Bronco butter fingers brace for Moses aerial assault
Joel Gould |
Brisbane’s back five have been given a workout under the high ball at training after eight of the last nine tries scored against the defending premiers came after they failed to defuse kicks.
Winger Josiah Karapani said the outside backs were also on high alert to counter the stellar kicking game of Parramatta half Mitchell Moses when the two sides meet on Thursday night in Brisbane.
The Broncos lost 30-24 to Hull KR in the World Club Challenge and 26-0 to Penrith in round one of the NRL.
Four of the tries scored by Hull KR came directly from kicks and the other soon after winger Deine Mariner had dropped a bomb.
The Panthers scored four tries on Friday night. Three were off high kicks. The first was to Casey McLean when winger Thomas Jenkins got above fullback Reece Walsh, who mistimed his jump to try to snaffle a Nathan Cleary bomb.
Jenkins was the man to rise again on the cusp of halftime to take a Blaize Talagi bomb.
The other first half try to fullback Dylan Edwards came in the play after Mariner spilled a Cleary high kick.
At training late on Monday afternoon the back five were peppered with high balls and put under pressure with defenders whacking them with tackle bags. Coach Michael Maguire was seen in deep conversation with Mariner and centre Kotoni Staggs at one point.
Before the session, Karapani noted defusing bombs was an area that needed addressing.
“We’ve been practising that,” he said.
“I feel like other teams always love to chase after us, especially last tackle when there is a high ball. They can come and get on top of you.
“Us as a back five will have a meeting and a chat about what we can do to improve so we can get those high balls.”
Moses is one of the game’s best kicking halfbacks. Last year in round 21 at Suncorp Stadium his kicking was on point as the Eels upset Brisbane in a 22-20 win.
Karapani said that after that match he had “more respect for Moses and his kicks”
“I feel like that was the key part in their game. We will come ready and be prepared for that,” he said.
“Something I want to try and have my focus on is his kicks and just being aware. I’ll speak to the back five to be aware because we know how important it is to come back from that part of the field and take our first carries.”
Brisbane trained in light rain on Monday and one positive sign was the sight of star secod-rower Brendan Piakura, who moved well while lining up in an opposed session with the “reserves”.
Piakura suffered a meniscus tear in pre-season and missed the World Club Challenge but his return from a forecast eight-week absence appears imminent.
AAP