Much may have been made of Payne Haas and David Fifita.
But club great Willie Carne believes Brisbane won’t be able to break their NRL premiership drought without suspended forward Tevita Pangai.
The Broncos only scraped into the NRL finals after limping into eighth spot following a shock 30-14 last round loss to Canterbury.
The former glamour club must regroup ahead of Sunday’s knockout final clash against fifth-placed Parramatta at Bankwest Stadium to be any chance of snaring their first title since 2006, ending their longest premiership drought in club history.
Experts have raved about the impact of former NSW prop Haas and fellow 19-year-old – Queensland State of Origin backrower Fifita this year.
But two-time Broncos premiership player Carne believes his beloved club are no chance without enforcer Pangai.
The Tongan powerhouse won’t be available unless Brisbane win their way into the preliminary final after Pangai copped a five week crusher tackle ban.
“If we can get the big fella back then we are a chance,” Carne told AAP.
“If he comes back then we have the biggest forward pack in Broncos history.
“Then we are not out of it. But at the moment we are not winning the footy games that we should (without Pangai).
“I have not given up hope but when you look at winning grand finals, you need all the guys available to win and I think the Broncos can’t win without him.”
With Pangai on the sidelines, Fifita has dominated the headlines for Brisbane, with 10 clubs reportedly ready to queue up for the Maroons backrower when the anti-tampering deadline expires on November 1 following a barnstorming run into the finals.
And Haas has turned as many heads with his blockbusting display in the front row along with fellow front rower Matt Lodge.
But Carne believes maligned skipper Darius Boyd is the key to Brisbane’s finals hopes in 2019 while Pangai was suspended.
Boyd has copped plenty of criticism after what many experts believed was an ill-fated switch from fullback to five-eighth this season.
However, Carne said Boyd’s experience would be the key for a young Broncos outfit as they negotiated their way through their first finals campaign under new coach and ex-South Sydney mentor Anthony Seibold.
“I would rather have Darius at fullback than five-eighth,” Carne said.
“But if that is the position Seibold thinks is best for him than you have to back him in.
“He’s got the experience and from there he can guide those young blokes in what for many is their first finals game.
“No matter where Darius plays, if he is at the helm then you would have to back them in because under him I believe the team culture is up there with the likes of minor premiers Melbourne.”
