Broncos terminate the Titans

v BYE

The Brisbane Broncos have ended the Gold Coast Titans season in the highest scoring NRL finals match of all time, in an entertaining start to the 2016 NRL Finals series. Brisbane ran out winners 44-28 in front of 43,170 at Suncorp Stadium.

While Broncos coach Wayne Bennett will not be impressed with his side conceding 28 points in a semi final, he may have further worries with strike centre James Roberts sure to come under the microscope of the Match Review Committee after lashing out with a boot. Replays showed Roberts clearly kicking Titans forward Ryan Simpkins in the back while the Titans forward was on the ground after making a tackle.

Despite the Broncos not having their best defensive game, there was certainly no issue with their attack, with the home side running in 8 tries, with five-eighth Anthony Milford a constant threat in offence and was ably supported by Jordan Kahu who scored a double and landed six from seven with the boot.

It was a disappointing night for Neil Henry's men who flew out of the blocks in the first half and managed to wrestle back a halftime lead thanks to a pinpoint cross field kick from superstar fullback Jarryd Hayne which found a leaping Josh Hoffman who scored to stun the home crowd, going in at the break leading 18-16.

The Titans prize signing's night then took a turn for the worse in the second half, when off the kickoff Hayne knocked on metres out from his own line to give the Broncos a huge opportunity to retake the lead. The home side took the opportunity with both hands when Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough shuffled out of dummy half and put hard running backrower Alex Glenn over untouched for the softest of tries and turn the momentum of the match back in the Broncos favour. From there the home side got on a roll scoring another two unanswered tries, with Glenn getting a double and Corey Oates also scoring off a superb ball from Darius Boyd to all but end the Titans chances of winning the match.

Gold Coast came into the match making their first semi finals appearance since 2010 and made it count from the outset, when after just a minute of play a towering bomb was spilled by rookie winger Jonus Pearson in just his 2^nd NRL game after being a late inclusion for Tom Opacic, which was dived on by former Bronco Josh Hoffman.

The Video Ref had barely sat down in the Bunker, when he ruled that in the scramble for the ball Hoffman also knocked on. The visitors, $4 outsiders with the bookies pre match didn't have to wait long to get their first try, when off the next set halfback Ash Taylor put up a towering bomb this time to the right wing of Broncos Corey Oates, who also spilt the pill which then bounced up into the path of Chris McQueen who put the ball down and the Titans had the early lead.

In the 9th minute, former Titan James Roberts sliced through 30m out and was beautifully rounded up by Jarryd Hayne, however Roberts managed to throw the ball inside which found Jordan Kahu in support, who spectacularly lost the ball when Titans centre Konrad Hurrell kicked the ball out of Kahu's grasp. The on field ref Gerard Sutton went to the Video Ref who ruled the kick from Hurrell illegal and gave a Penalty Try to the Broncos. Kahu added the extras from in front and the game was locked up at 6 all.

Gold Coast didn't let the bad luck get them down, when Jarryd Hayne almost sliced through close to the line. Off the back of that play, halfback Ash Taylor grubbered behind the line and found a flying David Mead who scored. Roberts converted and the Titans lead 12-6.

The Titans then got another unlucky call when a knock on from Broncos half Ben Hunt was correctly overruled by the Video Ref. From the ensuing scrum the Broncos made it over halfway, when Anthony Milford broke the line and put Kahu away downfield, he found Corey Oates who was brought down metres from the tryline. Hunt then got to dummy half and found a supporting Kahu on the blindside who scored his second try of the night.

The Broncos made it a one-two punch when they again made their way into the Titans half for outgoing captain Corey Parker to drift across field to find a hard running and Titans bound prop Jarrod Wallace who crashed over under the post to extend the Broncos take the lead 16-12. The vistors then snatched the lead back prior to the break through the try to Hoffman to give the visitors a huge boost going into the sheds.

The turning point of the match then came after immediately after the break, when Hayne knocked on from the kickoff and Brisbane made them pay running in two further tries, which made it an almighty uphill battle for the visitors. Chris McQueen crashed over for his second try of the night off a great short ball from dummy half from hooker Nathan Peats to give the visitors a glimmer of hope, however Tyrone Roberts missed the conversion and the score remained 34-22.

Broncos five-eighth Anthony Milford then attempted a field goal which was charged down by Titans skipper Ryan James. The ball then fell awkwardly for Greg Bird who spilled the pill and it was dived on by an electric Milford who steamed through to pick up the ball and score.

There was some good luck late in the game for the Titans when skipper Ryan James kicked ahead a loose pass from Bird which he re-gathered and scored, to eclipse the record of most tries in a season by a prop scoring his 13th try of the season.

Broncos winger Corey Oates then scored a double to ice the game for the home side, after a Hail Mary play from Titans centre Konrad Hurrell failed and the match ended with skipper Corey Parker missing his final conversion at Suncorp Stadium. Brisbane running out convincing winners 44-28.

The loss for the Titans ends a successful season for the Gold Coast who were written off early on by most pundits, favoured to be contending for the wooden spoon rather than the Top 8. The emergence of rookie half Ash Taylor, along with the mid season signings of Nathan Peats, Konrad Hurrell and of course Jarryd Hayne should certainly promise an exciting season on the horizon in 2017.

The Broncos now face the loser of the Qualifying Final between the Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys away from home, and either way will need to improve their defence dramatically if they are any chance of winning this year's premiership.