BY CURTIS WOODWARD – EDITOR

@woodward_curtis

The literary genius Ice Cube once wisely proclaimed, “Life ain’t a track meet, it’s a marathon”. Welcome to a season of the National Rugby League.

For much of the year, Brisbane Broncos coach Anthony Seibold and captain Darius Boyd have been easy targets. Some of it, their own doing. The Broncos have been good in patches, horrible in others.

Seibold hasn’t won over many fans just yet – Broncos supporters or otherwise.

His exit from South Sydney for Brisbane raised eyebrows.

The apparent methods to get there, reported or otherwise, could be construed as dubious. With some of the best young talent in the NRL, Brisbane were expected to…just be Brisbane. Win a heap of games. Big crowds. Roll into the finals. It hasn’t been that easy. Seibold has made some funny comments in the media too. Other times he’s looked flustered and out of his depth.

The truth is, he’s had a massive job re-imaging the Broncos organisation in his own image.

Wayne Bennett’s fingerprints were on everything.

Some of those fingerprints will never be lifted.

Seibold is still working on his team.

But the quality of the roster can’t be disputed.

Does he have the players he wants in every position? No.

Is he making it work? Yeah…sure.

Darius Boyd will never be loved by the masses.

He comes across as prickly – maybe just a little arrogant.

One thing that can’t be disputed, even if Darius argues differently, is that he’s been a passenger for most of 2019.

His move from fullback to five-eigth was met with scepticism. Reports suggest Seibold was ready to punt him to QLD Cup before front office heavies stepped in.

What is true is that the Broncos have been awesome the last two weeks.

Yeah they didn’t get the biscuits last week against premiership heavyweights South Sydney but they came damn close. Rival Bennett got the last laugh, or dance as it was, but as if the Broncos didn’t see that footage?

You’d think the Rabbitohs had won the premiership.

The Broncos are young and sometimes get lost in their frantic ways but you can’t deny their talent. The sheer power. Sometimes unhinged but it’s there.

Parramatta rolled into town on a flight earlier on Friday. Didn’t even stay overnight. In and out the Eels thought. Knock the Broncos off and be on their merry way.

It was easy to tip the Eels this week.

The Sydney bubble, romanticism, blind loyalty, whatever you want to call it sometimes makes it easy to dismiss the Broncos. Every other side has a down turn so why shouldn’t Brisbane? Let the other clubs have their time in the sun, right?

All the while Seibold sells his snake oil.

His Broncos are starting to buy in.

Since getting pumped by the Melbourne Storm, Brisbane are 3-1.

They’re now 7th and three points clear of 9th place.

Can they win the competition this year?

Probably not.

But this young team is finding its grit.

Remember that this time next year.

@woodward_curtis

I’ll be at Henson Park on Saturday calling the Newtown Jets versus Newcastle clash for steelesports.com.au – kickoff from 3pm