The Broncos continued their unbeaten start to the season with a blistering 46-12 win over Wests Tigers at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
The last time Brisbane started a season 5-0 was 1998, when they went on to win the inaugural NRL premiership with current coach Kevin Walters calling the shots in the halves alongside Allan Langer.
Playing in his 50th NRL game, Jordan Riki got the scoring started for the Broncos when he stepped past Luke Brooks to dot down for the ninth try of his career.
In the 16th minute the home side jumped to a 10-0 lead when Ezra Mam put in a perfectly timed grubber for Kurt Capewell to score before Payne Haas powered over from dummy half to make it 16-0.
The Tigers got themselves into an attacking position in the 30th minute but a John Bateman offload was spilt by Isaiah Papali’i and Selwyn Cobbo pounced, racing 85 metres to score Brisbane’s fourth.
Another try from a grubber came the Broncos’ way in the 35th minute when livewire fullback Reece Walsh nudged the ball through for Riki to score his second of the night.
Down 28-0 at the break the Tigers found the line four minutes into second half when Brandon Wakeham launched a bomb for Papali’i to follow through and score his first try as a Tiger.
The Broncos then went left in the 47th minute and Walsh’s speed got him outside Wakeham and he put the ball on a platter for Herbie Farnworth to cross. Adam Reynolds’ conversion made it 34-6 to Brisbane.
When Walsh surged into a hole and set up Kotoni Staggs for a try the Broncos had raced to a 40-6 lead as they continued to pile on the punishment.
The Tigers had a second for the night when Jake Simpkin slid over from dummy half after Adam Doueihi had been held up just short of the line. Doueihi converted to make it 40-12.
Wakeham then earned the Tigers a repeat set with a deft kick into the in-goal but the Broncos went the short dropout and Farnworth flew high to tap the ball down to Keenan Palasia.
Continuing his dazzling form Walsh got clear with five minutes to play and kicked back infield for Mam but the five-eighth was unable to control the bouncing ball and that chance went begging but the Broncos had their eighth soon after when Reynolds set up Staggs with an inch perfect grubber.
Source: NRL.com