As much as he loves Brisbane, club great Colin Scott fears the Broncos won’t advance in the NRL finals series unless they push Corey Oates into the centres and Anthony Milford back to five-eighth.
Inaugural 1988 Brisbane fullback Scott believes the Broncos have the team on paper to threaten the best ahead of Sunday’s NRL elimination final against Parramatta at Bankwest Stadium.
But he has urged coach Anthony Seibold to re-jig his backline.
Scott admitted he was not a fan of skipper Darius Boyd switching from fullback to pivot mid-season and hoped Milford would soon don the No.6 jersey again.
“I think fullback Anthony Milford is a great player but I believe he is a better five-eighth,” Scott told AAP.
“He has played some good games at fullback but he has to make himself more available and ensure he has his hands on the ball more.
“And Corey Oates is another. He can bust tackles and score tries from anywhere.
“I would have moved him into the centres. Like Milford, he has to be more involved if Brisbane are to succeed in this finals series.”
Boyd has copped criticism since moving into the playmaking role mid-season, with some even demanding he retire at season’s end – two years before his Broncos contract expires.
Scott did not want to put more pressure on Boyd but admitted it was time for the Broncos veteran to deliver if he was to remain at five-eighth.
“Now is the time to stand up. This is a big test for him. He’s been around, he’s done it all – he is one of the guys I am looking at to lead the side around.
“And if he can help them knock over the Eels, you never know what can happen.”
Seibold copped plenty of flack from the Broncos old boys after favourite son Kevin Walters was brushed and the ex-South Sydney coach took over the reins from foundation mentor Wayne Bennett in 2019.
While Scott backed Seibold, he admitted the former Rabbitohs mentor would have to inspire greatness if the Broncos were to end their longest title drought and win their first premiership since 2006 judging by their last round 30-14 loss to lowly Canterbury.
“I look at them one week and they can play some great football and the next the same effort is not there,” he said.
“I have got a lot of respect for Anthony Seibold. Everything I hear about him is that he is a great player coach and I played under some of the best like Wayne Bennett.
“But I think the players have to look at themselves. If they don’t turn up for each other then they are not going to win.
“And from last week’s performance (against Bulldogs) I am thinking this will be their last game.”
