Killer Bs not half bad for Broncos

BENJI Marshall and Ben Hunt turned up the heat on coach Wayne Bennett in the battle for Broncos scrumbase berths after the duo combined superbly to sink Canberra 30-20 last night.

In a thriller at a freezing GIO Stadium, the Broncos bravely overcame the pregame loss of skipper Darius Boyd (broken thumb) as a Matt Gillett double rocked the Green Machine.

Maroons backrower Gillett was superb but it was the unification of Marshall and Hunt in the halves which kickstarted the Broncos’ nerve centre after they spluttered through the first half.

Kodi Nikorima started in the No.7 jumper but his future as a halfback is now under the microscope after he was hooked for the second consecutive match in the 34th minute.

Summoned from the bench, Hunt, who just a fortnight ago was playing for Ipswich, produced his best game of the season as he and Marshall pulled the strings in the absence of injured Anthony Milford.

With Nikorima struggling for control, the Raiders led 16-14 at halftime, but Hunt and Marshall fired after the break to temporarily propel Brisbane into the top two.

The Broncos have won their past two games in chilly Canberra and they made a sizzling start when Corey Oates charged on to a Marshall inside ball and crashed over for a 6-0 lead after six minutes.

But with the inspirational Boyd’s class and communication skills missing at the back, Brisbane’s lack of cohesion was evident in both attack and defence.

Two tries in three minutes rocked the Broncos. Both times their defensive application was questionable – first Jack Wighton sliced through in midfield in the 11th minute, then Jarrod Croker exploited a bad read on Brisbane’s right edge for a 12-6 lead.

Many raised eyebrows when the Broncos signed Marshall over summer but at a meagre $100,000, he has turned out to be the bargain buy of the season.

Without him last night, Brisbane’s game management would have been messier than a fifth grader’s bedroom.