POST GAME Round 23 - Broncos vs Sharks

[ZTop]

Credit to Wayne, he brought that Bird matter up 48hrs before kickoff and I'm sure it had some effect on the result. Like the Ash Taylor matter last week

 

[Foordy]

More money, more playing time and greater opportunities. He couldn't say no to that even though I wish he had.

I also read that the Titans offer was very good

 

[Dash]

I'm still wondering how Maloney managed to stay on the field for the exact same offence Kahu was binned for.

 

[winslow_wong]

Credit to Wayne, he brought that Bird matter up 48hrs before kickoff and I'm sure it had some effect on the result. Like the Ash Taylor matter last week

Interesting to see what he does next week against the dragons.

 

[Stix]

I'm still wondering how Maloney managed to stay on the field for the exact same offence Kahu was binned for.

Both deserved a send off... its bullshit

 

[Dash]

More money, more playing time and greater opportunities. He couldn't say no to that even though I wish he had.

Completely understandable. Disappointing was probably a more appropriate word.

 

[vertigo]

Very impressive, particularly our ball movement.

What stood out the most to me though was when Kahu got binned, they fired up and put on two massive hits and kept them out - this is the kind of attitude that was missing in the Eels game.

 

[Super Freak]

Brisbane have sent the Sharks' premiership defence to new depths with a commanding 32-10 win at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

On the back of a record 54-0 thumping of the Titans last week the Broncos were rarely troubled by the attack of the defending champs, with Sharks birthday boy Luke Lewis scoring against the run of play in the final minute of the first half and Gerard Beale taking advantage of a Brisbane error with 10 minutes to play.

The home side had to play the final five minutes with 12 men after Jordan Kahu was sin-binned for a professional foul for interference in the play-the-ball close to the Broncos' line after a desperate lunging tackle on Sosaia Feki but it mattered little against a team that made a total of 16 errors, missed 54 tackles and completed only 58 per cent of their 32 sets with the ball.

Five-eighth Anthony Milford was at his sparkling best for Brisbane, terrorising a Sharks defensive line that looked slow and fatigued and as the Broncos moved into second position on the ladder Cronulla could fall as low as sixth by the end of Round 23.

No team has won back-to-back premierships in a united competition since the Broncos in 1992-93 and the mountain ahead of the Sharks had never looked as insurmountable as it did on Friday night.

The energy required to paper over their lack of discipline with the ball all season finally dissipated on a warm Queensland night and showed clearly that execution must be clinical against the best teams at this time of the season.

Paul Gallen's first carry in his 300th game for the Sharks was met by a chorus of boos from the parochial home crowd but there were plenty of cheers as the visitors bumbled their way through a first half in which they made seven errors, had just 42 per cent of the ball and completed at only 69 per cent.

If not for Lewis's try the 14-6 scoreline would have looked even more lop-sided at half-time but it took just three minutes of the second half for the Broncos to kick out again to a 14-point lead.

Centre Tautau Moga powered past opposite number Kurt Capewell to score his seventh try of the season in the 43rd minute and then did a number on Chad Townsend in the 60th minute for his second of the night in almost identical fashion.

The point-scoring spree continued four minutes later when Milford stepped his way past a host of Sharks defenders before sending a perfectly-timed cut-out pass to an unmarked Corey Oates on the left wing.

There were Cronulla errors in the lead-up to both of Brisbane's first-half tries to Matt Gillett and Darius Boyd as the home side targeted returning five-eighth James Maloney to devastating effect.

Sharks centre Ricky Leutele raced out of the line and gave Kodi Nikorima all the invitation he needed to get Gillett one-on-one with Maloney in the fifth minute and after an error by Wade Graham on halfway Nikorima's pass put Boyd outside Maloney, the Broncos skipper pushing past three defenders to score in the 35th minute.

But just as the Broncos promised to keep a clean sheet for a third straight half Cronulla crossed just before the break to reduce the half-time deficit to eight points.

Brisbane winger Corey Oates failed to rein in a grubber kick from Valentine Holmes to give the Sharks their best chance of the half and they were good enough to capitalise, Luke Lewis spearing across past a Milford attempt at tackle to score on his 34th birthday and reducing the deficit to eight.

