The Brisbane Broncos experienced an injury concern during training on Friday when prop Corey Jensen sprained his ankle. However, coach Kevin Walters remains optimistic that Jensen will be fit to play against the Warriors in round 17.
With the Broncos having a bye this week, they will face the Warriors in Auckland next Saturday. The squad, without their State of Origin players, trained on Friday. Centre Selwyn Cobbo, who had taken a brief break in his hometown of Cherbourg to recover from minor injuries, was present.
Jensen, who has participated in all 14 NRL games this season, did not finish the training session and needed assistance from two staff members to leave the field.
“Corey has an ankle sprain but we expect him to be available; we’ll see how it goes in the next couple of days,” Walters told AAP. “If the game was this weekend, he wouldn’t play, but the bye week should help.”
Walters confirmed that Cobbo would be ready for the Warriors game. “If the game was this weekend, it might have been different, but he’s just a bit banged up with his shoulder and other areas,” Walters said. “The rest this weekend will help. Spending time with family and friends in Cherbourg has been refreshing and healing for him.”
The Broncos have fullback Reece Walsh and lock Pat Carrigan in the Queensland squad, and prop Payne Haas with NSW for the State of Origin series. The trio will play on Wednesday night in game two in Melbourne. While Walsh is likely to back up against the Warriors, the two forwards are not expected to play.
“We’ll see how the game goes,” Walters said. “We’ll name Reece in the squad, but I doubt Patty and Payne will play.”
The Broncos, having lost their last three games and slipped outside the top eight, are looking to replicate last year’s performance in New Zealand where they won 26-22 without their Origin players.
“We are confident,” Walters said. “We have good depth and expect to play well regardless of who is playing. We need to improve our discipline, which is easily fixed. We’ll come together as a team when we start holding onto the ball.”
