Brisbane Broncos players were seen in the pokies room at Harpoon Harry’s before finals loss

Brisbane Broncos players were ‘seen in the pokies room at a pub until late the night before their humiliating thrashing in the NRL finals’

  • Brisbane Broncos had their worst-ever loss 58-0 to Parramatta Eels on Sunday 
  • The night before, eight players were allegedly spotted in Harpoon Harry’s hotel 
  • They gathered in the pokies room until 11pm, according to eyewitnesses 

Brisbane Broncos players were reportedly seen in a Sydney pub the night before they were trashed 58-0 by the Parramatta Eels on Sunday. 

Six players were at Harpoon Harry’s hotel near Oxford Street, witnesses told Fox Sports. 

They were Matt Gillett, Andrew McCullough, Payne Haas, David Fifita, Corey Oates, Anthony Milford, Joe Ofahengaue and Gehamat Shibasaki, the publication reports.

The players apparently spent time in the pokies room and left at around 11pm, although Fifita is said to have stayed longer on his own.

They sneaked out of the Pullman Sydney Hyde Park hotel without their coach Anthony Seibold knowing, it has been reported.

Broncos players look dejected after conceding a try during the NRL Elimination Final match between the Parramatta Eels and the Brisbane Broncos

They players were not seen drinking any alcohol.

The Broncos played shockingly on Sunday and were dumped out of the finals. 

Brisbane Broncos said staff are investigating the incident. 

Following their worst-ever loss, former Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin said the Broncos have lost their identity.

The team endured their worst start to a season this century (1-5) in coach Anthony Seibold’s first year at the helm, and despite a mid-season revival, the campaign also ended with a whimper.

Griffin coached the Broncos to 54 wins from 101 games before he was sacked in 2014 to make way for Wayne Bennett, who Seibold replaced this season.

‘They’ve lost their identity which is the biggest thing for Brisbane, they’ve lost their soul or whatever you want to call it over the last couple of weeks,’ Griffin told NRL 360.

The Broncos played shockingly on Sunday and were dumped out of the finals

The Broncos played shockingly on Sunday and were dumped out of the finals

‘If they’d got to the semis and gone down with an admirable loss, you could half explain the year away and say they were blooding a lot of young guys, but it was the way they lost it.

‘They’ve got to re-find (their soul), it was all built on effort and playing for each other that Bennett started there and instilled in the place and the great players put in.’

Seibold was tipped to lead Brisbane to a drought-breaking premiership but they struggled for direction and consistency all year before scraping into eighth and bouncing out of finals.

‘Coming eighth in Brisbane isn’t a pass mark. There are a lot of clubs that would like to be in their shoes and they wear that responsibility … it was the way that they lost,’ Griffin said.

‘There has been a lot of positive things that have happened there this year with the players they’ve brought through, but the way they finished their seasons is the most alarming thing because the whole season then looks like it stood for nothing.’

Daniel Alvaro of the Eels is tackled during the NRL Elimination Final match

Daniel Alvaro of the Eels is tackled during the NRL Elimination Final match

 

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