Broncos No.1 stars in Newcastle to confirm finals spot
Jack Brady |
Brisbane coach Michael Maguire has refused to be drawn into the growing influence of Reece Walsh following the fullback’s starring role in the Broncos’ 46-12 win over Newcastle.
A six-try second half performance led by Walsh confirmed Brisbane’s place in the NRL finals, as they distanced themselves from the logjam of teams in the middle of the competition ladder with Sunday’s victory at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Walsh overcame several early errors to help Brisbane kick away late, finishing the game with two try assists, 12 tackle breaks and a silky 70-metre solo try to confirm the result.
With Brisbane well and truly in the fight for a potential top-four berth heading into the final fortnight of the regular season, Maguire restricted his praise to the team as a whole.
“Reece makes up a part of the team that builds up the success that we have, and I’d rather talk about how the team is performing,” Maguire said.
“We’re really focused on building who we are. I’ve seen a shift in how the players have gone about what they’re doing and it’s a credit to them for stepping up to a level that I believe we need to get to.
“It was a bit clunky at times, but it was pleasing to get through the end of the game with the opportunities they did.”
With the game in the balance at 20-12 into the final 20 minutes, a likely try to Newcastle five-eighth Jake Arthur was butchered and proved the impetus for a flood of Broncos points.
Payne Haas had the ball rolling soon after, before Walsh’s long-range effort put the game beyond doubt.
On a day that their opposition typically fear playing in, Newcastle’s Old Boys’ Day proved to be forgettable for the Knights with tries to Gehamat Shibasaki, Jordan Riki and a second for Deine Mariner coming in the final 10 minutes.
Newcastle’s seventh straight loss – and their 10th defeat in their last 11 home games – has ensured they remain in the battle to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.
“The last couple of weeks has tested us, clearly. But they have pride in the jersey,” Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien said.
“Nobody feels the losses more than the playing group. Losing weighs heavily on them. They love playing for their club and their teammates, and they’ll want to go out and perform.
“Some people won’t see it that way given the scoreline … but these times won’t last so long as we maintain that desire to perform.”
In his 350th NRL game – where he joined Canterbury legend Terry Lamb and long-time Queensland Origin teammate Daly Cherry-Evans as the fourth-most capped player in Australian rugby league history – veteran playmaker Ben Hunt orchestrated an early flurry for Brisbane.
Three minutes was all it took for them to score, with Hunt providing a timely offload for his centre Kotoni Staggs to crash over.
The visitors doubled down five minutes later when Josiah Karapani iced a long range shift out wide that started from the hands of the milestone man yet again.
Walsh made his first mark on proceedings in the 27th minute when he put back-rower Jaiyden Hunt in the clear, before finishing the play by donating Kobe Hetherington a four-pointer in his 100th game.
Leo Thompson provided Newcastle some solace into halftime when he cleaned up a tidy Phoenix Crossland grubber to score his side’s first, but it would ultimately be in vain as Brisbane ran away with the game come the second half.
AAP
