A selection of Brisbane's champion title winners have assembled at the club with Peter Ryan, the unsung defensive mastermind behind their last premiership victory, impressed with what he saw.
The former player group included premiership winners Tony Currie, Brad Thorn, Tonie Carroll, Darren Smith, Lote Tuqiri and Ryan, who were all invited to attend training on Friday.
Dual-premiership winner Ryan, one of the best defenders to lace a boot, turned the 1997 Super League grand final with a tackle on Cronulla fullback David Peachey, described by the great Peter Sterling in Channel Nine commentary at the time as "a missile".
The ball was dislodged and centre Steve Renouf scored one of his three tries to put the Broncos on track for victory.
Ryan was the defensive coach for Wayne Bennett in 2006, the year of the last title won by the club, and came up with a strategy that denied Melbourne in the decider.
The Broncos have conceded more than 600 points in three of their past five seasons, the worst efforts in their history.
New coach Michael Maguire has former Broncos star and 2014 South Sydney premiership winner Ben Te'o as his defensive coach. The pair won a title with the Rabbitohs in 2014.
Te'o turned the 2014 preliminary final against Sydney Roosters with his aggression and is a man Ryan believes can help change defensive mindsets under new coach Maguire, who's replaced the sacked Kevin Walters.
"I don't think their first-up contact was of the standard where they are going to stop teams scoring points," Ryan told AAP.
"With Ben Te'o as the new defensive coach I think they are definitely improving. I saw some of their contact at the start of the (Friday) session and it was excellent.
"The quality of (Maguire) as a coach and a person, and how strict he is in terms of how they conduct themselves on and off the field, just raises standards.
"If the standards go up from where they were last year and the year before under Kevvie (Walters) that puts them in the best position to be a top four team."
Ryan said he appreciated the call to get involved with the Broncos under Maguire.
"I got a phone call from (five-time premiership player) Mick Hancock to come on down and watch training and potentially meet some of the players and coaching staff," he said.
"I thought straight away there was no way in the world I was going to not do that, just because of the history we have here at the club and the quality of the people we have running the club. They are trying to get that connection with the old boys."
Ryan said he was a fan of 2024 Broncos player of the year Pat Carrigan, who said the connection with the old boys was solid.
"They paved the way for this club to be what it is, " Carrigan said.
"Rhino (Ryan) was defensive coach a couple of years ago so there are a few tough memories from the big fella. It's always exciting to see those guys around."
Ryan liked a blow-up on the field when he played, with his fire and brimstone approach, and has now found a similar niche off it.
"I am working in the mining industry," he grinned.
"I am in a blast crew so we get to blow stuff up, which is a bit different in 40 to 50 degrees heat. Blowing stuff up is any little boy's dream."
Canberra Times
