Arthars out to continue magic run against wounded Panthers

Currently sitting pretty at the top of the NRL’s leading try scorers, Broncos winger Jesse Arthars has credited the team’s new halves combination for helping him find his way over the line this season.

With 10 tries to his name so far, the Māori All Stars representative has already overtaken his tally from was his most successful year to date, where he scored nine tries as the Broncos made their way into the grand final in 2023.

“I'm just going to put it all on Dozer," Arthars said.

“I think having Dozer [Ben Hunt] at the club’s helped me out a lot.

“I think he's helped a lot of people in various positions and I've just been the lucky one to get over the line.”

Arthars also praised his captain Adam Reynolds for his try assists as well, with the halfback named to play this weekend, despite battling both a staph infection and a shoulder injury which had him come from the field early in the Round 8 win over the Bulldogs.

“Ren was good, he did all the training and we were just running through our shapes today, so it was good to have him out there," Arthars told media at Red Hill on Tuesday. 

“I hope he plays. He's the skipper and whenever he's playing the boys get up for it.

“I personally love playing off Reyno as well because I'm getting a few tries off them, so we all appreciate him in the team.”

The Broncos put on an attacking display last week, with Arthar's wing partner last week Deine Mariner also making a fruitful return to the top grade, scoring a double in his first game back since Round 3.

Named to back up this week, Mariner said the time away helped him work harder on his game and implement what coach Michael Maguire wanted to see more of on the field. 

“It is real competitive here with our squad with everyone fighting for positions, I saw the four weeks I had off to go back and work on the things I was lacking the first three weeks I played,” Mariner said.

“Although it always sucks not to be playing, I had to take it as a positive thing.

"We have a full squad and everyone is playing their role.

“(Maguire) is real big on being tough and playing tough.

“He has always told me I have got the talent, but it’s the ones that work hard that last longer.

“Those were the things I was focusing on, the little things around the game like effort areas and I am still going to work on them.”

The beneficiary of two great assists from Reynolds, whose vision lined up two pin-point kicks to his unmanned edge.

“It’s not pre-meditated, it wasn’t a play,” Mariner said.

“It was just something he saw and I saw it as well.

“We looked at each other and I knew he was going to kick it because he is the best at those little kicks. I was so confident he was going to put it right in my hands. He made it real easy for me to fall over the try line.”

This week for Magic Round, the duo will be hoping for more tries as Broncos take on the Panthers on Sunday afternoon as the ‘away’ side.

Arthars – who made his NRL debut at the event as a Titan in 2019 – said he was looking forward to the challenge of facing the defending premiers, despite their current standing at the bottom of the ladder.