Country Connection As The Broncos Are Back In Action

Our mates at the Broncs got off to a flying start at the opening two rounds of the 2020 season, before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the season suspension, Ringers Western became the proud Corporate Uniform partner of the Brisbane Broncos. For anyone following our Instagram, you would have caught some behind the scenes action from our fitting day with the Broncos team and staff back in February. The entire team will be sporting our range of corporate wear off the field for events, and travel to and from away games. The partnership is important to both the Broncos and Ringers, as we continue to build on the connections with regional communities that we value so much. Ringers Western are also the official supporters and uniform providers of the popular Broncos Dance Squad. We can't wait to see the ladies take to the field once fans are allowed back in stadiums for home games kitted out head-to-toe in Ringers Western activewear! It’s a great brand fit for us, we know that our Ringers Western community love their footy just as much as we do and can’t wait to see the team back in game shortly!

Return to the field hasn’t been without its dramas, with everything from social distancing rule breaches, vaccination debate, on-field referee changes, player pay negotiations and border restrictions all adding to the chaos competition-wide. With that being said, the National Rugby League is positioned to lead the way for sport in Australia to return to the field after COVID-19. From what we hear the team are itching to get back to footy after a lengthy period of isolation.
The Broncos boys have been keeping busy during the nation-wide lockdown. Emerging young front rower Tom Flegler took the opportunity to spend his recent isolation period up at his family banana farm in North Queensland whilst the competition was suspended. The 20-year-old kept himself busy on the family's 500-acre property in Tully, working alongside his father and staying match fit. With 5am starts and long hours spent in the fields, it was certainly a change of pace from the usual days spent in the gym and across the Broncos paddock. Head coach Anthony Seibold couldn't speak highly enough of the emerging prop, in a recent interview with nrl.com saying “Fleggs is a hardworking guy, he is a country boy with good values and has a humble personality”.  

Broncos icons past and present from Allan Langer to Corey Oates are products of rural upbringings, carving the way for younger generation Bucks coming through the ranks. The 2020 squad have a great range of young country bred talent coming through with the likes of Cory Paix, Jake Turpin and Kobe Hetherington giving the older crop of players a run for their money. The addition of new halfback Brodie Croft (local Toowoomba product) from Melbourne has so far proved successful for the Broncos, with Croft settling into his new role at the club. Providing the side with a much needed boost in the halves combination with Anthony Milford during the opening rounds of the 2020 competition, Croft has seemingly cemented his place in the number 7 jersey. In a recent interview with nrl.com, Brodie confirmed that he is nearly ready to make his return to the field after an AC joint injury during the Broncos round 2 victory over the Rabbitohs looked to take Croft out of the season for a number of weeks. That being said, the nine-week COVID isolation period has proved helpful for Croft, providing plenty of time to repair and heal the injury. Croft spent his isolation period on his childhood property near Toowoomba, utilising his time to install an old set of goal posts that he discovered in his parents backyard to work on his kicking game. A recent report by Broncos.com.au quoted Croft as saying “they probably haven’t been up for five or six years now – we found them around the back of the shed, so now we can kick the footy around the back of the backyard”. Recent reports are suggesting that Croft will make a return to the field within the next couple of weeks.

Preparations for the NRL season restart are well under way at Red Hill, with the team resuming field and gym sessions as they prepare for the May 28 restart against the Parramatta Eels. With a combination of the best young forward back in the competition and a team raring to return to the field, the Broncos will be a force to be reckoned with. We can’t wait to watch the boys rip into the new season, we’ll be cheering on with a cold one in our hands from our place until crowds are allowed back to Suncorp Stadium.