Matt Gillett expects Brisbane captain Darius Boyd to keep laughing off the criticism as the side continue their ugly but effective run towards the NRL finals.
The backrower expects to return from injury to play South Sydney on Friday, when Wayne Bennett and Anthony Seibold will coach against their former clubs.
Boyd’s form has been under the microscope all season and the fullback shifted to five-eighth as the Broncos, currently seventh, flirt on the edges of the top eight.
The captain, 32, still has two years remaining on his contract but former Queensland enforcer Billy Moore thinks he should retire to free up cap space and ensure the club’s young stars are kept on the books.
“If he was to hear about that he’d probably laugh it off, as he has to a lot of his critics out there,” Gillett told Fox League.
“He’s still fit, likes to put his body on the line for us … he’s our leader, captain and we know what he can produce.
“He is coming to the back end of his career but has a long way to go and has a point to prove to a few people.”
More will be asked of Boyd with makeshift halfback Jake Turpin suspended for the clash, while the club will seek a downgrade on Tevita Pangai’s grade two charge at the judiciary on Tuesday night.
He said silky play in the halves wasn’t the answer though, pointing to their grinding efforts in wins against Penrith and North Queensland as the way forward.
“We’re playing good footy, winning games, although some a bit ugly,” Gillett said.
“In the big games we’ve won and played well, our tries haven’t been off crisp moves or plays we’ve practiced, they’ve been off effort or offloads and we’ve backed ourselves defensively and that’s what we’ve got to keep doing.”