An undermanned Brisbane Broncos built their effort on defence and came away with an upset 26-22 defeat of the Warriors in front of a sellout 16,195 crowd at McLean Park in Napier. Missing five State Of Origin representatives, the Broncos went into the game as rank outsiders but three incredible try-saving defensive efforts in the opening half showed they were up for the fight on foreign soil. Props Keenan Palasia and Corey Jensen were huge as they stepped up into the starting side, while hooker Billy Walters and backrowers Kurt Capewell and Jordan Riki were also inspirational. Skipper Adam Reynolds was at his scheming best while centre Kotoni Staggs, winger Deine Mariner – with two tries playing his first NRL game of the season – and fullback Tristan Sailor making his Broncos debut were also standouts. Sailor made his mark on the game early with a brilliant try-saving tackle on Rocco Berry in the 11th minute, somehow getting his hand under the ball to deny the opening points in the right corner. Brisbane were forced to produce more tryline heroics in the 18th minutes when three Broncos managed to hold up Dallin Watene-Zelezniak when he appeared certain to score. And after weathering the Warrior storm, it was more strong Broncos defence that created the visitor’s opening try in the 23rd minute when Mariner swooped on a loose pass and turned on the jets to go 90 metres for his first NRL try of the season.

Captain Adam Reynolds converted from out wide on the right to give his side a 6-0 lead. Martin Taupau was the next man up to make a try saver when got his body underneath hooker Freddy Lussick as he appeared certain score from close range in the 27th minute. It took until just before halftime for the Broncos defensive line to crack when they invited the Warriors into their red zone through repeat penalties and some nice hands saw Watene-Zelezniak dive over in the right corner in the 36th minute for a converted try to level the scores. But the Warriors handed the visitors one last shot when they knocked on from the kick-off – and Broncos backrower Riki obliged by surging onto a lovely face ball from Walters to score on the right edge. Reynolds converted and it was 12-6 to Brisbane at the break. The opening passage of the second half was an arm wrestle with the Broncos eventually getting the better of the contest when Reynolds dummied his way through the line and found halves partner Ezra Mam on the inside to score under the posts. Reynolds converted for an 18-6 lead after 53 minutes. Reynolds pushed the lead out to 14 points with a penalty goal in the 58th minute but a mistake from the kickoff saw the Warriors stay in touch with another try to Watene-Zelezniak to bring it back to 20-10 in the 61st minute. The Broncos put the game back in their keeping with nine minutes to go when Sailor threaded a perfect grubber through the line for Mariner to score his second try of the night for a 24-10 lead. But tries to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Marcelo Montoya got the home team back to 26-22 with two minutes remaining, and then a holding-back penalty against the Warriors denied them what would have been the winning try. BRONCOS 26 (Tries: Mariner 2, Riki, Mam. Goals: Reynolds 5) defeated Warrirors 22 (Tries: Watene-Zelezniak 2, Nicoll-Klokstad, Montoya. Goals: Johnson 3) at McLean Park, Napier. Halftime: Broncos 12-6. Crowd: 16,195 Source: brisbanebronncos.com.au