Brisbane take out error riddled encounter with South Sydney

A 40,094 strong crowd packed Suncorp Stadium to see an undisciplined affair with only sparks of brilliance and some injury worries where the Broncos proved too good for the Rabbitohs taking them down 22-10.

South Sydney took a very early lead after a McGuire penalty gave them the opportunity they needed to put first points on the board. Roberts took the opportunity racing over the whitewash for  try in the second minute. Sandow converted to give Souths a 6 point lead. Despite the lead Souths couldn't exert any pressure on the home side with the huge crowd against them, they gave the Brisbane faithful something to cheer about conceding penalties and making errors to offer Brisbane the opportunity to hit back.

Brisbane made a similar amount of errors, but their short range attack was the difference looking much better than their Christmas coloured visitors. They looked like hitting back straight away through Jack Reed before he was denied by video referee Tim Mander who ruled hi to have knocked on. Much to the delight of the crowd Brisbane hit back on the sore board in the 14th minute when Alex Glenn eased through the South Sydney defence for an easy six points. Broncos claimed the lead ten minutes later when Reed made up for his disallowed try scoring a legitimate one off a perfect boot from Lockyer. An equally perfect boot from Parker from the left sideline converted the try.

Lockyer went from hero to villain within minutes making a costly error which gifted the Rabbitohs an opportunity to hit right back which they did in the 29th minute through a try to Chris McQueen in the corner. Sandow failed to convert in a sign of things to come with South Sydney's scoring finished for the game. If they couldn't get the good stats, the Bunnies took the bad ones continuing to concede errors followed by back to back penalties to give Brisbane the final scoring play of the half. Thaiday claimed a four pointer and Parker from the opposite sideline to his previous conversion nailed the conversion to send South Sydney into the interval with their heads down with Brisbane leading 18 points to ten.

South Sydney had an opportunity to hit back at the deficit early in the second stanza after errors and penalty gave them plenty of prime real estate.  The visitors however failed to capitalise, coming closest with an effort which went upstairs to third umpire Mander who found the hand of Sandow knocking the ball on before the touchdown attempt. To add injury to insult Greg Inglis hobbled off the field with an ankle injury just minutes later not to return for the remainder of the game after McPherson had already taken an early shower. Within a couple of minutes there was some concern over Sandow too but he managed to play through.

Brisbane put the final nail in the coffin in the 59th minute when their halves combined on the back of a scrum win to put Ben Te'o in to score. Parker had his first miss of the night, but the game appeared all but over with sides trying to ensure players made it through to the next round.  Injuries seemed the only concern in the final 20 with completion rates meandering with completed sets a rarity and errors galore from both sides.  Mander in the the third umpire's box was called on for a final time in the 80th minute when he found a Beale knock on to deny Brisbane a final try.  The game finally wound to a close with Brisbane taking it out 22 points to 10.

Match Details
Brisbane Broncos 22 defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 10
National Rugby League - Round 25 - Sunday August 28, 2011 3:00pm
Venue: Suncorp Stadium
Referee: Tony Archer and Jared Maxwell
Video Referee: Tim Mander
Touch Judges: Steve Carrall and Gavin Morris
Crowd: 40,094
Halftime: Brisbane Broncos 18 South Sydney Rabbitohs 10

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Corey Parker (3 Conversions)
2 Points - Andrew McCullough
1 Point - Sam Thaiday (1 Try)

BRISBANE BRONCOS (22)
Tries: Sam Thaiday, Alex Glenn, Ben Te'o, Jack Reed
Conversions: Corey Parker (3/4)

