Joey alarmed by what he heard from Broncos halves

Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns says this week's game should be the last chance for the under-pressure Brisbane halves pairing of Brodie Croft and Anthony Milford.

"There has to be a change there somewhere. If he [coach Kevin Walters] gives them one more opportunity and they fail against the Bulldogs, Dearden has to come in," Johns told Wide World of Sports' Freddy and The Eighth.

Johns was scathing in his assessment of the pair's performances last Friday in a heavy defeat to local rivals, the Gold Coast Titans.

"I saw no dominant player in the halves … there was no talk, they didn't combine with each other," Johns said after being on the sideline at the game.

"I actually got out of my seat, took my earpiece out and was listening. I could not hear [anything]. That's your job as a half, you have to do the thinking for people around you, especially the big forwards."

Both Johns and Brad Fittler had slammed the halves on the weekend, and doubled down in the lead-up to this weekend's game.

"They didn't combine with each other. There was a period through the game when they were behind, chasing points and they were on the attack inside the Titans' 20. Brodie Croft didn't touch the ball the whole set of six. I was like, what are youse doing?" Johns asked.

"Looking from afar, he's not a natural halfback."

The Newcastle legend said that Milford just "isn't there" for the Broncos, before Fittler interjected saying the five-eighth at least played well in the season opener.

In that game Brisbane led 16-0 before being run down by the Parramatta Eels. Fittler said too much change can be a bad thing, but conceded that a flat performance against the lowly Bulldogs this week could be a catalyst for change.

"Last year they were chopping and changing their halves all the time .. and it just did not work. You've got to pick and stick somewhere along the line, surely they get another shot at home and if doesn't go well then maybe you start looking," he said.

Johns singled out Milford's defence as another issue, citing a David Fifita try that should never have happened.

"That is an easy tackle – he gets to the outside, all you do is chop in around the waste. That is not acceptable."

He named several forwards and outside backs as players that Brisbane fans should be excited about, but said you could only be as good as the guys in the key positions.

"You look at their spine. Is Jamayne Isaako an out-and-out fullback? The halves, Milford and Brodie Croft, are they firing? And Turpin, you compare that to other players in key positions, they just aren't firing."

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