At a time when the Brisbane Broncos desperately needed a leader to rise above adversity, Adam Reynolds has done so once again to orchestrate the finest of boilovers against the Bulldogs โ and in doing so, cemented his status as one of the glamour clubโs greatest captains.
Contending with a casualty ward overflowing with more than $5 million worth of talent โ with 12 top-line players sidelined by either injury, suspension, or personal leave โ Reynolds had the ball on a string and a figure of composure in his sideโs 32-12 triumph at Suncorp Stadium.
Even without his attacking linchpin Reece Walsh (cheekbone) and entire middle forward rotation of Payne Haas (knee), Pat Carrigan (suspension) and Corey Jensen (pulmonary embolism), the veteran halfback never lost his cool.
And he didnโt need to, for he still had Ezra Mam โ who put on a clinic which included a genuine contender for one of the most remarkable try-scoring finishes witnessed.
Brisbaneโs exploits were ultimately built off their defence, which thwarted three straight sets on their line early before getting any sort of chance to showcase their class with the ball.
โWhen you defend your line for that amount of time you get confidence from that. You sort of grow about, and itโs exactly what happened,โ Reynolds said.
โYou could just sense the energy was up after that.โ
After responding to that challenge, Reynolds tortured the Bulldogs off his boot โ forcing consecutive dropouts before Ezra Mamโs pinpoint grubber was swooped on by Gehamat Shibasaki for the gameโs first points.
Mam was at it again when he fired a lofted cutout pass for Josiah Karapani to extend the lead, before Reynoldsโ chip behind sent the crowd into delirium. As he looked to force his third repeat set, Reynoldsโ dive after a Harry Hayes trip resulted in the Bulldogs prop being sent to the sin bin.
Deine Mariner capitalised on the momentum, scoring a miracle try in the corner before then making a break and finding Cory Paix on his inside to push the halftime margin to 20.
There were greater fireworks to come โ Mamโs pass for Karapani putting the winger into space, with the latterโs inside pass knocked down by Lachlan Galvin. As Mam picked up the scraps, he somehow kept himself barely a millimetre in the field of play and touched down over his head in an act scarcely believable.
Brisbaneโs professionalism bellied their inexperience โ completing 40 of 43 sets, while making 35 tackles inside their own 20-metre zone. Their discipline was arguably the best they had shown since coach Michael Maguire arrived at Red Hill โ conceding just two penalties, compared to the Bulldogsโ seven along with 14 errors.
Reynoldsโ composure and game management โ kicking for 689 metres โ and Mamโs wizardry was at the heart of it all. Even when Preston Riki was sin binned for a dangerous tackle in the second half, the Broncosโ defence remained near impenetrable โ conceding just once through Matt Burton, before Lachlan Galvin crossed late.
Canterbury-Bankstown will also face a nervous wait on Viliame Kikau, who has suffered a pec injury.
The casualty ward and saviour
Brisbane will welcome Carrigan back next week, while Jesse Arthars may be a chance having been named in the initial team only to be withdrawn for a leg concern.
However, Walsh, Jensen, Haas, Aublix Tawha, Blake Mozer, Ben Hunt, Billy Walters, Grant Anderson and Delouise Hoeter remain sidelined, while Ben Te Kura is pursuing an NFL opportunity on the Gold Coast.
Brendan Piakura was then taken off at halftime after aggravating a knee issue, diminishing their stocks even further.
But despite the toll, the defending champions have won their past two clashes against the odds, with boom middle Xavier Willison proving he was a superstar in his own right.
The Kiwi enforcer, replacing Carrigan at lock, fought through 75 incredible minutes โ running for 170 metres and making 33 tackles, before scoring the final try with the last play of the game.
Without Haas, Jensen and Carrigan, Brisbane were well short their brigade who laid the foundation. In Willison, they had a saviour who gave the Broncos a glimpse at life once Haas departs for South Sydney at seasonโs end.
โHeโs definitely grown as a player. When those players do come back, X is now at another level that he can take forward,โ Broncos coach Michael Maguire said.
โTo think we can have those players back and have X doing what heโs doing โฆ itโs really showing the work the players have been doing in the background.โ
Unheralded heroes
Given the calibre of personnel missing in action, the Broncos needed their unheralded squad members to issue a statement of intent. Each of them did that in spades.
Ben Talty and Jack Gosiewski combined for 85 tackles in the front row, while Preston Riki punched through contact with each carry on his club debut.
Hayze Perham, Brisbaneโs third-string fullback, was faultless and laid on the last pass for Marinerโs try, going on to finish with 115 running metres, while rookie enforcer VJ Semu also showcased plenty of promise.
If Brisbane can maintain this momentum until their superstars return, that depth of talent could be what delivers them back-to-back titles.
โI wasnโt surprised,โ Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said, when asked if he was surprised how the undermanned Broncos performed.
โKotoni Staggs, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds, Xavier Willison โ theyโve got a lot of good depth, theyโve built really strong depth at the club. We knew it was going to be a tough game, and we werenโt talking about the players they were missing, we were talking about the players they had.โ
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