Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds produced a playmaking masterclass at Belmore on Saturday afternoon to guide his team to a 44-24 victory.
Playing as well as ever in his 12th season in the NRL, Reynolds scored the game's opening try, laid one on for Kurt Capewell and put in pinpoint chip kicks to help set up tries for Ezra Mam and Brendan Piakura in a five-star display.
On an emotional afternoon which saw club legend Josh Reynolds play his last ever game in NSW Cup, the Bulldogs brought the huge crowd into the game early when Jacob Preston stretched out to score in the third minute and Matt Burton converted for a 6-0 lead.
Come the 14th minute and Reynolds stamped his class on the game when he put Piakura into a hole and accepted the return pass to score under the posts.
A mistake by Kotoni Staggs from the kick-off gave the Bulldogs a chance to hit straight back but an intercept by Billy Walters on the goal line defused the danger.
Perfect start for Preston
Broncos back-rower Kurt Capewell celebrated his return from a quad injury in the 19th minute when he powered over from close range courtesy of a sweetly timed Reynolds pass.
The Bulldogs hit back in the 25th minute when Jake Averillo finished off a superb team try that featured offloads from Corey Waddell, Tevita Pangai Junior and Jacob Kiraz before the fullback finished it off and scores were locked 12-12.
It took the Broncos just two minutes to take the lead back when Walters dived over from dummy half and Reynolds' conversion made it 18-12 to the visitors.
Capewell catches a try
Averillo made it a double in the 29th minute after some great lead-up work by Pangai Junior and Toby Sexton before the Broncos crossed for their fourth of the day through Deine Mariner.
The Broncos lost winger Selwyn Cobbo to the sin bin in the 39th minute for running with a raised elbow into Sexton's neck as he hit the defensive line.
Even down a man the Broncos were able to strike first after the break when Xavier Willison strolled over for a soft try to make it 28-18 to Brisbane.
A clever grubber by Burton looked to have set up the Bulldogs' fourth try but Preston was unable to complete the putdown as he lunged at the ball.
The Broncos then came up with a spectacular last-tackle play to put the result beyond doubt when Reynolds chipped over the top, Mariner toed the ball ahead and Mam scooped it up to score. Reynolds converted to make it 34-18.
A nautical masterpiece at Belmore
Putting the finishing touches on a great afternoon, Reynolds kicked over the top for Cobbo to regather and find Piakura in support in the 69th minute as the Broncos hit 40.
A late try to Waddell added some respectability for the Bulldogs but they allowed the Broncos to have the final say when Herbie Farnworth scored from a Tristan Sailor grubber and the score finished at 46-24.
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Match Snapshot
- Tevita Pangai Junior entered the game from the bench in the 21st minute and ran for 73 metres from eight runs in a powerhouse 20 minutes up to half-time. He finished the day with 120 running metres.
- Broncos winger Selwyn Cobbo went on report and was sent to the sin bin in the 39th minute for dangerous contact on Toby Sexton, who left the field for a HIA which he failed.
- The Bulldogs were able to activate their 18th Man Fa'amanu Brown because Sexton was forced out of the game by an act of foul play.
- Bulldogs fullback Jake Averillo had 125 run metres and seven tackle breaks to go with the eighth try double of his career.
- Jacob Kiraz had 22 runs for 230 metres and broke 11 tackles in a powerful effort for the Bulldogs.
Billy Walters is having himself a day
- The last time the Broncos played at Belmore was Round 2, 1998. The Broncos won 20-12 with Kevin Walters and Allan Langer in the halves.
- Martin Taupau and Corey Jensen stepped up for Brisbane in the absence of Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan, clocking up 284 metres from 27 runs between them.
- The Broncos have won their past five games against the Bulldogs.
- The Bulldogs have conceded 224 points in their past five games.
- Tristan Sailor was again impressive in the No.1 jersey for Brisbane with 174 metres from 21 runs.
No photos please
Play of the Game
Both sides played fast, open footy in the perfect conditions and the first half produced seven tries, the best of them coming from the Bulldogs on the half hour mark. Tevita Pangai Junior launched himself at the Broncos defence and skittled a couple of players before delivering an offload to Toby Sexton who found Jake Averillo looming in support for the home side's third try of the day.
Averillo gets a double
What they Said
"At half-time I thought the game was in the balance and we got into some good groove in the second half and came away with a really important win for us given the time of the year. We've got great depth in the squad this year and that was shown today. Selwyn [Cobbo] was playing lock and getting more involved in the game. We feel that on the wing sometimes we don't get enough out of him. He's a really strong ball-carrier and when I mentioned to him about playing the different role it brought a big smile to his face which to me said he was happy with the role. He always looked dangerous when he was in there." - Broncos coach Kevin Walters
Broncos: Round 20
"I thought we started pretty well and then every time we let them down the other end they got points way too easily. It was 22-18 at half-time and I was pretty confident if we could get our game on we'd be right in the fight in the second half but the try three minutes after half-time out of dummy half set us back and I don't know if we ever recovered. You can't give up that many points and expect to be in a game, it's just amateurish." - Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo
Bulldogs: Round 20
What's Next
The Bulldogs face premiers Penrith at BlueBet Stadium in Round 21 while the Broncos square off against the Rabbtiohs on the Sunshine Coast.