The reason behind Darius Boyd's much-publicised defensive woes has finally been revealed - but the Brisbane skipper says it's not due to a lack of effort.
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He was the first to admit he had not been good enough in the last line of defence ahead of Saturday's NRL clash with Cronulla but believed his only problem was trying too hard.
Boyd is feeling the heat with the Broncos slumping to a 1-5 record - their worst season start in 20 years.
His defensive misses have been so bad some critics have claimed the former Test fullback might be tarnishing his legacy.
Boyd's lacklustre form prompted one reporter to ask if he was playing injured when he fronted the media ahead of the Sharks clash.
While Boyd claimed he was fully fit, the Brisbane No.1 admitted he was hurting over his early-season defensive display.
"I have missed a couple of tackles or have gone for intercepts but, the way I look at it, I am probably trying too hard," Boyd said.
"We are a young side, I am the captain and most experienced and, sometimes, I have probably tried to pull a rabbit out of my hat rather than just doing my job and making the tackle.
"I can cop that criticism. That is fine. It's not from lack of trying or effort."
Boyd claimed his defensive woes were easy to rectify.
"I have spoken to (Brisbane coach Anthony) Seibold about it and what I need to be better at," Boyd said.
"But it is not something I am losing sleep over. It's an easy fix.
"It's a defensive thing for all of us. If we defend well as a team, I think we will get the job done."
That might be easier said than done for the battling Broncos.
Brisbane are missing the most tackles (29.8 per game) and conceding the second-most metres (1537pg) and the equal-third most line breaks (4.7pg).
Boyd was still confident Brisbane could turn it around against the Sharks after reviewing footage of their last-round 26-22 loss in Canberra.
"We did a review and there were a few one-on-one misses - myself included - that we just lost it in those defining moments," he said.
"Those one-on-one misses and the last play on the kick, if we can improve those areas, I think it will go a long way to winning."
Australian Associated Press
