Broncos hold off fast finishing Eels in the Top End

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Parramatta Eels v Brisbane Broncos

Brisbane has continued their red-hot start to their season defeating the Parramatta Eels by 26-16 in greasy conditions at TIO Stadium in Darwin this evening.

Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds was terrific for his side, scoring a try and producing a masterful kicking display in humid conditions which kept the Broncos knocking on the door of the Eels defensive line time after time.

The Eels missed over 40 tackles in the match and were a shadow of the side last week that racked up a big score against the Bulldogs. However, it was a lapse in concentration before halftime where Parramatta let in three consecutive tries which ultimately took the game away from Brad Arthur's men.

The game was not without controversy with two players sent to the Sin Bin for Hip Drop tackles. The first from Eels backrower J'maine Hopgood seemed very harsh, while the second from Ezra Mam deserved punishment.

The loss for the Eels was further soured with a groin injury to in form front rower Regan Campbell-Gillard following a tackle from Payne Hass, when the 110-kilo front rower's weight landed on Campbell-Gillard's leg.

In front of a sell-out crowd in Darwin, Brisbane got on the scoreboard after just five minutes when Eels skipper Clint Gutherson was penalised in front of the posts for an illegal strip on Broncos hooker Billy Walters. Adam Reynolds took the easy penalty on offer and it was an early 2-0 lead to the visitors.

The Broncos then scored the first try of the night through a costly error from Eels winger Sean Russell who spilled an Adam Reynolds bomb. Herbie Farnworth was there to pick up the scraps to spin away from Gutherson in cover to score a gift. Reynolds' attempt hit the upright and it was 6-0 to Brisbane.

Parramatta hit back just moments later when Clint Gutherson toed through a Dylan Brown grubber to score the Eels first try of the night. Moses converted the try to even the score a quarter way through the match.

The Eels lead was fleeting however, when Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam bust the line minutes later and delivered a beautiful flick pass to his halves partner Reynolds who scored under the sticks. The skipper then converted his own try and it was 12-6.

Brisbane then exploded with two more tries, the first through Ezra Mam who was on the spot to collect a Kotoni Staggs bat back from the edge of the dead ball line. Staggs then had his own try minutes later when he collected an Adam Reynolds kick which ballooned back into his arms to blow the lead out to 22-6 at halftime.

The Broncos then received back-to-back penalties following a controversial Sin Bin decision on Eels backrower J'Maine Hopgood for a dubious hip drop tackle. This was followed by a high tackle by Mitchell Moses which allowed Reynolds to extend the lead by another four points.

The Eels then hit back late with consecutive tries through their wingers in Maika Sivo and Sean Russell to narrow lead to 26-16 with fifteen minutes remaining, however it was a bridge to far for the Eels who now sit in the bottom half of the ladder after the opening 8 rounds.

The Broncos now face an in-form South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium next Friday night in what promises to be an absolute blockbuster. Parramatta now return to Sydney where they host Newcastle at CommBank Stadium in the proceeding game in Round 9.