Comeback Kids: Broncos come from 18 down to beat Bulldogs

Embed from Getty Images

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Brisbane Broncos

The Brisbane Broncos have pulled off one of the season's greatest comebacks, rallying from 18-0 down to hand the Canterbury Bulldogs a second straight loss with a stunning 22-18 win.

The Bulldogs opened the scoring in clinical fashion, capitalising on a well-executed scrum play close to the Broncos' line. Brisbane's defensive line failed to number up on the left edge, giving Marcelo Montoya just enough space to step and duck under the attempted tackle to plant the ball down and give Canterbury an early lead.

Selwyn Cobbo's mixed performance at fullback proved costly for the Broncos in the first half. First, the Broncos failed to shut down a Bulldogs movement after several missed tackles, and Matt Burton swooped on a loose ball to score following a defensive error. Then, just after the half-hour mark, Cobbo's lack of urgency chasing a bouncing kick allowed Viliame Kikau to charge through and grab a fortuitous try. The Bulldogs were well on top and led 16-0.

The second half began with the Bulldogs dominating field position and continuing to control the tempo. Despite their dominance, they could only add a penalty goal through Burton five minutes into the half, pushing the lead to 18-0 but missing a chance to land the killer blow.

Then, out of nowhere, the game shifted. The Broncos began to enjoy more possession, and with that came opportunities as errors started creeping into Canterbury's game. Brisbane finally got on the board just after the hour mark when Jordan Karapani showcased his agility and footwork to step past Connor Tracey and score. Moments later, Delouise Hoeter narrowed the gap further, latching onto a sharp pass from Ezra Mam to cross out wide.

With momentum now firmly behind them, the Broncos surged again. In his 100th NRL game, Billy Walters made a massive impact, combining well through the middle before diving over to bring the score to 18-16. With less than five minutes to play, Brendan Piakura powered his way to the line, refusing to be denied. Adam Reynolds calmly slotted the conversion to complete the comeback and hand Brisbane a 22-18 lead.

The Bulldogs will now need to address their second-half fadeouts after back-to-back defeats, especially ahead of a tough road trip to Townsville to face the Cowboys next Saturday. Meanwhile, the Broncos, full of belief after their dramatic win, will head to the Gold Coast for a Queensland Derby clash against the Titans.