote a book about 12 months of record-breaking performances by his side in 1999-2000 and called it ‘Never Satisfied’.

That has been Flegler’s mentality all year when speaking about the Broncos.

After belting Melbourne 26-0 in the qualifying final on Friday night – the Storm’s first scoreless result in their 55 games against the Broncos – the fiery prop was not basking in the glory.

“I think we definitely do need to go to another gear and I believe we have got that in this team,” he said.

“That’s on both sides of the ball, both defence and attack. Like they say, the bigger the game the simpler the game has to be. The big games are won on defence and the little effort areas, so that is where we are looking to improve.

“Going into last week we knew it was going to be one of the biggest tests of the year so far. We conquered that … but now we have got a bigger task ahead.”

Broncos middle forwards Flegler, Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan set the tone against the Storm with a rampaging start to the match where they monstered the opposition pack with their defence.

It is an area of Flegler and the team’s play that has been superb this year after three seasons of struggling in that department.

“We got the wooden spoon three years ago. We have all got more experience under our belts and we all realise how important (defence) is to win,” Flegler said.

“When you start off in your career you don’t realise what is important on the field and what is not and I think we have all come to the realisation that defence wins games and that is what we need to do going forward.

“There is a core group here who came through the (under) 20s together. The camaraderie we have on and off the field is really starting to pay off.”