NRL: Broncos wary of Roosters' partnership

Ivan Henjak. Photo / Getty Images

BRISBANE - Broncos coach Ivan Henjak is wary of what he believes will be the future NSW halves combination - Todd Carney and Mitchell Pierce - when Brisbane play the Roosters in tonight's high stakes NRL clash at Suncorp Stadium.

Brisbane have spent much of their extended 10-day preparation studying the pair's running game and planning ways to counter their attacking spark, which proved pivotal when the Roosters' downed Canterbury last start.

Pearce, who's already been earmarked as a long-term NSW No 7 and Carney, who started the season at fullback but is now more at home playing five-eighths, are developing a strong partnership aided by Braith Anasta's move to lock.

"Their two halves have got everything," said Henjak, who is confident his own scrumbase combination of Darren Lockyer and Peter Wallace will cause the Roosters some defensive headaches as well.

"They're both excellent runners, they've both got good passing games, they can set up players with their vision and they can both kick well.

"They're both very natural footballers which together makes them very dangerous."

Carney, who is the NRL's second highest points scorer with 139 points, likes to take the ball a little wider and back himself to find holes in the defence.

"He's just got that ability to skip defenders which makes the outside guys panic a bit so we have to do a really good job on him.

"We've done a lot of homework on both of them, on their strengths and how they play. The Roosters are very dangerous when they attack you. They had 32 points put on them last week but still won the game against a side that had been in some form."

Henjak said the Roosters loved to "have a crack" and weren't afraid to throw caution to the winds to score points.

"They'll back their attack to outscore you, which is what makes them so dangerous over 80 minutes, that they're never out of the game, just like last week."

Henjak said with Pearce, Carney, Anasta, Shaun-Kenny Dowall and Anthony Minichiello the Roosters had ample strike power to test the Broncos' defence. While a win would edge Brisbane close to a top four spot, victory for the Roosters would cement them in the big four.

For the Roosters Phil Graham comes on to the wing to replace Joseph Leilua, while Mose Masoe comes on to the bench for Martin Kennedy.

- AAP