The six-minute sessions inspiring Broncos' last-gasp wins
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In the six-team scramble for two finals spots Kotoni Staggs has detailed how six-minute shot-clock simulation sessions at training have given Brisbane confidence they can win close games at the death.
The Broncos are eighth on 21 points, just one point behind seventh-placed Penrith, their opponents at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Chasing those two sides with four rounds of the Telstra Premiership remaining are the Wests Tigers and Cronulla, both on 20 points, the Warriors (19) and Knights (18).
In the past six rounds the Broncos have twice scored in the last six minutes to win. They beat the Sharks 24-22 courtesy of a 74th-minute try to Jake Turpin and the makeshift halfback was the match-winner again in the 79th minute last week as Brisbane prevailed 18-14 over the Cowboys.
The simulation sessions have given the Broncos belief that they can prevail when all seems lost.
"That is the six minutes that the coaches get us to do at the start and end of a training session so that if it comes down to it in a game we now how to handle that last six minutes," Staggs said.
Turpin steals the win for the Broncos
"It is so that in the last six minutes we don’t get frustrated and that we play what is in front of us with a lot of talk. If we do come into a tight game we can look at the clock and know that we have done that six minutes at training.”
Staggs said those sessions "definitely did" help in the wins over the Sharks and Cowboys.
"We knew what we had to do and we didn’t give up while we were still chasing the points," he said.
"It is all simple. We just have to bash down the front door with our middles getting us up the park and then our edges get us over the line. That six minutes is just for us to have confidence in ourself across the park. Everyone in the team has got a job in that six minutes to do."
The Broncos have found a way to win games without being at their best in attack but hooker James Segeyaro said it was the time of year where winning ugly would suffice, as was the case against the Cowboys last week.
"That is the NRL. Not every week are you going to be at your best, unless you are Melbourne," Segeyaro said.
"We are going to have to win games when we are not at our best and the fact of the matter is that we did win."
The Broncos have been fine-tuning their attacking shapes after recognising that as an area where they must improve but Staggs said it would once again be defensive clout that would be vital against the Panthers after Brisbane missed just 10 tackles against the Cowboys.
"It wasn't a good game but we got it in the end, with our defence we never gave up," he said.
"We have to win every game now. I think our defence is the most important thing. If we can keep that on track it will go a long way [toward playing finals].
"We have a home game this week and we need to prove ourselves. It was pretty sad seeing our fans leave [during the 40-4 loss to Melbourne]. They didn't stay for the whole game so we have got something to show them."
