Broncos down Raiders, close in on NRL minor premiership

Alex Mitchell | August 26, 2023

Brisbane have one hand on the NRL minor premiership after seeing off a stubborn Canberra outfit 29-18 in a high-octane clash in the nation’s capital.

Winger Selwyn Cobbo’s hat-trick of tries and another classy display from superstar fullback Reece Walsh saw the Broncos break their opponent’s fight late in the match at GIO Stadium.

The win moves the Broncos to the top of the ladder and they can seal first place after the regular season with a victory over Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.

They are two points clear of reigning champions Penrith after the Panthers lost to Parramatta.

But it’s a different story for the Raiders, who are clinging on to their finals berth for dear life and could still fall out of the eight if they can’t beat Cronulla away from home next week.

They will be encouraged by their performance against the Broncos after playing some of their best football of the season to match it with a heavyweight team of the 2023 competition.

But Canberra coach Ricky Stuart is unlikely to be happy with a controversial call to sin-bin fullback Jordan Rapana for an attempted trip on Cobbo before a try that put Brisbane ahead 20-18.

Rapana made minimal contact with Cobbo and might argue he was falling over after being wrong-footed rather than attempting to trip him.

The extra player helped Cobbo find his third try of the night and put the Broncos 24-18 clear before Walsh slotted a field goal ahead of slicing through the Raiders line for a try of his own as the score blew out.

Walsh clinically put through Cobbo and centre Kotoni Staggs in for tries in the first half, although two brilliant offloads by Canberra captain Elliott Whitehead assisted four-pointers for Matt Frawley and Nick Cotric.

A classic, dancing effort from Brisbane five-eighth Ezra Mam put the visitors ahead but a perfect line from Raiders back-rower Hudson Young ensured a 16-16 scoreline at halftime.

The Raiders played regular five-eighth Jack Wighton in the centres with Frawley filling in at No.6, meaning veteran Jarrod Croker was relegated to the bench and only saw three minutes of action in what was possibly his last game in Canberra before retirement.