Brisbane star Reece Walsh was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured cheekbone following the Broncos’ controversial 26-12 win over Gold Coast.
Walsh, playing his 100th NRL match, displayed his creative genius in the first half with a try for the ages, before he was concussed tackling Titans forward Kurtis Morrin on the cusp of the break.
“Reece has gone to hospital to get a scan just below his eye, so we will have to wait and see on that,” Broncos coach Michael Maguire said.
The category-one HIA ruled Wales out for the match, and he will miss Friday night’s clash with North Queensland at Lang Park.
The Titans were right up for the match and trailed 8-6 at half-time, but it was the class of Broncos stars Ezra Mam and Kotoni Staggs that proved the difference.
Mam was outstanding in the second half, which had a moment of controversy.
Gold Coast centre AJ Brimson was denied what seemed to be a fair try due to a forward pass from Lachlan Ilias in the 47th minute.
On the ensuing set, Brisbane surged up the field and scored through Gehamat Shibasaki and despite some heavy possession late the Titans never got back in the match.
“It is a hard game and when you earn your opportunity and ice it, and it gets taken away, it is frustrating for the players,” Titans coach Josh Hannay said.
“You have got to try and brush that and we just didn’t … so that’s a learn for us and a work-on.”
Dragons thumped
St George Illawarra has set a new club record for consecutive losses. (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe )
An emotional Shane Flanagan apologised to fans after St George Illawarra’s 32-0 flogging from North Queensland piled more pressure on the Dragons coach.
The Dragons were booed by fans at a half-empty Kogarah on fulltime on Saturday, after slipping to the club’s worst ever start to a season with a winless opening five rounds.
The result also left the Dragons with the longest losing streak in the joint-venture’s history, which now sits at nine and dates back to August.
“It’s not good enough for this club,” said Flanagan, who cut a devastated figure in the post-match press conference.
“I don’t accept it, I am not happy with it, I am terribly disappointed and I am sorry.
“I fully understand the frustration, I am as frustrated as anyone.
“All I know is it hasn’t worked this year, but I’m not going to give up.”
Making matters worse for the Dragons was co-captain and fullback Clint Gutherson limping up the tunnel on fulltime with a hamstring injury.
On the flip side North Queensland now have three straight wins, just weeks after their coach Todd Payten’s job security had appeared as bleak as Flanagan’s following a 0-2 start.
North Queensland did it easy against an insipid Dragons team. (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe)
Flanagan now needs a revival of that kind from his Dragons, after he said on Friday he was “a realist” and knew he needed wins to remain coach.
In two-and-a-bit seasons at the club he has blooded a number of young forwards, but the Dragons’ finals drought is now at risk of reaching an eighth year.
They had at least been in all of their first four losses until late in the game, but were never in the contest on Saturday.
The Dragons have endured the worst start to a season in club history. (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe)
Scott Drinkwater and Jaxon Purdue blitzed them, with Drinkwater kicking a 40-20 before the Cowboys’ first, then slicing through the Dragons’ left edge two plays later to score.
The Dragons’ best attacking raid in the first half ended when Dan Atkinson kicked on the second tackle, which was easily scooped up by Drinkwater.
Moments later it was 10-0 when Jake Clifford offloaded for Purdue to go 65 metres and score, before Clifford later grubber-kicked for Purdue’s second on half-time.
Nothing summed up the Dragons’ day more than a 90-metre Braidon Burns try, when a wayward Lyhkan King-Togia pass went to ground from a Dragons scrum.
Making matters worse for the Dragons was the fact it came while the Cowboys were down to 12 men, with Reuben Cotter sin-binned for a professional foul.
King-Togia in particular had a poor afternoon in place of the concussed Kyle Flanagan, while Atkinson’s kicking game was below par, with multiple grubbers going dead.
“It just wasn’t good enough,” Flanagan said.
“We looked like we didn’t know each other at different stages, passes behind each other, a lack of cohesion. It was very disappointing.”
AAP/ABC
Look back at how the action unfolded in our blog.
Key Events
Injury update: Reynolds and Walsh
Walsh failed his HIA and is currently undergoing scans for a suspected broken cheekbone.
Reynolds came off early with a groin injury but will push to be fit for the Queensland derby against the Cowboys on Friday.
Signing off
That’ll do me, thanks for stopping by tonight.
Be sure to tune in again tomorrow and for every game for the rest of the NRL season.
Have a good one.
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Broncos press conference: Reece Walsh update
Brisbane coach Michael Maguire has an update on Reece Walsh.
“Reece is off to hospital to get a scan on his eye, so we’ll just have to wait and see on that,” Maguire said.
Says he’s proud of the resolve his team showed through the injuries.
Confirms Reynolds could have returned, sounds like he’ll be right to play against the Cowboys on Friday.
Titans press conference: Hannay speaks on forward pass
Gold Coast coach Josh Hannay won’t fault his team’s effort – he says without the Brimson no try the game likely would have gone down to the wire.
“It’s frustrating. It’s a hard game and you have to work hard to earn your opportunities,” Hannay said.
“When you ice that opportunity and it’s taken away, it’s hard for the players. You have to try and brush that and we just didn’t.
“That’s a learning moment for us, you have to better when the tough calls go against you. It changed the trajectory of the game.
