Kevin Walters has rubbished suggestions Brisbane’s season could go off the rails like last year as he prepares to give Pat Carrigan a crack at playing in the second-row against the Dolphins.
The Broncos were poor in last week's 18-12 loss to Gold Coast and are without four of their starting players for the clash at the Gabba on Saturday night in the second ‘Battle of Brisbane’.
Fullback Reece Walsh is suspended while prop Tom Flegler and second-rowers Kurt Capewell and Jordan Riki are injured.
Last year, the Broncos lost five of their last six matches to miss the semi-finals.
Having spent the current campaign hovering around the top of the ladder, Walters was asked about the potential of Brisbane repeating last term's late-season slide.
“I don't want to give that too much air," he said.
"This is a different era, a different team, and we are very excited with where we have got ourselves in this competition.
“It's an all-squad mentality. We saw over in Napier in New Zealand (in a 26-22 win over the Warriors in round 13) the depth of our squad, with Xavier Willison and Tristan Sailor coming in.
"It's exciting times for those boys to get another opportunity at this level.”
Sailor will replace Walsh at fullback while Willison is named in the second-row with Brendan Piakura.
Carrigan has been named at lock but Walters suggested the Queensland forward would start on an edge in the back row.
“You need to make good decisions on the edge and we feel Patty is the best guy to do that at the start of the game,” Walters said.
Brisbane's coach provided an update on the other injured members of his squad - Flegler (foot), Capewell (quad) and Riki (foot).
“We are thinking Tom Flegler will be out for four-to-six weeks and Jordan Riki about six-to-eight weeks,” Walters said.
“It's a bit of an extended period for both but we are fortunate over the next few weeks we have some byes and some rest periods, so they won't miss as many games as we thought.
"The young guys (will) get a good opportunity to present their case while they are in the team.
“We will have (Capewell) coming back (in round 21) after the Bulldogs game. There is plenty of depth at the Broncos.”
