Brisbane could use some of Shane Webcke’s DNA as they desperately search for the defensive resolve to get their faltering NRL season back on track.
Webcke, who played in four winning grand finals for the Broncos – including the 2000 decider with a broken arm – firmly believes they can bounce back against ladder-topping Canterbury in Sydney on Sunday.
Brisbane’s greatest prop joined another Broncos legend and former club captain Gorden Tallis in refusing to write off the six-time premiers, who are fighting to stay in the top eight race after dropping their last three games.
Webcke, who played 254 games in Brisbane colours, believes the Broncos can still be a finals force provided they find the defensive grit they displayed just four games ago to hold out the Warriors 10-8 in an arm wrestle.
Asked this week if Brisbane were “gone”, Webcke told AAP: “We’re four weeks out from the finals… that’s an eternity in football.
“Their current form is very un-Bronco like, especially defensively.
“(but) … you have to remember things can turn on a coin in this game and if they can find some form and start to build momentum.
“It looks like a huge gap, but it’s not a big gap between when they were playing well and now when they’re playing poorly.”
Webcke – whose magnificent career had a fairytale ending in 2006 when the Broncos upset Melbourne in the grand final – said Brisbane were not in a bad position if they found some answers against the Bulldogs on Sunday.
“I’d rather be in the position of coming into form approaching the finals than be like the Bulldogs who’ve won 10 in a row – where have they got to go?,” he said.
“It’s a real numbers game at this time of the year, you have to hope your timing is such that you hit the finals with a wet sail.
“Brisbane is well poised to do that.”
Rated the greatest prop of all time by teammate Andrew Gee because “he was mad and you knew if you were up against him (at training) you’d go home hurting”, Webcke said Brisbane did not necessarily need to beat Canterbury on Sunday.
“They just need to get some grit back in its defence, that’s all they’ve really got to worry about at the moment,” he said.
“Once the confidence in defence is back, the rest will follow.
“If they come good against the Bulldogs, Melbourne and Manly they will enter the finals with some confidence, then it’s a whole new ball game.”
Webcke said his career coach Wayne Bennett was a master at getting sides through tough patches.
He sees those same quality in current Broncos mentor Anthony Griffin.
“Under Wayne it was always a case of just hanging in,” said Webcke.
“When you believe in what you do, you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, you keep on punching till it comes good.
“Panicking and changing and trying to re-invent the wheel won’t fix it.
“Look at his (Griffin’s) manner, there’s no signs of panic.
“Behind closed doors he might be a little more animated I would suggest, but he’s holding it all together.”