Joel Gould
Brisbane’s hopes of winning the derby clash with the Dolphins have been rocked with star prop Payne Haas ruled out with a shoulder injury.
The star forward suffered a knock to an AC joint in the 18-14 win over Melbourne and the Broncos have taken no risks with him ahead of what will be a gruelling season for the NSW and Samoa representative.
They do get captain Adam Reynolds back from a rib injury for Friday night’s clash at Suncorp Stadium. The veteran has been named at halfback with Ben Hunt, who played No.7 against the Storm, reverting to the bench.
New Zealand international Xavier Willison takes the place of Haas in the front row while barnstorming second-rower Brendan Piakura has been elevated to the starting side after shining off the bench against the Storm.
Piakura’s defensive clout and strong running game made a huge difference against Melbourne. It was his first game of the year after pre-season knee surgery.
One of his main missions will be cutting down on the time and space of Dolphins playmaker Isaiya Katoa, who is his side’s linchpin.
“He’s a classy player and brings a lot to their team. If I can shut him down, that’ll be very good for us,” Piakura said.
The club has also been rocked by news of Ben Te’o’s resignation from the coaching staff on Tuesday.
AAP
