Brisbane have put a nail in the coffin of the Sydney Roosters’ slim NRL finals hopes with a comprehensive 32-10 win at the Gabba.
Broncos forward Patrick Carrigan scored a career-first try in his 78th NRL game to get that monkey off his back amid a dominant display by the hosts’ forwards on Thursday night.
Roosters winger Daniel Tupou became his club’s highest-ever tryscorer with his 140th career try to go past Anthony Minichiello but it came in the 71st minute when the game was gone.
The Roosters, on 22 competition points and two points outside the top eight with five rounds to play, do not deserve to play finals based on this performance.
Mathematically they are still a chance but their performances remain uneven.
They were clunky in attack, ill-disciplined and missed far too many tackles against the Broncos for a side with finals aspirations.
“We were well beaten. That was disappointing,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.
“In these games against the top-four teams, we haven’t been threatening and we haven’t been able to score points.”
The Broncos (34 points) went top of the table, for two days at least before Penrith host Cronulla on Saturday, and appear destined for a top-two position.
“It was a really good win,” Broncos coach Kevin Walters said.
“That first half I don’t think I’ve seen us play as physical and as controlled.”
Walters was delighted for Carrigan.
“You could see from the boys we were all elated for Patty,” Walters said after Carrigan was mobbed by his teammates.
Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Broncos counterpart Payne Haas had a blood and thunder battle in the middle in the first half.
Waerea-Hargreaves was put on report for a high shot on Haas but it was the Broncos and NSW front-rower who dominated proceedings in a typically blockbusting display.
The Broncos led 20-nil at halftime with halfback Adam Reynolds laying on tries for centre Herbie Farnworth and Carrigan with slick balls.
Broncos fullback Reece Walsh was not at his brilliant best but came up with a try assist with a deft, lobbed kick that No.6 Ezra Mam picked up on the half volley.
There was a controversial moment early in the second stanza when Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs was disallowed a try for being offside from a Mam bomb when he appeared to be behind the kicker.
It was a moot point in a match the Roosters never looked like winning.
Billy Smith and Tupou scored late for the visitors but Staggs and Mam put the result beyond doubt with two late second-half tries.
Earlier this week Phil Gould said on Channel Nine that the Broncos did not have the defensive clout to win the competition.
It was a remark that made Brisbane coach Kevin Walters bristle at his pre-game press conference on Wednesday.
Walters said the Broncos had plenty of improvement left in them defensively and they showcased that against the Roosters with a rock-solid performance.
