Broncos Hand Canberra Some Capital Punishment

The Brisbane Broncos have ground their way to an uncompromising 28-4 victory over the Canberra Raiders tonight in front of 8094 disappointed fans at Canberra's GIO Stadium.

It was a frosty night in the Nation's capital which lead many pundits to believe the Broncos would struggle in the unfamiliar chilly conditions. They looked comfortable from the outset however and engaged in an early battle for field position.

Both teams seemed content to work the ball up field early and test out the back three under the high ball but both teams stood firm in defence. It would take some Justin Hodges brilliance to open the game up. Hodges went on a stepping run just short of halfway and popped a one handed offload to Matt Gillett to race down field and send a long ball out to Bronco's winger Dale Copley to cross for first points in the 24th minute.

Corey Parker nailed the conversion from the sideline to give his team a 6-0 lead.

Copley would soon cross for a double in the 30th minute after Reece Robinson spilt a bomb from Broncos halfback Ben Hunt. Copley picked up the loose ball to crash over and reward Hunt and his team for their relentless aerial raids.

Hunt also added the extras to give his team a 12 point lead.

In the final 10 minutes of the first half, a few bounces of the ball went the home team's way giving them plenty of chances to hit back, but some strong scrambling defence saw the Bronco's take their twelve point advantage into the halftime break.

It was workhorse front rower Josh McGuire who scored first points in the second half, crossing for a controversial try in the 47th minute. Another Hunt bomb bounced the way of the Bronco's and centre Jack Reed ran around his fullback Ben Barba who appeared to have impeded Raiders skipper Terry Campese. Play was allowed to go on however and Reed passed to McGuire who went on a run across field before crossing over. The video referee confirmed the on field call in what was a tight decision and the Bronco's had themselves an 18-0 lead.

It was a pretty dour and at times sloppy second half, but the Raider's finally got a sniff after Raider's lock Fensom dived over in the 70th minute. Jarrod Croker's conversion attempt hit the left upright though to kill off any chance of a comeback.

Brisbane would cross for two soft tries in the final ten minutes to Ben Barba and Alex Glenn, sealing what proved a comfortable victory.

Both teams have the bye next week giving a few players a chance to recover from injuries. Andrew McCullough and Jack Reed both left the field late for Brisbane. While Canberra and Queensland will both be sweating on the fitness of Josh Papalii who limped off late with an ankle injury.

CANBERRA RAIDERS (4)
Tries: Shaun Fensom
Field Goals:
Conversions: Jarrod Croker (0/1)
Penalty Goals:

BRISBANE BRONCOS (28)
Tries: Dale Copley (2), Josh McGuire, Ben Barba, Alex Glenn
Field Goals:
Conversions: Corey Parker (1/2), Ben Hunt (3/3)
Penalty Goals:

Welcome to a frosty GIO Stadium where the Canberra Raiders will take on the Brisbane Broncos in Monday Night Football!
We're nearly at the halfway point of the season and the Raiders will be desperate for a win against the 8th placed Broncos to get within striking distance of the top 8, whilst the Broncos can move to equal 4th with a win tonight.

Both teams are 1-17 as named

2: Were under way with Canberra getting 1st use

4: Broncos get a chance early after a Ben Hunt bomb

4: Repeat set for Broncos with a McCullough grubber batted dead by McCrone

5: VIDEO REF for a possible McCullough try, ref has signalled no try

6: NO TRY, McCullough was held up

6: Raiders defence has stood firm early

8: Anthony Milford bomb caught in goal by Barba

7: Copley has been forced into touch & the Raiders will get a scrum 45m out from Bris line

9: McCrone taken into touch, Bris scrum 10 out from their own line

10: McCullough finds touch with a neat kick out of dummy half. Raiders scrum 15m from their line.

11: Raiders bomb bounces for Jack Reed to race down the left hand touch line

13: Raiders hang on again though after a double knock on from a Hunt bomb

14: Spiralling bomb from Campese taken by Barba

15: Robinson defuses another bomb from Hunt. Raiders working it out from their line

16: A good run from Robinson making good metres

16: Line Break Milford

17: UNFORCED ERROR CANBERRA RAIDERS
Brett White makes an unforced error.
White knocks on from dummy half

18: Another Broncos bomb defused by the Raiders

21: Campese kicks on the 4th to trap Bris deep in their own half

22: Both teams competing their sets at the moment with a good battle for field position taking place out there

24: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Dale Copley. Kick to come.
Copley finds 1st points after Hodges popped an offload for Gillett to race down field and sent a long ball to his right to score.

24: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker successful.
Parker nails it from the sideline

26: Brisbane consolidate their point, completing the following set of 6

26: McCrone nearly bursts through

27: Vidot cleans up a Campese stabbing kick

28: Hoffman kicks downfield & Milford takes a diving catch running forward

29: Fresh troops for the Broncos with Hannant & Lowrie on

29: VIDEO REF for a possible Copley Try, ref has signalled try...

