Brisbane Broncos players have reportedly told coaches they believed they’re being overtrained this pre-season.
The report, from the Courier Mail’s Peter Badel, says players went to coaches including Kevin Walters to complain about the intensity of the pre-season, putting the club’s high-performance program under the microscope.
While SEN host Andrew Voss admits the story isn’t groundbreaking, he does believe it’s release adds pressure to the start of the Broncos’ season.
“This may not be the biggest story in the world, but boy, it’s an ingredient for failure,” Voss said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“If they start the season bad, these little jigsaw puzzle pieces will all be put together.
“They have general soreness, they’ve been training too hard in the off-season.
The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio agreed with Voss’ statement, adding that the Broncos desperately need to start the season well with the club having increased expectations in 2022.
“It’s an ingredient for drama, because we’ll come back to this story,” Riccio said.
“Certainly when the spotlight’s on the Broncos, and certainly it is with Kevin Walters.
“He’s one of the few off contract coaches this year, he needs a fast start.
“When you start to hear stories about coaches listening to players wanting to back off the training due to demands from the high-performance staff, it is concerning.
“Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas were rested last week from the Broncos’ trial game against the Titans due to general soreness.
“I just wonder with the longer break, they (players) were given ten weeks off, if the Broncos and other clubs have jammed more into a shorter pre-season.”
The Broncos begin their 2022 season with a Round 1 home clash against the Rabbitohs