Bennett braced for nightmare rep season

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WAYNE Bennett is braced for the poisoned chalice of Brisbane's flying start to the NRL premiership with a "nightmare'' representative season that could feature up to nine Broncos.

As Bennett's Broncos tonight head to Kogarah Oval to face St George Illawarra and stretch their winning streak to six games, he was facing the fact his team would soon by decimated by a rep schedule that could threaten Brisbane's quest for a top-four finish.

Maroons Justin Hodges, Corey Parker, Sam Thaiday and Matt Gillett are certain to play major roles through the Origin season and possibly be selected for Australia next weekend, while Ben Hunt is a Test incumbent, Josh McGuire an Origin contender and Dale Copley a possible bolter.

Justin Hodges during a Broncos training.. Pic Darren England. Source: News Corp Australia

Front-rower Adam Blair, who is close to a comeback from corked thigh injury, starred in New Zealand's Four Nations triumph last year while Kiwis second-rower Alex Glenn is back to his best as he plays for his future at the Broncos.

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Bennett said Parker, Thaiday and Glenn had consistently been Brisbane's best over the opening six rounds and the Broncos needed to keep those performance levels high tonight against St George Illawarra and next week against Parramatta before the mid-year disruption.

"It will be a nightmare,'' Bennett said. "We have two weeks of clear air, this week and next week, then after that the season goes into meltdown for about two months.

"It's just a completely different season.

"(After the bye) you won't see the same team probably for the next two months you've seen at all the clubs who will be heavily affected by (rep season).''

The Brocnos will be withuot Corey Parker during the Origin period. Pic Darren England. Source: News Corp Australia

Once again the rep season appears to be the biggest obstacle Brisbane must conquer to turn a bright start into a top-four finish. In 2012 they were 7-1 before fading faster than curtains during daylight saving.

If Bennett can navigate the rep period in reasonable shape the club could live up to the latest betting markets which have Brisbane equal favourites for the minor premiership with the last two champions Souths and the Roosters.

Bennett said he had offered NRL administrators a solution on how to fix the rep season, but despite constant claims the game was trying to improve player welfare they continued to ignore a major strain on the elite stars of the game.

"It will always raise its head again,'' Bennett said. "I know what the solution is and I've talked to the administration about the solution, it's just a case of what they will do about it.

"It's really in their court but I know everybody is going on about player welfare and nothing changes.''

Darius Boyd is a marginal chance of playing Origin. Photographer: Liam Kidston. Source: News Corp Australia

The Broncos do have greater depth in the squad this year to cope with the inevitable rep drain. Bennett has given more game time to his fringe forwards such as Jarrod Wallace and Mitch Dodds.

Bennett also expects Darius Boyd to be back playing in less than six weeks, making the Test winger a marginal chance of playing the first Origin clash on May 27 but more likely to return for Brisbane's May 25 clash with Newcastle, their only NRL game this year without Queensland stars.

"Look I don't know about Origin I, I don't know how far away that is and I haven't looked at it, but (Boyd) has been remarkable.

"He is such a dedicated athlete. He is on track to come back before the six months is done, that will be a miracle in itself.

"He is doing everything now it's just a bit more time.''

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