Lindsay Collins insists the Sydney Roosters won’t take a complacent attitude into Friday night’s clash with the Brisbane Broncos, who are scrambling to contain the fallout from an intra-club punch-up.
Late on Sunday night, footage of a physical confrontation between teammates Payne Haas and Albert Kelly appeared online.
The incident is believed to have taken place while the Broncos were in Sydney for a game earlier in the season.
Brisbane has dropped its last two games, so the saga is the last thing the club needs as it works to get its season back on track.
Both Broncos involved have been interviewed by the NRL integrity unit and, while Kelly is sidelined with an injury, Haas is free to line up against the Roosters as of Monday afternoon.
One of the men tasked with containing Haas, Collins said the Roosters wouldn’t take the Broncos prop lightly despite his difficult week.
“We’ll look at (the Broncos) in preview this week and then go about it like we would every other week. I don’t think we’re thinking about all that off-field stuff too much at all,” the Roosters forward said.
“We just focus internally. If we’re not listening to all that external noise, then we don’t have anything to worry about.”
Collins also said the Roosters knew better than to underestimate a team down on its luck.
“They’ve had a couple of losses, but it doesn’t really mean much. They’re probably hungrier than ever,” he said.
“The bottom (team) can beat the top if the top’s not on. It’s the same throughout the whole season. You’ve got to be on for every game.
“I’m not not expecting them to put in a big performance. They’ve got a good solid forward pack there. I’m keen for the contest.”
A Broncos junior, Collins missed the majority of the 2021 season with an ACL injury but is now getting his career back on track.
The hard-hitting Queenslander played all three games of the 2020 State of Origin series and is “definitely” hoping he’ll get another chance to wear the maroon jersey in this year’s triptych.
“That arena is almost the pinnacle of rugby league really. That taste of it, representing your state, I definitely want to get back there,” he said.
“But first thing’s first, keep performing at the Roosters and putting in effort week in week out. “I think that’s the main focus at the moment. If I continue to do that then hopefully (Origin) will come on the back of it.”
