It was another big Sunday of NRL action with Newcastle topping the table with a big win over the Tigers and Brisbane, who remain unbeaten after beating the Bulldogs.
Check out all the scores, stats and key scores below.
Broncos 16 def Bulldogs 10
The Brisbane Broncos survived a recent Canterbury attack to carry the winners 16-10 at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, giving them back victories to start their 2022 NRL season.
She defended her line gruesome in the final minutes and then a Josh Addo-Carr broke down the eastern touchline, almost bringing the third attempt that the Bulldogs were so desperately looking for.
But a 12-9 error by the home team did not help when they tried to get the relegation earlier.
The match was blocked twice, proving that the poor fights were there.
The Broncos last started an NRL season with two straight wins in 2020 – but they ended that year with the wooden spoon.
However, there is another coach now with Kevin Walters, and a new halfback in Adam Reynolds, who has his side around what used to be his old homeland with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
So maybe 2022 will have a much happier end.
Tevita Pangai Junior did not waste any time getting to know her old teammates.
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But he crossed the mark with a late tackle on Reynolds in the second minute with referee Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski putting him on report.
It was the first game in new colors for Pangai Junior (hamstring) and Reynolds (COVID-19) because both players had separate health issues last weekend.
The scores were tied 4-4 at the break, meaning the proximity of these two early in the offense and defense, despite a healthy 60 percent possession by the Bulldogs.
The home team was the first to score a foul by Broncos backer Testi Niu in the 10th minute.
He dropped a Matt Burton bomb cold, with Bulldogs center Braidon Burns shooting into the right corner in the next set.
The Broncos responded five minutes later with a beautiful low-trajectory kick from Albert Kelly that found the welcoming hand of Corey Oates.
That was Oates’ 100th attempt to become the Brisbane Club, the sixth man to reach the turn of the century, joining illustrated companies such as Steve Renouf, Darren Lockyer, Michael Hancock, Wendell Sailor and Allan Langer.
Points came early in the second half as hooker Jeremy Marshall-King slipped through three Broncos defenders to score from the dummy half.
But the Bulldogs quickly responded through a one-on-one streak by Herbie Farnworth and with the Reynolds conversion – his first points in a Broncos jumper – the game was locked 10-10 again.
A no-look Reynolds pass through his legs at Katoni Staggs six minutes later was worth four points, but the Broncos center lost his grip on the ball over the line.
The deadlock was broken when Farnworth scored his second shot (16-10) despite the Bulldogs claiming an obstruction from Oates.
The Bulldogs continued to push, but the error rate continued to rise.
They had two repeat sets on the Broncos line in the last four minutes and could not get the breakthrough.
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Team statistics
Knights 26 def Tigers 4
Adam O’Brien hailed Newcastle’s 26-4 win over the Wests Tigers as the best cultural show he’s seen at the club after playing several games without training during the week.
The Knights were forced to deal with an injury-free start to the NRL season, with Kalyn Ponga, David Klemmer and Daniel Saifiti all missing the match.
Mitchell Barnett, Kurt Mann and Lachlan Fitzgibbon should not train after the victory over the Sydney Roosters, among others, while the latter also injured a knee in the first half.
It was of little importance as the Knights went the first 75 minutes against a poor Tigers outfit without attempting to concede, while also dominating the midfield to go first on the NRL ladder.
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“We worked really hard on our culture, and that’s as good as the boys’ next-man-up mentality, to defend how they did it,” O’Brien said.
“They wanted to play. It was really important for us to get back in front of our own city.
“I’m a proud coach.”
Equally impressive is Newcastle’s attack in their two victories.
Often criticized last season as they struggled for fluidity, they seem more willing to move the ball this season.
Adam Clune and Jake Clifford also had two strong shows in the half, with the pair solid against the Roosters and having a hand in all five attempts on Sunday.
It comes despite a summer where Mitchell Pearce left for the Super League before hooker Jayden Brailey suffered a long-term Achilles injury.
“Joey (Johns) came in with Blake Green and Willie Peters,” O’Brien said.
“We always had a style we wanted to play. And the three coaches are on the same page and present the players.
“We had the luxury of working on combinations all summer … I would not underestimate (what an impact that would have in 2021).
“We’re only two players in, but we have a better mix of power with our big boys and also moving the ball.”
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