Broncos coach Michael Maguire has fumed at the interpretations of the NRL’s disruptor rules, after his side were both benefactors and victims of two contentious calls in their 35-31 defeat to the Cowboys on Friday night.
It appeared destined to be Brisbane’s night when North Queensland fullback Scott Drinkwater was deemed to have withdrawn from his attempt to contest a bomb as he turned his body – seemingly to brace for contact – with the Bunker ruling he had impeded Josiah Karapani.
The Broncos scored that set to take the lead when Tom Duffy fired a bullet pass for Ben Talty.
“I think it was just explained that he had pulled out of going for the ball, but I think when you’re watching it in real slo-mo, Drinky is jumping up and just braced at the end and turned his head away,” Cowboys co-captain Tom Dearden said.
“He’s still competing for the ball, his head’s just turned away, and he’s braced. It’s hard to understand and hard to explain, but we just had to roll with the calls.”
Under the rule changes, a player must go up with both hands for a contest to be determined as a genuine one, rather than an attempt to put a player off from reeling in the kick.
The Broncos thought they had the match-winner moments later after Tom Chester spilled a somewhat innocuous Duffy kick. But on inspection, it was ruled Gehamat Shibasaki had not made a genuine contest attempt, despite not making contact with Chester.
The Cowboys centre then scored himself, and after an exchange of field goals between Duffy and Drinkwater, Heilum Luki scored the final try to clinch a thrilling derby win.
Maguire, speaking post-game, was aghast.
“I’ve got no idea, it’s bizarre,” Maguire said, when asked for his understanding of the disruptor rule.
“There was one in the corner where they were doing exactly the same thing, so they’ve either got to get consistency around it or don’t touch it.
“What I saw with Gem [Shibasaki] going up there, he wasn’t near Chester when he was catching it, he was actually further away from him. I just can’t believe that ruling, it’s bizarre.
“I don’t quite understand what they’re trying to do with that rule when the ball was already through the arms before he’d even actually got to the player. I don’t get it.”
Drinkwater casts aside future cloud
Drinkwater’s future has been one of much speculation, but the mercurial fullback issued Cowboys hierarchy a reminder of just how lethal he could be.
Despite being signed until the end of 2027, Drinkwater has been linked with an early release to the St George-Illawarra Dragons for next year, with Cowboys coach Todd Payten confirming he had been given permission to test the market.
“I was hopeful that it wasn’t going to break until after the game so it wasn’t a distraction – it was his 150th game – and the way he handled that and played is a credit to him,” Payten said.
“I haven’t spoken face-to-face with the kid. His management asked us if it was OK for him to negotiate with other clubs on Wednesday, and we gave him the green light.
“We’re not pushing him out the door.”
Drinkwater’s exploits with the ball had a wounded Broncos bereft of answers – setting up Jaxon Purdue’s length of the field try with a sything run, before shooting a cutout pass for Zac Laybutt to score while Broncos skipper Pat Carrigan was in the sin bin for a forceful high shot on Tom Chester.
Drinkwater eventually scored himself supporting a strong Luki run, and his decision not to make a second field goal attempt in the dying stages and instead shift the ball wide ultimately created the decisive try.
Much of the conjecture surrounding Drinkwater’s future has involved where to fit Purdue into the team, who has largely been used in the centres in the NRL despite coming through the ranks as a fullback and in the halves.
The 20-year-old inked a four-year contract extension to remain in Townsville, and celebrated with 223 running metres.
But the way Drinkwater ignited the attack from the back – running for 187 metres while setting up three line breaks – and actively sought out Purdue, suggested the dynamic duo could – and perhaps, should – co-exist in the north.
Reynolds successor stands up
On his Broncos’ debut, Duffy unveiled himself as a genuine contender to succeed the retiring Adam Reynolds. But with roughly $2.5 million worth of spine talent sidelined, the time has come for Ezra Mam to take greater responsibility for this side.
Without Reece Walsh (fractured cheekbone), Reynolds (groin) and Ben Hunt (knee), it was Duffy who led the way – laying on tries for Kotoni Staggs and Talty, while creating a Karapani linebreak which led to Mam diving on a kick to score.
The 22-year-old former Cowboy booted five conversions to go with his field goal, and also kicked for 694 metres. Mam put boot to ball just three times for 43 metres.
Mam was far from poor – coming up with a one brilliant cutout pass for Josiah Karapani – but needs to take more control – a task may get harder next week against the Tigers, with hookers Cory Paix and Blake Mozer failing to finish the contest after going off for head injury assessments.
Taumalolo winding back the clock
Jason Taumalolo is turning back the clock in 2026, with Payten’s decision to limit his minutes yielding the best form seen of the Tongan wrecking ball in years.
Having managed a degenerative knee issue, the veteran now leads the competition’s middle forwards for post-contact metres, with his dominance laying the platform for the Cowboys’ backline.
The barnstorming prop finished with 226 metres from 48 minutes, earning the Carl Webb Medal, but insists he is not considering whether this approach will allow him to play beyond the end of his contract – which ends in 2027.
“I haven’t looked too far ahead of what’s coming. I’m sure tomorrow as a 32-year-old I’ll wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a bus,” Taumalolo said.
“I’ll just worry about waking up and trying to feel good again. It’s good to be healthy first of all, I knew that if I could get myself back to not … carrying around injuries and being able to play freely I would eventually get back to wear I was.
“The last three or four years have been injury-plagued, and I knew if I had a [knee] clean out last year coming into this year I could give it a red-hot crack again.”
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