A masterclass from Reece Walsh and the calming influence of returning half Adam Reynolds guided the Broncos to a much-needed first win in seven games, the sliding side keeping their faint finals hopes alive with a 30-14 win over a timid Newcastle.
Reece Walsh, still looking tender after a bruising State of Origin Game III on Wednesday night, was at his devastating attacking best, silencing a sold-out crowd that booed the Queensland tyro from the first touch.
The Broncos fullback scored a try, assisted two others, and gave the Newcastle edge defence nightmares all night as he busted tackles with ease and contributed to six line breaks. There was a smattering of errors – though he wasn’t alone in that regard – but the Knights simply couldn’t handle the Brisbane No.1.
Meanwhile, Adam Reynolds showed Brisbane exactly what they have been missing in the last eight games, orchestrating their attack and kicking excellently while giving halves partner Ezra Mam freedom to run.
Mam made the most of that opportunity, with a try and a try assist to go with 13 runs for 150 run metres, the second-most of any player.
Newcastle, meanwhile, had a trio of strong early chances to score but were brought undone by a series of errors, before their defence began to crumble after State of Origin star Bradman Best went off the field after just 10 minutes with a hamstring injury.
The Broncos led 18-0 at halftime – with Newcastle having missed 40 tackles in a disappointing defensive performance to that point.
The Knights’ defence did improve in the second half, but the offence never really got going, try as Kalyn Ponga might to get involved in the attack.
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AS IT HAPPENED
The Knights were boosted by the return of State of Origin stars Bradman Best and Kalyn Ponga, the former particularly impressive given he had six stitches in his lip after a nasty cut in Origin. And there was more good news as Tyson Gamble returned from injury to partner Jackson Hastings in the halves for Newcastle, his first match since Round 10.
Yet Best’s game ended after just ten minutes as he limped off the field with a hamstring issue, his fourth such injury of the season – and one that immediately saw him ruled out of the game.
Meanwhile, the Broncos, reeling down at 13th on the NRL ladder after suffering six consecutive defeats since May, enjoyed a massive boost with Adam Reynolds making an early return from biceps surgery. Three of the side’s four Origin players will also back up, with Selwyn Cobbo the one to miss out after groin tightness.
Fox League’s Cooper Cronk called it a “must-win” for the Broncos, saying “if they lose it today I don’t think they can make finals.”
The match started in thrilling fashion with both teams showing plenty of attacking intent – yet neither could break through in the first 20 minutes despite repeat entries into the opposition 20m zone.
Newcastle had three good chances early but made a series of errors, before Brisbane wasted a series of opportunities of their own close to the Newcastle line with sloppy errors.
But as the Broncos racked up the sets in good territory, they finally broke through on the left side as Deine Mariner staved off a pair of tackles to score in the 25th minute.
Soon afterwards, Reece Walsh scythed through the defence off a scrum to score, with Brisbane continually opening up the Newcastle defence as their chances mounted – and Ezra Mam being pulled down just a couple of centimetres from the line on another golden chance.
“Walsh is killing them,” Warren Smith said.
And just two minutes before halftime, Deine Mariner scored his second of the half as Reece Walsh attacked the line and played a perfect pass that left the defence helpless.
Cooper Cronk said: “The Broncos are just carving up the edge defence of the Knights.”
Newcastle had 40 missed tackles and conceded eight line breaks in the first half alone.
Brisbane continued to tear the Knights defence to shreds early in the second half, with Reece Walsh again involved as the Broncos crossed the tryline once more in the 50th minute through a rampaging Brendan Piakura, who was fed by his fullback.
It made it 24-0, but Newcastle’s attack finally woke up in the 65th minute as a strong run from Kalyn Ponga unbalanced the Brisbane defence. The Knights quickly switched it to the right where Jack Hetherington blasted over the line to get his team on the board – though the conversion was missed.
Newcastle wasted yet another opportunity to score when a Jackson Hastings pass somehow went over the sideline – untouched by the pair of Newcastle teammates standing nearby.
And Brisbane immediately made the Knights pay, with Deine Mariner busting through two tackles in a long-range run. He drew in Kalyn Ponga before passing it off to Ezra Mam to score untouched under the posts.
But Newcastle kept their faint hopes of a comeback alive with 12 minutes to go, as Tyson Gamble put a neat grubber kick behind the Brisbane defence for Mat Croker to dive onto. Ponga made the conversion attempt to reduce the deficit to 20.
