Broncos set up big battle with Storm
BRISBANE have set up a pulsating grand final qualifier against mighty Melbourne after the Broncos last night overcame more casualties to bury the Panthers 13-6 at Suncorp Stadium.
In an epic sudden-death semi-final before 38,623 fans, the Broncos prevailed, summoning every ounce of courage to muzzle Penrith with a defensive desperation that wins premierships.
Already missing star skipper Darius Boyd, the Broncos were left with one man on interchange in the final 12 minutes after Corey Oates (21st), Jai Arrow (55th) and Sam Thaiday (68th) left the field with head knocks.
Amid the carnage, the Broncos held their nerve, leading 6-0 at half-time before a sizzling try from James Roberts (47th minute) and a calm one-pointer from Jordan Kahu 10 minutes from time ended Penrith’s season.
Now Everest awaits. The Storm juggernaut are unbackable favourites to win the premiership, but this Friday night in Melbourne they face the Broncos club that famously broke their hearts with a boilover in the 2006 grand final.
That just happens to be Brisbane’s most recent premiership, but the Broncos will believe they have the heart to break their 11-year title drought after outlasting a plucky Penrith outfit.
History is against Wayne Bennett’s troops. The Broncos have won just four of 23 games against Melbourne in the past decade, but last night’s performance is evidence Brisbane will go down swinging.
The Panthers hammered Brisbane’s line, having 35 tackles to eight in the opposition red zone. But the Broncos’ brick wall that inspired their 2015 grand-final charge is back, broken just once when Regan Campbell-Gillard crashed over in the 64th minute to set up a thrilling finale.
No other top-eight team has leaked as many tries as Brisbane in the opening 20 minutes this season, but there was no first-quarter siesta from the Broncos last night.
The reward for their early industry came after just seven minutes, winger Oates scoring a superb 55-metre solo try after hitting a Ben Hunt pass at speed and torching Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards.
By rights, Penrith should have led at half-time. They all the field position at the back end of the first half. Incredibly, they had 20 attacking plays in the red zone compared to Brisbane’s two.
But the fact the visitors went to the break with a duck egg was as much a result of Penrith’s poor execution in attack as Brisbane’s granite-like ethos in defence.
Brisbane will be sweating on the return of fullback conductor Boyd to bring some composure to a playmaking spine that did a serviceable job last night.
Aside from fluffing one high kick, Kodi Nikorima was solid filling Boyd’s shoes.
Benji Marshall played with better control at halfback.