Seibold to look at changes after NRL loss

Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold will look at changes to the team after a lone intercept try laid on by former player Andrew McCullough was their only source of points in Gosford on Thursday night.

McCullough, the Brisbane veteran who was released a month ago, handed his former team their only try of the night to Xavier Coates as Newcastle scored a 27-6 win.

Since the NRL competition restarted the Broncos have not scored a second-half try and the trend continued, going into the sheds down 13-6 before conceding another two in the second half.

The loss intensifies serious concerns about the club’s attack led by halves Anthony Milford and Brodie Croft, but Seibold said he has reservations about bringing in halfback Tom Dearden who has not played since last June.

“There’s no doubt we need more from our elite players,” Seibold said.

“When we’re conceding so many penalties and six-agains, particularly out of yardage, for Milly and Crofty, it’s hard for them to come into the game.

“There was plenty of effort there at different times. I won’t call it dumb, but we’re not playing smart.

“Maybe I need to look at making some changes.”

Those changes could be forced as dual enforcers Patrick Carrigan and Tevita Pangai Junior sweat on match review committee findings after separate incidents.

Carrigan was sin-binned for a late shot on Knights halfback Mitchell Pearce midway through the second half, while Pangai Junior could face sanction for a potential shoulder charge on David Klemmer in just the fourth minute.

It was the first game back from a four-game ban for Pangai Junior, who has missed 12 weeks to suspension since the start of last season.

“I only saw it live and I thought it was a good shot, I’d have to look at it again,” Seibold said of Pangai Junior.

Knights half Kurt Mann had a hand in both first-half tries for the Knights, scoring in the 10th minute and then putting in a cross-field kick for winger Hymel Hunt shortly after the first of two sin-binnings.

In the 21st minute Broncos fullback Jamayne Isaako was sin-binned 10 metres off his own line when Kalyn Ponga rushed to play the ball.

It followed a directive from the NRL earlier this week warning players would be sin-binned for professional fouls, slowing down the ruck or jumping offside in defence.

For the Knights, it was another dominant performance up front led by NSW prop Daniel Saifiti who ran for 197 metres and scored a gutsy try in the second half.

“I’m really happy with both the Safs (Jacob and Daniel), all our forwards,” said Knights coach Adam O’Brien.

“I think they were understated by all the experts at the start of the year … blokes take that personally.”

It’s the fourth consecutive loss for the Broncos who will now face the Gold Coast at Suncorp Stadium next weekend.

For Newcastle, the win knocked them up to second on the ladder.

They will face North Queensland in Townsville on Saturday week.

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