30: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Dale Copley. Kick to come.
Copley grabs a double after picking up a loose ball that was fumbled from Robinson. Ben Hunt & his team finally get some joy from their aerial raids

30: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Ben Hunt successful.
Hunt adds the extras

32: Dane Tilse on for Canberra

32: McCrone kick charged down & Canberra get 6 more

34: UNFORCED ERROR CANBERRA RAIDERS
Anthony Milford makes an unforced error.
Milford slips & loses the ball while looking to attack

35: Some strong scrambling defence from Bris

35: Ben Hunt finds the line with a clearing kick 10 out from Canberra line

38: Canberra scrum 35 out from their own line following a Hunt kick

40: Campese earns his team a repeat set kicking in goal, Ben Hunt taking it dead

40: UNFORCED ERROR CANBERRA RAIDERS
Jack Wighton makes an unforced error.
Wighton tries to offload but the ball goes into touch

40: A fairly solid first half of footy tonight with both teams committed to the task at hand. Brisbane eventually got on top in the battle of field position and Canberra seemed to drop their heads a bit after back to back tries from Copley. The Raiders will need to come out firing in the 2nd half to get back in this one. Ben Hunt controlled things nicely for Brisbane. After eventually earning points with a relentless aerial raid, he then changed tactics by kicking to the corners and making Canberra work it out from their line. Stay tuned for the 2nd half

41: Players returning to the field

41: Were under way for the 2nd stanza

41: 1st Penalty of the night after a crusher tackle from Paul Vaughan

41: Bris ball on halfway

41: Hannant drops while trying to dive over from close range

43: Penalty against Bris for a lifting tackle & McGuire is on report

43: Penalty Bris for an obstruction against Milford

43: Bris fail to find touch

45: UNFORCED ERROR CANBERRA RAIDERS
Jack Wighton makes an unforced error.
Wighton loses the ball while being tackled. Jack Reed has been very strong defensively on Wighton

45: VIDEO REF for a possible Broncos try...

47: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Josh McGuire. Kick to come.
A controversial try for McGuire after what looked like an obstruction in the lead up, it was a tight decision though

47: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Ben Hunt successful.
Hunt converts from just to the right

49: Penalty for Bris & they take a quick tap to burst through

49: Milford cleans up after an Alex Glenn grubber

52: Handover for the Raiders after Hunt goes to the air for Reed to catch and get tackled

53: Penalty Canb, Bris inside the 10

53: Penalty Canb, Bris inside the 10

54: Mitch Cornish is on for Canberra

54: UNFORCED ERROR BRISBANE BRONCOS
Jarrod Wallace makes an unforced error.
Wallace loses it in the play the ball

55: Canb scrum 10m out...

56: Handover with Cornish tackled on the last again

57: Raiders attack doesn't look likely to crack the Brisbane defence

57: Penalty Canberra for a leg pull. Raiders ball 35 out from Bris line

58: Barba defuses a Cornish kick in goal

59: Penalty Bris against Shannon Boyd for holding down in the tackle

60: Bris ball 25 out...

61: A stabbing grubber from McCullough rolls dead

62: Barba again defuses a high bomb from Cornish

62: Drop ball, Raiders with another chance

63: Another handover with the Raiders again failing to kick on the last

63: Jack Reed heading for the sidelines to undergo the mandatory concussion test

64: Penalty Raiders against Thaiday & Parker in the ruck

64: Raiders have it 25 out...

65: Penalty against Hunt for a high shot on Brett White

66: UNFORCED ERROR CANBERRA RAIDERS
Brett White makes an unforced error.
White fumbles after Shillington nearly burst through

68: McCullough kicks from dummy half and finds the line 20 out from Canberra line

68: Croker earns his team a repeat set, grubbering through after a big charge from Shaun Fensom

68: Penalty Raiders after McGuire takes out Milford late

69: Another penalty for Canberra

70: TRY CANBERRA RAIDERS
Scored by Shaun Fensom. Kick to come.
Fensom crosses, running onto an offload from Brett White

71: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANBERRA RAIDERS
Conversion attempt by Jarrod Croker unsuccessful.
Croker's kick hits the left upright

71: Cornish nearly bursts through but offloads to Corey Parker

71: Broncos have it 20 out from Canb line

73: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Ben Barba. Kick to come.
Barba crosses, slicing through with a little dummy

74: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Corey Parker unsuccessful.
Parker misses the conversion

75: UNFORCED ERROR BRISBANE BRONCOS
Todd Lowrie makes an unforced error.
Lowrie doesn't play it correctly. Raiders scrum 45 out from Bris line.

76: UNFORCED ERROR CANBERRA RAIDERS
Terry Campese makes an unforced error.
Forward pass against Campese, tough call though

77: UNFORCED ERROR BRISBANE BRONCOS
Ben Hannant makes an unforced error.
Hannant fumbles trying to pick up the loose ball

78: Bris intercept an offload from Paul Vaughan. Its getting a bit sloppy now

78: Josh Papalii has limped off the field with an ankle injury

79: TRY BRISBANE BRONCOS
Scored by Alex Glenn. Kick to come.
Glenn crosses after dummying from acting half & strolling over

80: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION BRISBANE BRONCOS
Conversion attempt by Ben Hunt successful.
Hunt adds the extras from in front

80: Hodges boots the ball into touch & that will do us tonight

80: The Broncos have ground their way to victory in what was a pretty dour & sloppy second half.
Thanks for joining us and stay tuned for the Match Report to come