Brisbane Broncos 32 (Tautau Moga 2, Matt Gillett, Darius Boyd, Corey Oates tries; Anthony Milford 6 goals) def. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 10 (Luke Lewis, Gerard Beale tries; James Maloney goal) at Suncorp Stadium. Crowd: 34,552. Half-time: Broncos 14-6. Holden Cup: Sharks 40-12.

Unofficial Dally M votes: 3 points - Anthony Milford; 2 points - Josh McGuire; 1 point - Darius Boyd.

 

[Super Freak]

I'm liking Hunt at hooker but I think he needs to back himself more and run just a little bit more.

The one time he did, he nearly put Milford into the clear until a Sharks player illegally interfered with Milford to stop him.

He is such a threat with his running game, especially in the middle of the park.

 

[Super Freak]

Very impressive, particularly our ball movement.

What stood out the most to me though was when Kahu got binned, they fired up and put on two massive hits and kept them out - this is the kind of attitude that was missing in the Eels game.

That's the kind of attitude the Eels showed against us. They showed us how it's done and we've responded.

 

[Gappy]

Long time reader and I've got the premiership vibe so thought I should make my first post.

Great result, Milford looked good, his shoulder doesn't appear to retract him too much. Arrow was classy tonight, great pick up for the Titans. I saw some great efforts close to the line in particular Milford (despite Beale scoring) and also Kahu (ultimately leading to his sin-binning). This desperation is the part of the game I feel we’ve lacked since 15’.

 

[Big Pete]

It was a nice win for the Brisbane Broncos. You could tell they were still full of running after last week's game and the Sharks were still finding their way after their 30-12 defeat at the hands of Canberra. They tried to manufacture a win by bringing back Maloney, but he was underdone and the Broncos made them pay.

It was real smart play from the Broncos. They stacked their right hand side on multiple occassions and kept feigning to Roberts only to go short and pick off Maloney. They did a really good job of targeting Maloney both sides of the ball and some of those efforts from Korbin Sims, Adam Blair and Jai Arrow were very telling. The forwards did a good job for the team tonight, they never got over-awed and gave the Broncos plenty of opportunities.

There was one instance in the game that confused me and has me concerned moving forward. 52nd minute, the Brisbane Broncos lead 20-6 and receive a penalty inside the attacking zone. Instead of pressing forward, they go for the two? I can't wrap my head around the logic, especially from a side that has so much strike. It's an area of the Broncos game I would have thought they would have grown out of by now and yet here we are. If the Broncos are to progress further, they can't go for those unnecessary goals anymore. Kicking for a 6 or an 8 point lead is fine, but anything less is just asking for trouble.

Still, the Broncos did a real number on Gal & Fifita. Would love to review the tapes especially on those efforts since that is where the battle was won and lost.

I still feel as if it's Melbourne's year and everyone else is just playing for second, but the Broncos have a shot here and they've got to make the most of it.

 

[Super Freak]

We were decent tonight. Thought Moga's two tries were from ultra soft 'D' though. Wont get tries like that vs. Melbourne.

We would get tries like that against Melbourne if we exploit their weakness and not play into their hands.

Melbourne's defence is a brick wall in the middle, but on the edges it's just as bad as ours. That's where we exploited them last year when we beat them.

 

[Danoz Direct]

I'm liking Hunt at hooker but I think he needs to back himself more and run just a little bit more.

The one time he did, he nearly put Milford into the clear until a Sharks player illegally interfered with Milford to stop him.

He is such a threat with his running game, especially in the middle of the park.

Agree he needs to run more. He is just so dangerous when he runs and when he does he also makes everyone else around him more dangerous.

 

[pennywisealfie]

We end the losing streak against the Sharks at Suncorp.

If only we could do that to Melbourne.

We will, in Sydney.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

Fifita 7 runs for 45 metres.
Gallen 10 runs for 81 metres.
Moloney 12 tackles, 10 missed tackles.
Lol.

 

[Dee]

We nailed it tonight. Confidence and belief is real high right now. We need to increase the hunger and attitude and never switch off and we could do anything. Great game.

 

[Kyall]

Why did Bennett wait so long to put TPJ into the game. He come on when we knew we had the win.