SYDNEY ROOSTERS 14 BRISBANE BRONCOS 50
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Allianz Stadium, Thursday
BRISBANE made an exceptional start to life under Michael Maguire with a blitz of Sydney Roosters.
Maguire took over the team following a hugely disappointing 2024 campaign in which the Broncos finished twelfth and Kevin Walters was axed.
And on this evidence, the former Wigan boss and last season’s Origin-winning New South Wales chief could well be the man to return Brisbane to their brilliant best of 2023.
They could cut teams to ribbons in that campaign, which ended in Grand Final heartbreak, and this performance was in some ways reminiscent of those days.
The veteran halfback pairing of Ben Hunt – returning to the club after seven years with St George Illawarra – and skipper Adam Reynolds proved a hit as they controlled the game and allowed the outside backs to wreck havoc.
The Roosters, semi-finalists last year, had little in response. Dom Young mustered two of their three tries while fellow England international Victor Radley suffered a head knock a dozen minutes in.
Sydney actually led at that stage thanks to Young’s first try on the end of a break by debutant centre Robert Toia from inside his own half.
But it all started to go wrong when a short-side play from halfway released Jesse Arthars with the support of Gehamat Shibasaki for the first of Brisbane’s nine tries.
Hooker Cory Paix – playing his first NRL game since 2023 after being overlooked for all of last season – initiated that try and then scored the next, receiving a return pass from the exceptional Payne Haas.
And Jack Gosiewski ran a great line to crash over for a third Broncos score in ten minutes, all converted by Reynolds who also added a penalty goal on the stroke of half-time for a 4-20 advantage.
Any hopes of a Roosters fightback were quickly snuffed out by back-to-back tries to open the second half from Selwyn Cobbo.
Cobbo dribbled to finish the first after kicks ahead by both Reece Walsh and Reynolds, then connected with another sensational Reynolds grubber into the in-goal to put the contest to bed.
The next try was perhaps the best of the lot, finished by the returning Hunt after the ball was sensationally kept alive by both Arthars and Shibasaki down the left.
Then fullback Walsh, arguably the jewel in the Brisbane crown two years ago, followed up after Arthars was released into open space.
Sandon Smith snuck over for a home consolation but the Broncos hit back with two further tries to reach the half-century of points.
Arthars benefitted from a cross-field Reynolds kick and cut-out Billy Walters pass, and fellow winger Cobbo completed a hat-trick on the end of slick play involving Reynolds, Walsh and Deine Mariner.
A late yellow card to Brendan Piakura for tackling from an offside position – virtually his sole involvement in the game having only just come off the bench – and a second Young try did little to dent Brisbane’s spirits as they laid down an eye-catching marker.
GAMESTAR: Payne Haas laid the platform with a huge display in the Broncos pack.
GAMEBREAKER: Selwyn Cobbo’s first try of three, at the start of the second half, confirmed it would only be Brisbane’s night.
MATCHFACTS
ROOSTERS
1 James Tedesco
2 Daniel Tupou
3 Mark Nawaqanitawase
4 Robert Toia
5 Dom Young
6 Sandon Smith
7 Chad Townsend
8 Lindsay Collins
9 Connor Watson
10 Naufahu Whyte
11 Angus Crichton
12 Victor Radley
13 Siua Wong
Subs (all used)
14 Zach Dockar-Clay
16 Blake Steep
17 Salesi Foketi
19 Taylor Losalu
Tries: Young (7, 75), Smith (59)
Goals: Smith 1/3
BRONCOS
1 Reece Walsh
2 Selwyn Cobbo
3 Deine Mariner
4 Gehamat Shibasaki
5 Jesse Arthars
6 Ben Hunt
7 Adam Reynolds
8 Patrick Carrigan
9 Cory Paix
10 Payne Haas
11 Jack Gosiewski
12 Jordan Riki
13 Kobe Hetherington
Subs (all used)
14 Billy Walters
15 Corey Jensen
16 Xavier Willison
17 Brendan Piakura
Tries: Shibasaki (15), Paix (20), Gosiewski (25), Cobbo (44, 47, 71), Hunt (54), Walsh (57), Arthars (67)
Goals: Reynolds 7/10
Sin bin: Piakura (74) – professional foul
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 4-6, 4-12, 4-18, 4-20; 4-26, 4-32, 4-36, 4-40, 8-40, 8-46, 8-50, 14-50
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Roosters: Sandon Smith; Broncos: Payne Haas
Penalty count: 6-6
Half-time: 4-20
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Attendance: 23,226