Brisbane have withstood their sternest test of the State of Origin period while confirming their status as 2023 NRL heavyweights with a 20-12 defeat of top-four rivals Cronulla.
An away clash with the offensively potent Sharks loomed as a big test for Brisbane after the Broncos were hot-and-cold heading into Origin season and had five of their best players in the series opener only three days earlier.
Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas, Reece Walsh and Thomas Flegler all took their places in the side, but it was NSW hopeful Kotoni Staggs who stood tallest as the Broncos scored back-to-back wins for the first time since April.
The Broncos have reclaimed top spot on the NRL ladder for the time being, while the Sharks will fall out of the top four if Melbourne beat 16th-placed North Queensland on Sunday.
Brisbane can now realistically aim to finish the crucial Origin period in first place, given they have byes before the next two games.
Brisbane coach Kevin Walters praised the effort of his Origin contingent.
“I think it’s that care factor for the team. That’s where we’re going with the Broncos,” he said.
“They really care about the place and they want to play a big part of it. That’s great.
“It’s a tough place to win and our boys were really good tonight.”
Staggs staked a claim for an Origin recall with his blistering first half, first crashing over for a try while the Sharks were scrambling back following Jordan Riki’s 80-metre dash.
In the minutes before halftime, he put in a chip kick that sent Jesse Arthars over and extended the Broncos’ lead to eight points.
Tom Trbojevic’s concussion will sidelined him between now and Game II and Staggs’ hat is now in the ring if Brad Fittler is looking for a contingency plan.
On his return from a five-week injury lay-off, veteran Broncos winger Corey Oates was immense, coming up with three line breaks as he ran for 227 metres.
Battered and bruised from their Origin performances, Carrigan (150-run metres), Haas (143) and Flegler set the tone early through the middle.
“Obviously they backed up strongly, the Brisbane guys,” said Sharks co-captain Dale Finucane.
“They’re a really good pack.”
The Sharks were getting on top as the trio approached the end of their first stints but Brisbane did well to keep them only to one first-half try as Nicho Hynes terrorised the edges.
Underused on Origin debut, Hynes had a point to prove at PointsBet Stadium and the Sharks looked most dangerous when he was pulling the strings in the first half.
Hynes drew the defence in from a scrum play before popping a short ball to Siosifa Talakai, who belted through untouched midway through the first half.
That was one of four line-break assists for the reigning Dally M Medallist but the Sharks were guilty of wasting good opportunities with handling errors in the red zone.
“That’s probably the work there for us, the crucial errors at the crucial times of the game,” said Finucane.
Cronulla had better chances in the second half but Brisbane put the game to bed when they shifted the ball to centre Herbie Farnworth as the final 10 minutes approached.
Blayke Brailey found himself placed on report for a hip-drop style tackle on Reece Walsh, while Sharks teammates Matt Moylan and Ronaldo Mulitalo were also cited.
Australian Associated Press