Brisbane have turned on a second-half blitz to make it three from three in NRL Queensland derbies this season, scoring a 43-26 win over Gold Coast.
A pair of tries from deflected Titans’ kicks either side of halftime transformed Saturday night’s match as the Broncos put last weekend’s loss to Canberra behind them in front of a sell-out crowd of 26,563 at CBUS Super Stadium.
Brisbane simply blew the home side out of the water in the second 40, scoring five tries to two.
The victory, Brisbane’s sixth of the season, puts them back on top of the ladder and means they’ve defeated all three Queensland rivals already in 2023.
Defeat ends a four-game home winning run for the Titans on a night where they drew their biggest home crowd since Johnathan Thurston’s NRL farewell in round 25, 2018.
Brisbane’s triumph came despite a first half where Gold Coast dominated possession and territory, highlighted by prop Moeaki Fotuaika’s 13 runs for 138 metres.
Payne Haas in action during the Broncos round 7 win at Cbus Super Stadium.Credit: Getty
The Titans hit the scoreboard first when Phillip Sami outjumped Jesse Arthars to claim a Tanah Boyd kick in just the fifth minute.
Brisbane levelled in the 16th when impressive Jordan Riki dragged Jayden Campbell and Kieran Foran over the line, but the hosts restored their lead a short time later through winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira.
Just when it looked like the hosts would take a healthy eight-point advantage into the break the Broncos pounced.
Reece Walsh reached high to charge down Jayden Campbell’s kick in the final seconds of the half, Marty Taupau gathering and sending Herbie Farnworth away.
Brisbane used that good fortune to turn the momentum of the contest at the start of the second half.
Another deflected kick, this time Riki sticking out a boot on a Foran grubber, allowed the Broncos back-rower to surge downfield after he pounced on the loose ball.
Although he was wrapped up by Campbell in a good covering tackle, just two plays later Walsh went over and Brisbane led for the first time on the night.
When Khan-Pereira was ruled to have lost possession by playing the ball without being tackled in the 55th minute, Arthars scored from the resulting set to put the Broncos in charge.
Gold Coast’s woes deepened when captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was sin-binned with less than 20 minutes to play, Kurt Capewell and Ezra Mam both scoring before Kruise Leeming crossed for the home team.
The Titans’ evening was summed up when Selwyn Cobbo pounced on another loose ball to sprint clear and wrap up the win, although Khan-Pereira scored a consolation on the siren.
Broncos coach Kevin Walters was pleased with his team’s second half but said his team needs to halt a worrying trend of starting games poorly.
“We knew that we were a better side than what we’ve thrown up in the first half,” Walters said.
“It’s a bit disappointing because we spoke all week to get off to a good start and a strong start. That didn’t happen for us, but luckily, it’s week seven of 27.
“Pleasing thing was when we did start to play some footy we looked like a pretty good side.”
Titans coach Justin Holbrook refused to get drawn on issues like Fa’asauamaleaui’s sin-binning and took a philosophical approach to his team’s loss.
“We didn’t play good enough. They were the better side, it’s as simple as that,” Holbrook said.
AAP
