Broncos leader Payne Haas has declared his side are “all talk” and just “bulls***ing” everyone in an explosive comment after Brisbane slumped to an embarrassing defeat to the winless Dragons.
The Dragons finally got their first win of the season at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon, ending a run that stretched back to last year.
They ran in five tries to stun the defending premiers, with Brisbane conceding 30 or more points for the fourth consecutive match.
The 30-26 scoreline flattered the Broncos, given that 18 of them came in the final 12 minutes when the game was all but over.
Haas, who returned from a knee injury that kept him sidelined for six weeks, was huge in an 80-minute effort and had run for more metres at halftime than the rest of the starting pack combined.
He finished with 23 runs for a team high 281 metres to go with 33 tackles and a line break.
However, while Haas shone, the likes of Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam and Kotoni Staggs all struggled to make an impact.
And post-match, Haas delivered a telling interview with ABC Radio, where he called out his teammates for not backing up the talk.
“We are all talk at the moment,” Haas said.
“We keep on saying we are going to do all these important things on the field, but to be honest we are just bullshitting each other.”
The loss was Brisbane’s fourth loss in a row, and they are in 11th position after 13 rounds, with five wins and seven losses.
Coincidentally, they were 11th after 13 rounds last year before going on to win the competition.
But Michael Maguire doesn’t believe history will repeat itself.
“If we’re relying on past history we might find ourselves in a little bit of bother,” he said.
“Everyone can tell a good story of the past, but it’s what you’re doing right now.
“I can compare stories, but I’ve never seen two years the same. I’ve never seen a group of men do it in a way they’ve done it in the past.”
The Broncos will host the flailing Titans on Saturday as they attempt to prevent a fifth straight loss.
