Brisbane Broncos star Reece Walsh has defended his side amid a disappointing first half of their season, insisting the club's struggles are not down to a lack of commitment as pressure continues to mount on the reigning premiers.
The Broncos currently sit 12th on the ladder with five wins and eight losses, with their last two losses against the Gold Coast Titans and St George Illawarra Dragons, both sitting at the bottom of the ladder.
Walsh has also come under scrutiny for his own performances, while speculation surrounding his fitness emerged after he failed to make contact with Titans winger Phil Sami as he raced away to score last weekend.
However, the electric fullback dismissed any suggestion that injury was hampering his form.
“The NRL season is tough,” he said.
“Everyone is bound to have a niggle here and there; it's just about trying to push through it and get through it.”
While Brisbane's results have sparked criticism from outside the club, Walsh said the players remain fully committed to turning their season around.
“Obviously, we are going through a tough patch at the Broncos, but one thing I can't stress enough is we are all working hard,” he said.
“It's not like we are taking the piss and not turning up and not putting in the work.
“We are putting in the work at clubland, we are working hard.
“But we're just not getting the results at the moment.
“We just have to keep turning up with the right attitude, keep going after it, and hope it will start to turn soon.”
Despite questions surrounding his own performance, Walsh said he remains confident and is focused on continuing to improve.
“No, I wouldn't say it's affected my confidence,” he said of multiple losses and his own form.
“Everyone's journey is different.
“Everyone's path is different, and if it were easy and a straight line, everyone would be doing it.”
Veteran captain Adam Reynolds echoed Walsh's sentiments, warning against underestimating any side in the NRL and rejecting suggestions Brisbane's recent wins should be viewed differently because of their opponents' ladder positions.
“We got beaten by the Dragons last year, too,“ Reynolds said.
“The NRL is not easy. We understand where teams are sitting respectively on the ladder, but you need to be at your best every week in the NRL.
“It's easy for critics on the outside to judge you on that.
“I firmly believe the Titans, they would have beaten most of the teams in the competition if they played that way every week.”
Despite sitting outside the top eight midway through the season, Reynolds remains confident Brisbane can still force its way into the finals race.
“I don't see why not. There's still a lot of the season to be played, and there's still a lot of upside in us as a football team.”
The Broncos will be without Payne Haas, Reece Walsh, and Kotoni Staggs this Thursday against the Rabbitohs as they all prepare for Game 2 of the State of Origin.
