Not ideal’: Broncos star Jesse Arthar’s frank admission after ‘diabolical’ training claim

Winger Jesse Arthars has admitted Broncos training standards aren’t up to scratch amid a worrying form slump that has resulted in Kevin Walters’ side winning just one match in their past nine.

Speaking to media on Thursday, Arthars was quizzed on the number of errors his side made during training.

One reporter went as far as describing training sessions as “diabolical”.

Arthars accepted the lapses were “not ideal,” adding Brisbane have “got to move on to the next job and try not to make as many errors as we have at training.”

“We’ll be better for it if we make less errors.”

After going within minutes of clinching a premiership last year, 2024 has hardly been a season to celebrate for the Broncos, who have struggled for a number of reasons.

Errors have been one of those reasons, with the club making a competition leading 233 errors – 11.7 per game – this season.

A common phrase in sporting worlds is ‘you train how you play’, with Brisbane’s error rate in training clearly transferring into game day.

Arthars conceded “the onus is on the player” to not make mistakes during training, adding “you have to make sure you have a clear head when you go to training.”

The 26-year-old stressed none of his teammates intend to make errors but stressed “they’ve got to focus a bit more at training.”

Fellow Bronco Tristan Sailor, who recently had his move to Super League Giants St Helens confirmed, added Brisbane are “working on” improving their training standards.

“With the type of players we have, stuff comes off and stuff doesn’t,” he said.

“We can live with that but it is the basics of clear dropped balls and missing our effort areas and stuff like that is something that can be lifted.”

Sailor revealed the club had placed a clear importance on “bringing in blocks of fundamentals and dialing that back before we advance.”

“Personal responsibility has come to a head this week and that is where everyone needs to be better at training,” he added.

Recently, NRL legend James Graham criticised the Broncos’ open training sessions amidst the club’s spiralling form.

“For me, shut the open training sessions down, get rid of everybody that’s there cheering them on,” he said on the Bye Round Podcast.

“There’s no advantage from having this fanfare that comes with the Brisbane Broncos at this moment and the way that they’re playing.

“They’re not winning.”

Brisbane face fierce rivals the Cowboys in Round 23, with their season hanging on the brink after a poor run of form that’s seen Kevin Walters’ side win one of their last nine games to slide from fifth to 14th.

While the Broncos remain a mathematical chance of qualifying finals, those odds are slim, with a loss to the Cowboys set to all but rule them out of finishing in the top eight come season’s end.