“I don’t know about the outcome, but it would’ve been a different last 20 minutes. I thought we were working hard enough to be in it with 20 to go.”
Fulltime: Broncos 26 def Titans 12
Gold Coast finally crack Brisbane – Fa’asuamaleaui pops a great offload to Campbell, who has Fifita in support for his second of the night.
Lovely stuff, just a bit late on. Campbell converts and it’s 26-12 Broncos.
72′ Mam scores to wrap it up
Kini drops another bomb and Brisbane are on the attack. Two tackles later, Mam goes from dummy half and strolls over for an easy try.
That’ll do us, and it’s on the back of their defence at the other end. Staggs gets the kick over, and it’s 26-6 Broncos.
69′ Big goal-line stand for Brisbane
Sami times his chase on Mariner beautifully and forces an error right on the Broncos’ line. A try here can bring them back in the match.
Ilias forces a drop out with a grubber; Hunt’s attempt doesn’t go ten. Then Haas gets pinged for a strip on his younger brother Kleese, the Broncos will challenge.
Haas is locked on the ball, but I don’t think there’s a stripping action, Brisbane might get this. They don’t, the Bunker says there’s not enough evidence to overturn. Bit of a cop out, I think.
Kini forces a drop out on the last. Feels like a try here brings the game alive, if Brisbane hold that might be all she wrote.
Pascoe goes flat to Fa’asuamaleaui, but he loses it as he goes for the line. He had a look at the line but couldn’t slam it down.
64′ Hau makes his mark
Pascoe tips Mam above the horizontal, and the Broncos get a penalty. One more try here could kill the game off.
But on the first carry after the tap, Hau steals the ball! Nice play from the big man.
53′ Titans denied as Broncos strike
Gold Coast look to have pulled one back after Brimson runs a brilliant angle to get on the outside of Staggs and score, but it’s called back, the touch judge said it was forward.
That’s a bad call, I thought it was alright.
Then, on the ensuing set, Staggs blows by Brimson, gets a ball away to Arthars, and the makeshift fullback does the rest.
A cruel blow – Staggs hooks the kick again, he’s 0/3 now. Could’ve been 16-12, instead it’s 20-6.
49′ Mam strikes again as Shibasaski goes over
Brisbane have another – a ball from Carrigan goes to ground, but it allows Mam to get in behind Campbell, he’s in fresh air and Shibasaski is in support to score their second try in a matter of minutes.
Geez, that’s a fair 10 minutes from the Broncos, considering half the spine is out. Staggs makes no mistake this time – wait, yes, he does, he’s hooked the kick bad – and it’s 16-6 Broncos.
43′ Brisbane go over through Willison
Hunt puts up a bomb, Mariner taps it back, Staggs hooks a kick inside, which finds Mam and he has Willison in support to score an absolute circus try!
Out of nothing as well, but that’s what Brisbane can do even if they’re undermanned.
Staggs, the Bronx’s third-string kicker, stabs it wide but it’s 12-6 Brisbane.
Halftime: Broncos 8 lead Titans 6
Close one, and it feels like it’s up for grabs in the second half, especially if Walsh doesn’t make it back on.
Injury: Reece Walsh
Walsh is in the thick of everything tonight. He’s got his angles wrong heading in to tackle Morrin and hit his head on Morrin’s hip. He’ll be off for an HIA.
Antonio Verhoeven comes on for his NRL debut and lines up at second row with Shibasaki moving to wing and Arthars going to fullback.
38′ Walsh goes 90 metres for nothing
Walsh just wins a contest over Kini, rounds Feamani, burns Bai and outpaces Hau in a sensational 90 metre try…..but the touchie put his flag up, Bai juuuust forced Walsh wide enough to put his foot on the line.
Instead of being down eight, the Titans are on the attack.
36′ Talty denied a Broncos try
Sami loses the ball on his own 20, and Brisbane have a chance at an immediate reply. Fotuaika clips him high and it’s a penalty ten out, right in front. Brisbane take the tap.
Hunt puts Talty through a yawning gap, but the pass is called forward. The Titans survive.
33′ A scoop and score for Fifita
Walsh looks to hit Mam on an inside pass, and he does, but Fotuaika forces the ball free with a good shot and Fifita picks up the scraps to go 60 metres and score.
A well-deserved try for the Titans, they’ve held the gloves up tonight. Campbell converts, and it’s 8-6 Broncos.
31′ Titans can’t nail a break
Kini goes straight through, and he’s got Morrin in support, the cover drags him down….but then Kini knocks it on at dummy half as he goes to pick it up. Man, that’s a heartbreaker.
27′ Walsh adds two more
A ruck penalty that prevents the Broncos from playing the ball stops play just to the left of the uprights and Walsh will take the two as a result. Brisbane lead 8-0.
Injury: Adam Reynolds
Big change here – Adam Reynolds has come off for the Broncos with Ben Hunt replacing him at halfback after suffering a groin injury.
24′ Kini’s tough start continues
Kini struggles under the high ball again; this time, there’s a contest with Staggs, the ball is loose, and the centre is claiming the try.
The Bunker says Kini had the ball, but Staggs stripped it and it went forward. Lucky escape for the Titans.
