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Rookie forward Patrick Carrigan is backing Brisbane to become an NRL title dark horse if they can seal a finals berth with victory over Canterbury.
After being written off, rookie Patrick Carrigan believes Brisbane can become an NRL title dark horse if they seal a finals berth with victory over Canterbury on Saturday.
Carrigan, 21, may be in his debut season but he has seen enough to convince him the Broncos can threaten for a seventh title if unleashed in the NRL finals after they fought back from a woeful 2-6 start to the season.
"I guess we have been the underdogs all year, we've got written off a couple of times," the Brisbane lock said.
"But that camaraderie we are starting to develop will make us a dark horse in finals provided we get in."
While he tried not to get ahead of himself, Carrigan backed Brisbane to make a finals impact despite their glaring lack of play-off experience.
David Fifita, fellow forward Matt Lodge and key backs Jamayne Isaako and Kotoni Staggs only have one finals match to their name.
Young forwards Carrigan, Payne Haas and Thomas Flegler have none.
Ahead of his second game in the starting side, Carrigan believed youthful exuberance would compensate for their lack of experience if they made the cut.
"When you are young you play footy, have fun and enjoy each other's company, you go out and give your best," he said.
"The start of the year was a bit tough but the way we have come into our last 10 games I really think we are starting to gel, everyone is starting to work out how we play our footy.
"Hopefully we get the win this weekend and roll into the finals and then we can do anything."
Seventh-placed Brisbane are all but assured of an NRL finals berth ahead of their regular-season finale against the Bulldogs in Sydney.
They will only be denied a top-eight finish if they suffer an upset loss and eighth-placed Cronulla play out an extra-time draw with ninth-placed Wests Tigers on Sunday.
Still, Carrigan said Brisbane would be leaving nothing to chance against a 13th-placed Bulldogs outfit that were only knocked out of finals calculations when they had their four-game winning run ended in last round's 15-8 loss to North Queensland.
"We need to win this game, our fate is in our own hands," Carrigan said.
"It would be unreal to play in a final. But we need to get the job done and not worry about Sunday's (Sharks-Tigers) result."
Carrigan got his first chance to start for Brisbane in last round's 17-16 golden point win over Parramatta after Queensland back-rower Joe Ofahengaue went down with a calf injury.
Ofahengaue has been named in the Broncos' 21-squad for the Dogs clash but appears unlikely to play after largely being restricted to solo duties at training on Thursday.