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS (10)
Tries: Chris McQueen, James Roberts
Conversions: Chris Sandow (1/2)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary Good afternoon and welcome to Suncorp Stadium for League Unlimited's coverage of the round 25 clash between the Brisbane Broncos and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Toyota Cup curtain raiser was taken out by the Broncos who defeated the Rabbitohs under 20s team 54-6.
TEAM NEWS: Broncos will line up 1 to 17 as per program. Whilst the Rabbitohs have made some late changes where we will see James Roberts and Fetuli Talanoa enter the side and Greg Inglis will start the at five-eigth.
1 min: KICK OFF! Darren Lockyer kicks off giving Souths first ouch of the football.
1 min: PENALTY to the Rabbitohs, Souths are offered an early opportunity when McGuire is penalised for holding down in the play the ball near halfway.
4 min: TRY
TRY to the Rabbitohs!
Rabbitohs make good use of the penalty as Roberts speeds down to touch the ball down to give South Sydney an early lead. Sandow converts.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 6-0
7 min: VIDEO REFEREE for a possible Broncos TRY.
7 min: NO TRY. Reed is ruled to have knocked on over the tryline.
8 min: Pettybourne knocks on near halfway to hand Brisbane an opportunity.
9 min: Broncos fail to take their opportunity turning the ball over cheaply in the Rabbitohs' 20.
11 min: PENALTY to the Broncos against Taylor in possession, early in the tackle count too.
13 min: Rabbitohs unable to mount any pressure on the homeside despite winning the battle territorially, they can't seem to hang onto the football.
13 min: PENALTY to the Broncos against Crocker for a play the ball infringement.
16 min: TRY
TRY to the Broncos!
Glenn walks through some flimsy South Sydney defence to put the Broncos on the board. Parker converts.
6 all
17 min: Yow Yeh intercepts a Taylor pass to steal an opportunity for the Broncos.
20 min: Brisbane are starting to assert some authority on this gme and earn a repeat set forcing the line drop out.
23 min: Errors continue from both sides in what has been an untidy half.
24 min: Sandow attempts a 40/20 but it doesn't have the angle and Brisbane run it back.
25 min: McCullough assists Hoffman to a line break.
27 min: TRY
TRY to the Broncos!
Superb accuracy with the boot from Lockyer finds Reed in the corner to give Brisbane the lead. Parker from wide out makes no mistake.
Brisbane Broncos 12-6
28 min: Lockyer turns the ball over near halfway as completion rates for the half are a bit embarrassing.
31 min: TRY
TRY to the Rabbitohs
McQueen takes on the defence and muscles over to score in the corner. Conversion attempt from Sandow unsuccessful.
Brisbane Broncos 12-10
33 min: More errors.
34 min: Sandow makes a big run to the line, backs himself to make it, rejecting support, but Yow Yeh gets between him and the line. 35 min: PENALTY to the Broncos 20 out from the South Sydney line to gift them an opportunity.
36 min: Back to back PENALTIES to the Broncos right in front, this against Luke for not being square at marker.
37 min: VIDEO REFEREE for a possible Brisbane TRY.
38 min: TRY
TRY to the Broncos!
TRY to the Broncos!
TRY! Lockyer gets it on to Thaiday to score in the right corner. Parker converts from the sideline for an eight point lead.
Brisbane Broncos 18-10
40 min: The half winds to a close with Brisbane leading 18 points to ten.
41 min: Second half under way.
44 min: Solid starts to the second forty from both sides who are completing sets and making the metres for attacking last tackle plays.
45 min: Gillett has a pass intercepted just as Brisbane were getting into attacking position.
45 min: Souths bust through the middle of the Brisbane defences, but the least line of defence is not so kind to the visitors.
46 min: PENALTY to the Bunnies against Parker for holding down in the play the ball 9 out from his own line.
48 min: Beale is ruled to have knocked on in goal and Souths are awarded a repeat set courtesy of a Brisbane line drop out.
49 min: Glenn ruled to have knocked on in a steal. Glenn comes off the field after the scrum is packed with a hamstring complaint.
50 min: VIDEO REFEREE for a possible South Sydney TRY.
50 min: NO TRY! Sandow got a touch to it attempting to mark and knocked it on before the touchdown attempt. Glenn is getting treatment on a hamstring on the sideline
53 min: Errors coming back into both sides' play as completed sets have been a rarity in this game.
55 min: Inglis in some trouble and hobbles off to the sideline with an ankle problem.
57 min: Sandow now has an injury concern.
61 min: TRY
TRY to the Broncos!
Wallace finds Lockyer from the scrum win and he gets it out to Te'o to barge through South Sydney defences and score. Conversion attempt from Parker unsuccessful.
Brisbane Broncos 22-10
64 min: Sandow attempts a 40/20 on tackle 3 and comes so close. but Hoffman does well to bat it back in.
67 min: Alex Glenn is back on the field but now Ben Te'o is getting some treatment on the sideline.
68 min: PENALTY to the Broncos against Ross for a high tackle.
69 min: More errors as both sides have error counts in the double figures.
75 min: We haven't seen a completed set in a few minutes now. The crowd has been wonderful, but this has not been a great game.
75 min: Some selfish plays costing the Rabbits as we have seen a few guys refuse to use support only too get stopped.
77 min: More errors and Lockyer attempts a 40/20 which hits the line on the fly.
80 min: VIDEO REFEREE for a possible Brisbane TRY in the final minute.
80 min: NO TRY! Knock on and Souths get 15 seconds of football.
80 min: The visitors take 2 tackles and the game is finally over with Brisbane taking the spoils with a 22-10 victory.