injuryupdate
02-05-2004, 10:44 PM
Wayne Bennett has done a lot of talking lately about the almost impossible task of backing the Queensland Origin players up for Broncos matches and keeping his club team competitive into the finals. He even made a jealous remark about the Lions insinuating that the Broncos are just as strong but the Lions can keep their team on the park all season without having to worry about rep commitments.
On a superficial level, this is all a valid complaint, but some of it is of the Broncos own making. They have insisted that they be the only team in Brisbane in recent years (running the Crushers and Chargers out of town in the Super League years and contractally preventing another team being located near them for the first 5 years of the NRL). Because many Queenslanders are going to be attracted to living in Brisbane, by being the only team in this town, they are always going to make up the bulk of the Queensland Origin squad. Until a second team joins in (maybe Gold Coast/maybe half coast, half Brisbane) then the Broncos will always suffer from the Origin injury curse. Maybe it is time for them to admit that they were wrong to want Brisbane all to themselves.
On a superficial level, this is all a valid complaint, but some of it is of the Broncos own making. They have insisted that they be the only team in Brisbane in recent years (running the Crushers and Chargers out of town in the Super League years and contractally preventing another team being located near them for the first 5 years of the NRL). Because many Queenslanders are going to be attracted to living in Brisbane, by being the only team in this town, they are always going to make up the bulk of the Queensland Origin squad. Until a second team joins in (maybe Gold Coast/maybe half coast, half Brisbane) then the Broncos will always suffer from the Origin injury curse. Maybe it is time for them to admit that they were wrong to want Brisbane all to themselves.