The fake news that’s actually fake.
The Brisbane Broncos have voluntarily withdrawn from the rest of the 2020 NRL season.
The Broncos lost their fifth straight game on Saturday night, falling to the Gold Coast Titans at Suncorp Stadium, leaving coach Anthony Seibold with no other option.
“We’ve got nothing left. I can handle losing to decent teams like Parramatta, the Roosters and Manly. I can even handle losing to Newcastle, but losing the Titans at Lang Park, for the third year in a row? That’s beyond unacceptable,” said Seibold.
“We have two options: either keep embarrassing ourselves on the field, or pull out of the competition and start preparing for 2021. Think of it as an extended pre-season. By the time the 2021 season begins, we’ll be ready to go.”
With the Broncos’ withdrawal, their opponents from rounds eight to 20 will automatically win by forfeit and collect the two points. It will likely give the Broncos the wooden spoon, the first in their proud history.
The decision will have consequences for Channel Nine, with nine of the Broncos’ last 13 matches on their network.
“We’re going to lose some Thursday and Friday night games, but we’ll just replay some old movies or show MAFS reruns,” said Nine CEO Hugh Marks. “It’s better than watching the Broncos keep losing.”
Titans coach Justin Holbrook sees this as a chance to cement the Gold Coast as the premier team in South East Queensland.
“Our marketing team will be straight on the phone Monday morning, trying to convince disillusioned Broncos fans to jump ship and join a winning club.”
The Forward Pass is a fictional and deliberately ridiculous look at the NRL. References to real people is for satirical purposes only. Check it out on Twitter @thefwdpass
