Returning strike player Alex Glenn says Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin’s ability to stay cool under pressure has kept the players positive through a testing time for the NRL club.
The Broncos have lost six of their past seven games to drop to seventh spot on the ladder and are in danger of missing the finals.
But Griffin continues to win admirers for how he’s conducted himself publicly as the club deals with a tough back end of the season and the weight of expectation created under former coach Wayne Bennett.
Glenn, set to return from a hamstring injury against Manly on Friday night, said Griffin had been a rock for the players during a five-game slump.
“We know we haven’t been travelling that well and the last thing you need is a coach ranting and shouting his head off or jumping on your back,” Glenn told AAP on Tuesday.
“Hook (Griffin) has been great in that regard with how he’s kept everyone’s heads up.
“We’re all in this together and he hasn’t blamed any of us players for the way we’ve been going.
“He’s still the same coach he was in the Under 20s, he’s straight down the barrel.”
Glenn is expected to be joined by another returning forward in Josh McGuire (eye) as the Broncos desperately seek an upset against high-flying Manly at Brookvale Oval.
Glenn said Manly loved dominating in the middle as they showed with an ominous display against Newcastle at the weekend where the Sea Eagles racked up 38 points by halftime.
“Their forwards just love rolling over teams and we know it’s going to be very aggressive so we have to get stuck in from the start and match their intensity in the middle,” he said.
“They’re going to come at us aggressively and we have to muscle up for the 80 minutes.”