Broncos 13 Panthers 6
We are so close to the NRL grand final now we can almost smell it.
Brisbane booked its place in the grand final qualifier against Melbourne with a grinding seven-point win over Penrith. The Broncos were affected with injury for this one with Darius Boyd, Korbin Sims and Andrew McCullough out, while the Panthers were missing marquee man Matt Moylan again. During the game Broncos players were dropping like flies with Corey Oates, Jai Arrow and Sam Thaiday all forced from the field. But the Queensland team dug in and dished out some heroic defence to keep the mountain men at bay.
Ben Hunt set up the only try of the first half with a delightful dance in front of the defensive line and ball to a rampaging Oates. The big winger sliced through some feeble tackling and went the distance to score a great try. Oates went from hero to zero moments later though when he dropped Alex Glenn’s offload after the forward had broken through. His night then got worse after a sickening head collision with Anthony Milford ended his involvement.
It was a brutal contest and Penrith’s five-eighth Tyrone May was the next to be brought off. At half-time the difference was only 6-0 and Brisbane started stronger after the interval. James Roberts made it 10-0 after a 40-metre run. Jordan Kahu added the extras to take it to 12-0. But the Chocolate Soldiers weren’t done yet, Reagan Campbell-Gillard breathing life into them with his four-pointer in the 64th minute. The Panthers mounted wave of attack after attack but just couldn’t break Brisbane’s stubborn resolve. Kahu slotted a field goal in the 7st minute to extend the buffer to seven points. It was a courageous display from the Broncos who now have the herculean task of trying to beat the Storm.
Cowboys 24 Eels 16
Don’t write off the Cowboys. Parramatta were the clear favourites on Saturday, sentimental ones and with the bookies too, but that didn’t matter to North Queensland. They had Michael Morgan to be their go-to man, the classy playmaker leading the Cows to a brilliant victory. Morgan crossed for a try, set up one and ran for 84 metres.
His kicking was flawless and combined with another Jason Taumalolo masterclass, with 35 tackles and 242 metres, North Queensland finished strongly. Their bench chimed in with two tries as the 2015 champions knocked out the Eels.
The boys from western Sydney started well with early four-pointers to Semi Radradra and Will Smith. But Parramatta lost their way in the second half with some costly errors starting to mount up. The Eels appeared to struggle to back up after their close defeat at the hands of Melbourne the week before.
Morgan kept them pinned down in their own half and they couldn’t find an answer. Michael Jennings bagged a try right on full-time to make the scoreline more respectable, but was this was clearly the Cowboys night. Unfancied and unheralded, they’ll look to do the impossible again when they meet the Roosters this weekend.
