FULLTIME :: Broncos defeat the premiers 26-18 in the opener of the 20-17 season!
Brisbane Broncos 26-18
PENALTY Broncos! Offside.. they will just wind it down.
Brisbane Broncos 26-18
Feki tries to dance down the sideline.. but his twinkle toes only take him over the sideline.
Brisbane Broncos 26-18
PENALTY SHARKS! Head high.. they need two scores now.
Brisbane Broncos 26-18
UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Luke Lewis makes an unforced error.
Lewis tries to keep the ball alive and spills it.
Brisbane Broncos 26-18
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS: Conversion attempt by Jordan Kahu successful.
Kahu slots the two!
Brisbane Broncos 26-18
TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS: Scored by Anthony Milford. Kick to come.
Broncos were stuck doing nothing.. Hunt switches it to Milford, who feigns the kick, steps and slams it down.
Brisbane Broncos 24-18
PENALTY BRONCOS! Some luck there for the visitors. McGuire desperate to get it away, kicks it into Gallen and rebounds to Bird.. in an offside position.
Brisbane Broncos 20-18
What a take, Jordan Kahu! Towsend with a pinpoint bomb but the big winger takes it.
Brisbane Broncos 20-18
PENALTY SHARKS! Hand in the play the ball.
Brisbane Broncos 20-18
Korbin Sims tries to shovel across but is held up!
Brisbane Broncos 20-18
Huge run from Thaiday and gets the PENALTY.
Brisbane Broncos 20-18
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney kisses it in off the upright!
Brisbane Broncos 20-18
TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Scored by Ricky Leutele. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Sharks within four, as Leutele powers across!
Brisbane Broncos 20-16
Leutele might have got the Sharks within a try.. checking the grounding.
Brisbane Broncos 20-12
UNFORCED ERROR BRISBANE BRONCOS: Ben Hunt makes an unforced error.
Ben Hunt tries to be too quick playing the ball, and knocks on.
Brisbane Broncos 20-12
CROWD is 11,493 for the opener of 2017!
Brisbane Broncos 20-12
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney steps up to convert his own effort and does so, with aplomb.
Brisbane Broncos 20-12
TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Scored by James Maloney. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! No touch from Bird.. and Maloney swooped in. It was all set up from a lovely slicing run from Chad Townsend.
Brisbane Broncos 20-10
Possible TRY.. Sharks! Bird had an airswing then Maloney is there to pick up the scraps!
Brisbane Broncos 20-6
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS: Conversion attempt by Jordan Kahu successful.
Kahu with his toughest kick of the night.. he fades it inside the left upright for a 14 point lead!
Brisbane Broncos 20-6
TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS: Scored by Corey Oates. Kick to come.
HE HAS.. GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Broncos now into a double digit lead! Oates with the acrobatic finish.
Brisbane Broncos 18-6
Boyd stretched the Sharks defense down the left.. and found a flying Oates who might have got it down..
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
Feki is forced to take it dead.. more pressure building.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Ricky Leutele makes an unforced error.
That is a third error of the night for Leutele. He tries to spring out of the defensive line to snaffle an intercept but only knocks it down.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
PENALTY Broncos! They are continuing where they left off in the first.. tapped.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
We're back! The two sides are back on the field, and ready to get underway! Before we do, Alex Glenn is OUT due to a failed concussion test.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
Sharks try to chain some passes together to find the half, reminiscent of the final moments of the 2016 Grand Final, like in October, Lee is tackled short. HALFTIME.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Edrick Lee makes an unforced error.
Townsend tries to throw the cut-out on last to Lee but the rampaging winger forgot the ball.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
Broncos with some ad-lib fifth tackle play with Roberts trying the flick pass to no avail.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
Essese earns the Broncos another ping of the whistle. They could make it a dominant lead going into the break.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Ricky Leutele makes an unforced error.
Sharks halves try to link with Leutele but the centre is hammered and spills it.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
PENALTY Sharks! They get a reprieve and start a set just inside the Broncos half.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS: Conversion attempt by Jordan Kahu successful.
Kahu makes no mistake. It is an eight point lead for the Broncos now.
Brisbane Broncos 14-6
TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS: Scored by James Roberts. Kick to come.
Milford fashions something out of nothing.. and Cecchin points to the spot too! James Roberts with the jet boots to squeeze past the defenders.
