BRISBANE BRONCOS 38 DOLPHINS 28
TOM SMITH, Suncorp Stadium, Saturday
REECE WALSH drove the Broncos to a comeback win over the Dolphins in a pulsating Battle of Brisbane.
Hours after an earthquake rocked the River City, the see-sawing sixth local derby between these two clubs sent similar tremors through Suncorp Stadium.
The Phins led by 14 early in the second half before Brisbane slammed on four tries in 15 minutes.
Dolphins fullback Trai Fuller made a dynamic return from an ACL layoff, while Broncos forward Jack Gosiewski suffered a shoulder injury.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow’s speed clinched the opening try, before Walsh sent Kotoni Staggs steaming over for the Broncos’ reply.
After Jamayne Isaako and Walsh traded penalty-goals, Jake Averillo and Walsh swapped tries to send the sides to the sheds level at 14 apiece.
The Redcliffe outfit seized the ascendancy when Fuller galloped 75 metres, Isaako notched another penalty-goal and Jeremy Marshall-King darted over from dummy-half.
But a Walsh 40/20 shifted the momentum.
First some Ben Hunt trickery sent Deine Mariner spinning into the right corner, and two minutes later, Josiah Karapani finished an exhilarating team try featuring an audacious Billy Walters kick.
Ben Talty then grounded a Hunt grubber, and once Staggs snaffled a high Hunt kick, Brisbane had enough points to defend for a vital win – their fifth in six meetings with their new neighbours.
BRONCOS: 1 Reece Walsh, 2 Josiah Karapani, 3 Kotoni Staggs, 4 Gehamat Shibasaki, 5 Deine Mariner, 6 Billy Walters, 7 Ben Hunt, 8 Corey Jensen, 9 Cory Paix, 10 Payne Haas, 11 Jack Gosiewski, 12 Jordan Riki, 13 Patrick Carrigan. Subs (all used): 14 Tyson Smoothy, 15 Kobe Hetherington, 16 Ben Talty, 17 Jaiyden Hunt
Tries: Staggs (20, 68), Walsh (37), Mariner (53), Karapani (55), Talty (59); Goals: Walsh 7/8
DOLPHINS: 20 Trai Fuller, 2 Jamayne Isaako, 1 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 3 Jake Averillo, 5 Tevita Naufahu, 6 Kodi Nikorima, 7 Isaiya Katoa, 8 Mark Nicholls, 9 Jeremy Marshall-King, 10 Aublix Tawha, 11 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, 12 Oryn Keeley, 13 Kurt Donoghoe. Subs (all used): 14 Ray Stone, 15 Connelly Lemuelu, 16 Josh Kerr, 18 Peter Hola
Tries: Tabuai-Fidow (15), Averillo (31), Fuller (41), Marshall-King (48); Goals: Isaako 6/6
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 6-8, 8-8, 8-14, 14-14; 14-20, 14-22, 14-28, 20-28, 26-28, 32-28, 38-28
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Broncos: Reece Walsh; Dolphins: Trai Fuller
Penalty count: 2-9; Half-time: 14-14; Referee: Wyatt Raymond; Attendance: 44,350