Broncos 'bunker' in readiness for player lockdown scenario

The Broncos have their own "bunker" ready to be utilised should players be told to go into a lockdown situation as a group in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The NRL is investigating the feasibility of moving all 16 clubs to a single location to keep the competition going but coach Anthony Seibold said the club had its own quarantined area to house players across the road from its Red Hill training base.

"What I do know is that we are in a great situation here. We have locked down the Cyril Connell Centre and we have 30-odd bunk beds in there that we have got ready if for whatever reason the competition has to go into isolation or be locked down," he said.

"We have had that quarantined since before last weekend in preparation for something like this."

The Broncos have shut off level one and level two of their Clive Berghofer Centre so that only players and essential staff within the football department have access to the inner sanctum of their state-of-the-art headquarters.

"We aren't allowing visitors in. I wouldn't call it lockdown, we aren't in white overalls, but the players understand the importance of washing their hands," Seibold said.

"Level one and two is our venue only. It's about being smart away from here as well. You need to live your life, you need to go the shops and get petrol for your car but it's just about being sensible."

On Friday night the Broncos will host South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium in front of empty seats but Seibold said the side would not be lacking in motivation.

"All we can do for the members and supporters of rugby league is prepare the best we can and give as good a performance as we can. It's tough times for the country," he said.

"Watching a game of footy on Friday night when things are tough at work or home in society ... we are looking forward to putting a smile on some peoples' faces.”

"You are accountable to your job. We train in front of no-one most days and you are accountable to your teammates and your job on Friday night."

Seibold said it would not be so foreign for players to be playing in front of nobody considering the recent history of players such as debutant prop Ethan Bullemor who will come off the bench.

"Ethan is making his debut and 18 months ago he was playing at 11am in front of nobody," Seibold said.

"Two or three years ago a lot of our guys were still at school playing under-18s footy and you don't get great crowds to those games but they still competed strongly.

"Once that initial surreal-type feeling dies away it will be footy, the guys will play because they want to compete and want to wear the jersey. It will be the same for every team.

"[The situation] is certainly unprecedented in my lifetime and something that we just need to be guided on by the government and the game's leaders. Internally here we want to keep playing."

The Broncos have been giving opportunities to new and developing players on a regular basis in the past 12 months and Friday night will be no different with 20-year-old prop Bullemor debuting and Jamil Hopoate moving up to back-row in the wake of Tevita Pangai jnr’s four-week suspension.

"Ethan is an OP1 student from Nudgee College … and has shown a lot of talent in the classroom and on the sports field," Seibold said.

"He is a terrific kid and lives with Jake Turpin and Kotoni Staggs, so it's been great motivation for him to play with his mates. He is ready to play NRL.

"Jamil Hopoate, if you said two weeks ago he would be starting as a right-edge back-row he would have laughed at you, but he's had a good pre-season and he gets an opportunity."

Seibold said Pangai would undergo an education process to learn to channel his aggression.

"It is my job as a coach to try and educate Tevita and help him make better decisions, particularly when he is so pumped up," Seibold said.

"We don’t want to take away his aggression. One of the things that is a weapon in his game is his intent and aggression. We just need to make sure that he is making better decisions in and around that space.

"It is not a technique thing. It is not in contact where he is hitting guys high. The last two occasions it has been when he has dived on someone and the match review committee have ruled that he has got them high both times."