Broncos’ title defence continues with crucial win over Panthers
The Brisbane Broncos have kept their title defence aspirations alive with a significant 14-12 victory over the Penrith Panthers. The win, described as an upset, was heavily influenced by the exceptional performance of fullback Reece Walsh, whose form was highlighted by his teammates. Centre Kotoni Staggs emphasised the importance of getting the ball to Walsh when he is playing at his best, noting, “When Reece is ‘on’ like he was tonight you’ve just got to give him the ball and let him do his thing.”
This victory marks the first of seven consecutive wins the Broncos believe they need to secure a spot in the NRL finals. The team is now preparing for their next challenge against the Cowboys, a match that will involve significant travel from CommBank Stadium in Sydney. Staggs acknowledged the demanding schedule but expressed confidence, stating, “Seven games to go and this is exactly where you want to start winning – the business end.”
Team’s return to full strength
A key factor in the Broncos’ recent success has been the return of several crucial players from injury. Halves Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds were back on the field, alongside forwards Pat Carrigan and Payne Haas. This reunion of top talent was a welcome change after the team endured eight consecutive losses while key players were sidelined. Prop Xavier Willison noted the significance of having a full-strength squad, stating, “We finally had all the boys back so there were no excuses for us not to perform.”
The forward pack delivered a colossal effort against the Panthers, with Jordan Riki making 20 runs for 175 metres and Willison contributing 22 runs for 223 metres. Together, they accumulated 218 post-contact metres, demonstrating their dominance in the middle. Willison expressed relief at the team’s return to winning ways, adding, “It’s a good feeling to finally be back in the winners’ circle.” He also reflected on previous weeks, mentioning, “The last couple of weeks we’ve definitely had the effort but little things didn’t go our way.”
Panthers’ resilience praised
Despite the loss, Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary commended his team’s resilience and composure under pressure. The Panthers, who suffered their third loss in four matches, found themselves on the back foot for much of the second half, managing only 37 per cent of possession. Cleary praised his side for not panicking and for staying in contention until the final moments of the game. He remarked, “I was actually proud that we didn’t panic and just hung in there and tried to wait for our turn.”
Cleary admitted that he could not recall a game where his team had faced such sustained pressure, a stark contrast to their usual control over territory and ability to force opponents into defensive efforts over the past half-decade. He acknowledged the Broncos’ performance, stating, “Credit to the Broncos, they controlled the ball well and kicked well. Reece Walsh was unbelievable tonight and came up with a try that I don’t know if many people could stop that one.” While proud of his team’s defence, Cleary also noted areas for improvement, concluding, “I thought there was lot of things about our game tonight was good, but ultimately there were a lot of things that we could definitely have done better.”
Looking ahead for the Broncos
The Broncos’ path to the finals will continue to be challenging, with a series of tough matchups ahead. After facing the Cowboys, they are scheduled to play against other top-eight teams including the Knights, Dolphins, and Warriors, all of which will be home games at Suncorp Stadium. Following these fixtures, the team will travel to Canberra to play the Raiders, host the Storm, and then conclude their regular season against the Bulldogs in Sydney.
The team is drawing confidence from past experiences, with Staggs recalling their performance last year when they won five of their last seven games to finish the regular season in fourth place. He believes that achieving seven wins this time is “one hundred per cent” doable, adding, “We’ve got a lot of confidence out of tonight so hopefully we keep turning up with the right attitude, which is a willingness to learn and get better each and every week.” Willison, for his part, might be drawing inspiration from his tattoo of Marlon Brando from ‘The Godfather’, a film he grew up watching.
Meanwhile, Cleary hinted at potential contract extensions for the Panthers in the coming weeks, following the recent securing of dummy-half Mitch Kenny until the end of 2031. He expressed confidence that more announcements would follow, stating, “I look forward to a few more over the next few weeks.”
The Broncos had 14 players from their 2025 grand final-winning 17-man squad on the field during their recent victory at CommBank Stadium.
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Source: nrl.com