Brisbane Broncos 12-6
Another PENALTY for the visitors. Will they go for the sticks.. nope, tapped.
Brisbane Broncos 8-6
UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Andrew Fifita makes an unforced error.
Hot potato continues! Fifita now has the greasy palms.. Broncos work it away.
Brisbane Broncos 8-6
Forward from Milford. The game has gone a bit shaggy in the last few minutes with some errors.
Brisbane Broncos 8-6
UNFORCED ERROR CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Jayson Bukuya makes an unforced error.
It is pass the parcel with the football atm. Bukuya now drops it.
Brisbane Broncos 8-6
Broncos cough it up again in the red zone, and Sharks get a penalty which pleased the baying masses.
Brisbane Broncos 8-6
Another blow of the whistle.. to the away side. Big chance for the Broncos to extend their lead past a converted try.
Brisbane Broncos 8-6
Moga, who has had an electric start to the contest earns a penalty here.. for a mid-air tackle.
Brisbane Broncos 8-6
SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL BRISBANE BRONCOS: Penalty goal attempt by Jordan Kahu successful.
They opt for the sticks.. Kahu gives them the lead again.
Brisbane Broncos 8-6
PENALTY BRONCOS! Hunt tries to grubber through for an onrushing Gillett who is hammered off the ball.. thus the whistle.
6 all
Leutele gives it right back though, with an error on his own 20.
6 all
UNFORCED ERROR BRISBANE BRONCOS: Jordan Kahu makes an unforced error.
The bomb gives everyone troubles and Kahu is hit as he gathers.. losing it.
6 all
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
James Maloney with his first attempt puts it through.
6 all
TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS: Scored by Gerard Beale. Kick to come.
Sharks take advantage of that.. and chain together a good sequence of passing for Beale to open their 2017 account!
Brisbane Broncos 6-4
UNFORCED ERROR BRISBANE BRONCOS: Anthony Milford makes an unforced error.
Broncos have been quite adventurous in the opening ten minutes but the ball hits the deck here. Sharks ball.
Brisbane Broncos 6-0
Sharks almost break through the evergreen Luke Lewis but the pass goes astray.
Brisbane Broncos 6-0
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS: Conversion attempt by Jordan Kahu successful.
Kahu lines up to convert his own score.. from the sideline and he swings it over.
Brisbane Broncos 6-0
TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS: Scored by Jordan Kahu. Kick to come.
Broncos shift it early and find some reward! Milford almost sliced through early in the set but was corralled. They went wide and Kahu has the strength to get across the line.
Brisbane Broncos 4-0
Now after some luck via the post.. Brisbane have it back, alongside a PENALTY.
0 all
PENALTY! First of 2017 goes to the premiers. Maloney finds the sideline quickly and off we go again!
0 all
Broncos scramble well.. and survive. Ben Hunt snaffles it.
0 all
What a start for the Sharks! Adam Blair takes the first hit-up and is dragged into the in-goal. Insane. Dropout incoming.
KICK-OFF! Here we go for another year!
Here come the teams.. first up is the Broncos in their traditional maroon and yellow, lead by Darius Boyd out onto the rapidly changing named stadium. Next out, of course, is the home side.. to a rapturous applause as the premiers take their first steps into the 2017 season!
Welcome to season 2017! It's been a long off season but now, we're back to the football! We have an entertaining contest to kick-off the season, the premiers Cronulla Sharks host the Friday night Broncos.. on a Thursday! Kick-off is set for 8pm and with the new teamsheet structure.. we have the final 17s already confirmed! Can the Sharks continue the roll they started in 2016? or will the Broncos ease some of the pressure on Wayne Bennett with a victory!
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Matt Cecchin, Alan Shortall
Touch Judges: Brett Suttor, Chris Butler
Video Referee: Luke Patten, Bernard Sutton
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (18)
Tries: Gerard Beale, James Maloney, Ricky Leutele
Field Goals:
Conversions: James Maloney (3/3)
Penalty Goals:
BRISBANE BRONCOS (26)
Tries: Jordan Kahu, James Roberts, Corey Oates, Anthony Milford
Field Goals:
Conversions: Jordan Kahu (4/4)
Penalty Goals: Jordan Kahu (1/1)