BRISBANE BRONCOS 60 SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS 14
TOM SMITH, Suncorp Stadium, Friday
WAYNE BENNETT endured a nightmare return to Suncorp Stadium, as Adam Reynolds and coach Michael Maguire condemned their former club to a thumping defeat.
Reece Walsh starred at the back while Ezra Mam, Kotoni Staggs and Deane Mariner all crossed twice.
Xavier Willison’s broken arm took some gloss off the ten-try-to-three triumph, while fellow forward Payne Haas was a last-minute withdrawal with a skin infection.
The injury-ravaged Bunnies have now lost their last nine to slump to rock bottom on the ladder.
Ezra Mam combined with Reece Walsh to claim the opener from long range, before Jack Gosiewski grounded a Reynolds grubber and Walsh assisted Staggs’ first.
English half Lewis Dodd’s perfect cross-field kick to Bayleigh Bentley-Hape and Tallis Duncan’s score on the stroke of half-time kept Souths in the hunt.
But the Queenslanders ran riot in the second half.
Selwyn Cobbo marked his first game in a month with a try, before Walsh’s quick hands released Mariner in the other corner and Ben Talty barged over.
Mariner sniffed out his second, Staggs finished his double thanks to a move from deep inside Brisbane’s own half and Mam skipped through the badly beaten Bunnies defence to complete his brace.
Lachlan Hubner notched a consolation try but Walsh capped a standout display with Brisbane’s final score, with all ten converted by Reynolds.
BRONCOS: 1 Reece Walsh, 2 Selwyn Cobbo, 3 Kotoni Staggs, 4 Gehamat Shibasaki, 5 Deine Mariner, 6 Ezra Mam, 7 Adam Reynolds, 8 Xavier Willison, 9 Ben Hunt, 16 Corey Jensen, 12 Jordan Riki, 17 Jack Gosiewski, 13 Patrick Carrigan. Subs (all used): 14 Billy Walters, 15 Kobe Hetherington, 18 Tyson Smoothy, 20 Ben Talty
Tries: Mam (16, 67), Gosiewski (25), Staggs (35, 64), Cobbo (42), Mariner (50, 57), Talty (55), Walsh (78); Goals: Reynolds 10/10
RABBITOHS: 1 Jye Gray, 2 Alex Johnston, 3 Isaiah Tass, 4 Tallis Duncan, 5 Bayleigh Bentley-Hape, 19 Lewis Dodd, 17 Ashton Ward, 8 Jai Arrow, 9 Ryan Gray, 10 Sean Keppie, 11 Euan Aitken, 12 Jacob Host, 13 Lachlan Hubner. Subs (all used): 14 Siliva Havili, 15 Liam Le Blanc, 16 Thomas Fletcher, 20 Tyrone Munro
Tries: Bentley-Hape (32), Duncan (40), Hubner (71); Goals: Ward 1/1, Tass 0/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-4, 18-4, 18-8; 24-8, 30-8, 36-8, 42-8, 48-8, 54-8, 54-14, 60-14
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Broncos: Reece Walsh; Rabbitohs: Jai Arrow
Penalty count: 3-6; Half-time: 18-8; Referee: Peter Gough; Attendance: 38,430