Broncos winger Jesse Arthars says he was forced to regain eight kilograms as he recovered from a fractured jaw, having been reduced to “a strict diet of smoothies and soups”.
But the Brisbane flyer’s return has been offset by an injury crisis crippling the forward stocks, as the team seek to arrest a run of four-straight defeats when they clash with the Penrith Panthers.
Coach Kevin Walters will have only seven available forwards, while Kobe Hetherington and Corey Jensen were spotted on limited training duties on Tuesday morning.
Star centre Kotoni Staggs is also expected to miss the Friday-night battle to attend a funeral.
But after returning to the field in last week’s defeat to the Warriors, Arthars declared the Broncos’ dire past month did not have to define their season.
He had limited opportunities in his first game back against New Zealand, kept to just 56 running metres, but he did not experience ill-effects from his stint on the sidelines.
“It wasn’t so much painful, it was just really awkward and uncomfortable,” Arthars said of his recovery.
“I need to eat quite a bit to keep the weight on, so I stripped quite a bit there. Once I could eat again I was trying to eat as much as I could, and I’ve put all that weight back on now.
“I wasn’t worried at all [coming back], there were a few contacts in that game where it rattled the jaw a bit, but if you’re going to dwell on that it’s not going to help your footy.”
Arthars said he believed the Broncos could win the premiership this season.
“Kevvie’s a winner, he’s demonstrated that when he used to play … I think through his positivity and his leadership as our coach we’ll go a long way.”
Despite Arthars’ return, Brisbane will be truly tested through the middle.
While State of Origin stars Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan return to the fore, the growing injury toll will ensure Xavier Willison and Marty Taupau will be tasked with a greater onus.
Taupau wound back the clock in a running battle with Warriors enforcer Addin Fonua-Blake – finishing with 161 metres and 23 tackles with no misses.
And 22-game rookie Willison is relishing the prospect of challenging Penrith powerhouses James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota, steadfast that a career-best performance against the Kiwi internationals could cement him as Haas’ long-term forward partner.
“That’s definitely the goal in the future,” Willison said. “[Haas] has been a big role model in developing my game. Coming from union, I try and mould my game around someone like him.
“He’s taught me just to keep running hard and keep things simple. I just look forward to big challenges like that … I’m not going to downplay it, they [Fisher-Harris and Leota] are pretty good.
“I’ll just try to keep it simple, I don’t want to overthink it.”
Sydney Morning Herald
