20 July 2005
Brent Tate's return from injury is set to put the bite on Brisbane winger Leon Bott's dream debut season with the teenage flyer likely to be dropped for Friday night's clash against the Bulldogs.
"Lightning" Bott is set to be squeezed out of the Broncos' top-squad that heads to Sydney tomorrow and will instead roll out for Brisbane's feeder club Toowoomba in the Queensland Cup.
The 18-year-old schoolboy has scored 11 tries in 17 games this season but Tate's return, coupled with the importance of the occasion, forced Wayne Bennett's hand.
Bennett knows that a win against the Bulldogs could severely hamper the reigning premiers' chances of making the finals after an injury-plagued campaign.
Former Brisbane captain Gorden Tallis believes the game could be a preview of this year's grand final if the Bulldogs manage to sneak into the top-eight.
"It's going to bring out the best in both teams," Tallis said.
"The Broncos have been waiting to play a quality team like this.
"They've been floating around after Origin and these games are the ones good players want to play. The Bulldogs will be chomping at the bit to get at them too."
Tallis, who retired at the end of last season, said Brisbane had finally worked out a way to get the better of a draining State of Origin period.
The Broncos contributed eight players to Queensland's cause but have streaked six points clear of second-placed Parramatta on the ladder with a logjam of five teams behind them.
"The Broncos are a classy outfit but it's taken us 15 years to get it right," he said.
Bott's failure to make an impact against Melbourne last weekend opened the door for Tate to join in-form winger Scott Minto on the flank.
The 23-year-old has managed to appear in just 10 games this season after suffering shoulder and ankle injuries.
Tate, who wears a neck brace to correct the shoulder problem, said he was unsure what role he would play against the Bulldogs despite training on the wing earlier in the week.
"I know I'm in the backline," he said.
"I'm not quite sure what Wayne's got in store for me at the moment but I'd just be happy to get back playing.
"It was only a couple of months ago and I said to Wayne yesterday that if I was playing pub footy I'd be pretty happy."
Tate again expressed his desire to return to the centres for Brisbane where Justin Hodges and Shaun Berrigan have excelled this season.
"I've made it pretty clear that's where I want to play and I haven't changed that," said the former Test flyer.
"But being a part of this team with the way it's going at the moment, I'd be happy to peel the oranges for it."
Giant prop Petero Civoniceva will join the rest of the squad tomorrow after being granted leave to be a groomsman at his cousin's wedding in Fiji.
- NRL.com.au
