Reece Walsh overcame a couple of glaring blunders to produce the match winning try, while Payne Haas set the win up with a huge display up front and Adam Reynolds came up clutch to lead the Broncos to a Grand Final.
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Read on for all of the Brisbane Broncos player ratings!
1. REECE WALSH — 8
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Slipped over to allow Alamoti to score. Missed a crucial conversion that would have made it a two point game. But his brilliance shone through in the end setting up the match winning try for Deine Mariner. Finished with 152 metres, 11 tackle busts, two offlaods, a linebreak, a linebreak assist and a try assist.
2. JOSIAH KARAPANI — 6
Made four poor errors in the first half, but bounced back in the second to finish with 140 metres and worked hard out of yardage all day.
3. KOTONI STAGGS — 8
Pounced on an Adam Reynolds grubber to get the Broncos back in the game. Finished with 138 metres, three tackle busts and 17 tackles with just one miss. Set the tone for the Broncos’ comeback with some bullocking runs.
4. GEHAMAT SHIBASAKI — 7
Capped a brilliant season with another tireless display to finish with 137 metres, two offloads, one offload and 15 tackles and made some huge runs as the Broncos stormed home in the second half.
Prelim disaster – Sorensen OUT early! | 00:30
5. DEINE MARINER — 8
Horror drop ball on his own line early, but bounced back to run for 151 metres to go with seven tackle busts, a linebreak and a try.
6. BEN HUNT — 7
Set up the Broncos’ second try for Xavier Willison with a dummy and run out of dummyhalf. Frustrated early, but underplayed his hand beautifully at hooker when Ezra Mam came on. Finished with 12 metres and 34 tackles.
7. ADAM REYNOLDS — 9
Set up a try for Kotoni Staggs with a pinpoint grubber. Kicked a huge match winning sideline conversion. Finished with 12 metres, a try assist and 22 tackles to go with his clutch conversion to lead the Broncos to the decider.
8. COREY JENSEN — 8
Stepped up in the absence of Patrick Carrigan to finish with 93 metres and 38 tackles in a rock solid display up front.
9. CORY PAIX — 7
Not in the team for his creativity, but provided slick service and was rock solid in defence with 30 tackles without a miss.
10. PAYNE HAAS — 9
Ran for the most metres of any forward with 165 to go with four tackle busts, an offload and 39 tackles without a miss in a herculean performance to lead the Broncos to another Grand Final.
11. BRENDAN PIAKURA — 7
Solid without being spectacular on the edge finishing with 41 run metres and 27 tackles.
12. JORDAN RIKI — 9
Huge performance on the edge to finish with 76 run metres, a tackle bust, an offload and a team high 42 tackles including some big defence on his own line to deny the Panthers in the second half.
13. TYSON SMOOTHY — 7
Did an excellent job filling in for Patrick Carrigan to finish with 31 run metres, an offload and 31 tackles in the middle.
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14. EZRA MAM — 8
Added spark when he came on the field as the Broncos launched their comeback. Got in a fiery scuffle with Cleary showing he wouldn’t take a backward step. Ran for 75 metres to go with two tackle busts and nine tackles and looked dangerous every time he touched the ball.
15. KOBE HETHERINGTON — 7
Added plenty of fire when he came off the bench to run for 74 metres to go with an offload and 20 tackles.
16. XAVIER WILLISON — 9
Gave away a penalty for chopping at the legs, but made amends with a crucial try in the second half after pouncing on a pass from Ben Hunt that came off a Panthers defender. Finished with a whopping 137 metres, a tackle bust, a linebreak, a try and 18 tackles without a miss in his first game back from a broken arm that sidelined him for the best part of two months.
17. BEN TALTY — 6
Provided spark in limited minutes off the bench to finish with 28 metres and 12 tackles without a miss.