Brisbane coach Michael Maguire rued his side’s poor start against Hull KR in the World Club Challenge after the fast-finishing Broncos fell just short in a 30-24 defeat to the English champions. Reece Walsh had flashes of brilliance for the defending NRL premiers after finishing the game with two try assists, two line breaks, six tackle busts and 20 runs for a whopping 268 metres.
But the Clive Churchill Medallist was also guilty of a number of mistakes in a rollercoaster display that summed up Brisbane’s night at a freezing MKM Stadium in Hull. The most glaring of Walsh’s errors came after 10 minutes when the Broncos were already down 6-0 and without prop Corey Jensen, who was knocked out of the game after just 90 seconds.
Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh (R) dropped a regulation bomb that led to Hull’s second try and Broncos coach Michael Maguire rued their poor start in the World Club Challenge. Pic: Getty
Things went from bad to worse when Walsh was unable to deal with a high kick from Hull near his own in-goal. The Broncos fullback spilled the ball as opposition players came charging towards him and Hull skipper Elliot Minchella scored off the very next set after some weak defence from Walsh and Cory Paix.
The hosts raced out to an 18-0 lead after 23 minutes before a superb cross-field kick from Walsh landed on Josiah Karapani’s chest and he dished it off for Gehamat Shibasaki to get Brisbane on the board. But the Broncos started the second half much like they did the first, with Hull scoring two tries to take a 26-point lead.
The fact that Brisbane got to within six points of Hull at the end was a testament to their determination and fight. But Maguire said the poor start – which was also an issue for the Broncos last season – ultimately cost his side any chance of winning a trophy the coach was desperate to bring back to Australia.
“We didn’t go with them at the start,” a dejected Maguire said after the match. “Unfortunately if you are going to wait until the end of the game over and over eventually it is going to hurt you. It is something we need to sort out.”
Fast-finishing Broncos made to pay for poor start against Hull
Hull led 30-4 after 55 minutes and looked set for a comfortable victory. But four tries in 16 minutes to Broncos stars Pat Carrigan, Deine Mariner, Shibasaki and Kotoni Staggs set up the grandstand finish. It wasn’t to be for Brisbane though as Hull KR became just the third team to complete the quadruple crown – winning the Super League title, minor premiership, Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge.
Reece Walsh and the Broncos made too many errors and paid the price for a poor start against Hull KR after losing by six points in the World Club Challenge. Image: AAP
Both sides ended the game with five tries apiece but Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds missed three conversions on a rare off night for the sharpshooter. However, NRL legend Cooper Cronk echoed Maguire’s warning that Brisbane need to find an answer to their sluggish starts ahead of the club’s NRL season opener against Penrith on March 6.
“The challenge for Michael Maguire is that their ceiling is so great but they have a low base when they’re inconsistent,” Cronk said post-game. “You can’t be down 30-4 against a good team in the NRL and expect to win every game…
“They caught fire at the back end of last year and deserved every accolade that came their way. (But) For the Broncos to finish in the top three, they’ve got to be way more consistent for 80 minutes than just brilliant for 20 minutes of the game. It is a bad habit to get into.”