Skipper Darren Lockyer has admitted the Broncos new leadership group is learning plenty of lessons as the NRL heavyweights endure one of their most concerning ruts.

In a dramatic and worrying form slide, Brisbane has leaked 138 points in their last three losses against Melbourne, the Bulldogs and Cronulla.

It's been the only time in the club's rich 22-season history the Broncos have conceded more than 40 points in three consecutive matches.

While the club is hoping they can quickly turn around the form which has seen them slip to seventh, Sunday's away clash with Parramatta looms as a must-win match to stop the rot.

The Broncos scheduled a rare closed training session at Suncorp Stadium on Friday morning in a bid to solve their defensive woes ahead of their trip to Sydney.

Lockyer said the worrying defensive lapses - highlighted by stats showing 153 missed tackles in the past three games - were being addressed and believed they could be fixed against the Eels.

"It's unusual for us but obviously we can't turn a blind eye to it," he said. "We have to work out and put things in place to try and stop the amount of points we've been letting in.

"I think every player and staff realise we have to work harder to get ourselves back in the winning circle but I'm quite confident we can do that.

"We've got a lot of experience there so there's no reason why we can't turn things around immediately."

Lockyer is one of five Origin players to return to the team which was thumped 46-12 by the lowly Sharks on Monday night.

In an important boost to their right-hand defence, Brisbane could have a sixth with Queensland and Test centre Justin Hodges resuming training on Friday in a late bid for selection.

But both Sam Thaiday and Israel Folau are in slight doubt to play at Parramatta Stadium after pulling up sore from the Maroons' 24-14 victory on Wednesday night.

With the Broncos drained of a huge amount of experience over the past three seasons, Thaiday and fellow forwards Corey Parker and Nick Kenny have been given extra responsibilities as club leaders.

Losing the likes of Shane Webcke, Brad Thorn, Petero Civoniceva, Mick Ennis and Ben Hannant has seen questions asked of the club's new leadership group and Lockyer conceded there were big shoes to fill.

"I think they're learning," he said. "In the space of a couple of years we did lose a lot of experience and leaders so we've got a new group this year and they're learning.

"There's a couple of guys there that through this experience will have learnt a good lesson."

But Lockyer refused to blame the huge pre-season turnover of personnel which saw Ennis, Hannant, David Stagg and Greg Eastwood kick on with the table-topping Bulldogs, and first-choice backs Darius Boyd (Dragons) and Denan Kemp (Warriors) move following the signing of Folau.

"They're good players and they're doing very well for the Bulldogs and have been a big part of their turnaround but it's too late to worry about that, they're gone now," he said. "We just have to focus on the team we've got here and get the most out of that squad.

"At the start of the season we were doing well, so there's no reason why we can't get back to that."

The Test and Queensland captain threw his full support behind new coach Ivan Henjak who kicked off the post-Wayne Bennett era with a dream 8-3 start.

"He's been great," Lockyer said. "Obviously these moments are character building and Ivan is doing, I believe, as much as he can to make sure we get out of this rut as soon as possible."

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