With five minutes to play, Newcastle managed to bag one final try as Jackson Hastings went down the short side and found Greg Marzhew, who shook off a tackle to burst over the line.
REYNOLDS’ RETURN REIGNITES FINALS HOPES
Adam Reynolds wasn’t even meant to be back for another fortnight. But the Broncos and coach Kevin Walters will be thanking their lucky stars that the 34-year-old made an early return from bicep surgery.
In the first nine weeks of the season, with Reynolds the side, Brisbane went 5-4 and led the league in tries scored from kicks. In the eight weeks without him since then, Brisbane went 2-6 – including losing the last six on the trot.
His calming influence on the team was clear from the first minute in Newcastle. After a sloppy, error-ridden start by his side, Reynolds settled Brisbane down and guided them around the park – yet equally, he constantly found Reece Walsh in dangerous positions and unleashed Ezra Mam’s running game.
Mal Meninga said: “Full marks to Adam Reynolds. He gives them that composure. When they start to play erratically, or they want to play up-tempo he settles them down. He stays composed, he has that kicking game.
“They played the Broncos way today, they did play expansive rugby league but it was off the back of Adam Reynolds playing that steady role.”
Reynolds didn’t light up the stats sheet like halves partner Ezra Mam or Reece Walsh, though he kicked for 247 metres and had a linebreak assist.
Speaking of Mam, Mick Ennis said: “He’s had a tremendous night… he’s been in everything and back with his little halves partner Adam Reynolds, they’ve combined superbly. “
In getting the best out of Mam and Walsh, Reynolds’ fingerprints were all over this drought-breaking win.
“There was plenty (of rust) there… just pleased to be back,” Reynolds told Fox League afterwards.
“It probably wasn’t our best performance tonight… we looked good in patches.”
But the signs were there. These Broncos looked far more like last year’s grand finalists than we’ve seen in months. Their finals dream is alive.
SORE BUT SENSATIONAL: WALSH DAZZLES
Reece Walsh looked sore as he walked onto the field at McDonald Jones Stadium. When he touched the ball for the first time, the sold-out Newcastle crowd drowned him in boos. It must have felt like Origin all over again. But it didn’t take long for Walsh to change the tune and silence the Newcastle boo-boys.
Walsh had his hands in everything in the Brisbane attack, with a try and two try assists, two line breaks and four line break assists, and six tackle busts. But even those stats don’t tell the story of the extent to which he terrorized the Newcastle edge defence after Best limped off. There were some errors – a couple of dropped balls or sloppy plays in the first half, a kick in the second half that went out on the full.
But backing up just a few days after Origin, Walsh was at his red-hot attacking best – in stark contrast to his opposite number and Queensland teammate Kalyn Ponga.
Asked how he felt at half-time, Walsh laughed: “Feels like I played an Origin game, mate. Sore.”
If he plays that well while sore, rivals are right to be worried about Brisbane’s attack when he’s fully fit.
KNIGHTS FAR FROM THEIR BEST AS FINALS DREAM ON THE BRINK
While there was some merit in their second half performance, the Knights weren’t anywhere near their best in the 30-14 loss.
Adam O’Brien’s men were gutsy early, repelling several Brisbane attacking sets, however the floodgates opened in the back end of the first half, with the Broncos scoring three tries.
Remarkably, the Knights missed a whopping 40 tackles in the first half, as Brisbane’s outside backs were able to do what they liked on the edges.
Newcastle tightened up the screws defensively in the second half, but barring a couple of late consolation tries when the game was out of reach, their attack was poor as well.
Star fullback Kalyn Ponga looked dangerous at times, but he was kept mostly in check by the Broncos defence.
Newcastle scored just 14 points, and have averaged just 12 points a game in their last three matches.
Fox League’s Michael Ennis says Newcastle’s attack looks pedestrian and called for their superstar to step up and assume more “control”.
“Kalyn’s got to take control. They’re so predictable… he almost needs to play fullback and halfback here,” Ennis said.
“Get into first receiver and take over those early touches.
“He needs to put his team on his back… Newcastle’s attack is struggling.”
Unfortunately for the Knights, the loss all but ends their top eight hopes for 2024, with Newcastle needing to probably win all six of their remaining games to progress to the finals considering their poor -97 points differential.
While they pulled off such a streak late last season, they simply don’t look like winning two in a row at the moment, much less six straight.
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Source Agencies
