The Broncos got out of jail with a 26-all draw, but the Titans halfback Toby Sexton outshone all three of the Brisbane halves on a wet night at Cbus Super Stadium.
Selwyn Cobbo crashed over in the corner to get the Broncos off to a dream start after just six minutes.
However the Titans hit back with a try to halfback Sexton to take the lead after 13 minutes of action.
A breakaway long-range try from a rampaging Treymain Spry extended the Titans lead to 12-4 in the second quarter.
In his return from injury Kotoni Staggs produced a brilliant step to score just before halftime to cut the deficit to four points.
Spry came up with his second try of the night after halftime to make it 16-8 to the Titans.
Esan Marsters then produced a try to push the Titans lead out to 22-8 with half an hour to go.
Jaylan De Groot then scored a try of his own to make it 26-8 as the Titans started to run away with it.
Brisbane was eventually able to break through for its third try of the night though as Ezra Mam scored to close the gap to 12 points.
The Broncos looked destined to reduce the deficit further, save for a stunning try-saver from
Taine Tuaupiki.
Jaimin Jolliffe dragged a few defenders with him and opened up the line for Shalin Fuller to strike out of dummy-half but Tuaupiki somehow held him up.
“Try-saver of the year... how did he do that?,” Andrew Voss said in commentary.
“How’d he manage this... that’s tremendous,’ Michael Ennis added.
Tuaupiki could not stop Cory Paix from pouncing to score a few minutes later but it did not take away from his brilliant try-saver.
Brisbane stormed back and after seemingly looking out of the game, found another try through Brenko Lee after throwing the ball around with little to lose.
Jamayne Isaako slotted the goal from the sideline to “get out of jail” according to Voss as the game finished a 26-all draw.
Here are the key takeaways from the match.
REYNOLDS HALVES PARTNER NO CLEARER
The Broncos are no closer to learning who will partner Adam Reynolds after all three candidates failed to cement the position against the Broncos.
Billy Walters was solid at five-ighth, but Albert Kelly and Tyson Gamble had nights to forget at Cbus Super Stadium.
Michael Ennis believes who partners Adam Reynolds in the halves is a massive concern for the Broncos.
“Kevvie Walters is not happy and no doubt he would be concerned because this five-eighth role is so pivotal,” Ennis said.
“Who partners Adam Reynolds is the biggest story around Brisbane at the moment.
“They have got some wonderful outside backs. They have got great forwards. But who partners Adam Reynolds? It is vital for Brisbane’s success this year.
“I think it is concerning that so close to the season the Broncos don’t know their five-eighth.
“These last few weeks should be just fine tuning that combination because it is a new one. If we are still sitting here wondering who their five-eighth is two weeks out I think that is a concern for Brisbane.”
Corey Parker believes the Broncos halves were guilty of overplaying their hand in a bid to impress the selectors.
“The problem with coming into a trial and you don’t know who has got the No.6 is when you get your opportunity you try and do everything you can and sometimes overplay your hand,” Parker said.
“You try and do too much. Tyson Gamble came up with a poor pass and he had a seven tackle set of a kick.
“The word coming out of the Broncos in the pre-season is defence so you have to mark the halves on their defensive structures.
“If we are doing that over the first 40 minutes Billy Walters holds his hand up in that area.
“The second part to it is the way they are going to direct the team with Adam Reynolds.
“We saw the Broncos produce some pretty awful end of sets. That is what Adam Reynolds was brought to the club for with his control and composure and the way he is able to end sets.
“As Kevvie said it is going to come down to defence. They have one more game to go so we will see.”
Benji Marshall and Ennis noted just how important Reynolds is to the Broncos’ success in 2022.
“We know Adam Reynolds is going to do 90 per cent of the kicking,” Marshall said.
“The guy who takes his opportunity running the footy tonight is going to get the inside running.
“I did notice where Adam Reynolds is going to impact the Broncos the most.
“They had a couple of end of sets where they kicked the ball dead and Albert Kelly left the field because of that.
“I thought Billy Walters handled himself well and held his own, but the Adam Reynolds effect is going to take place.”
“Reynolds will make a huge difference to their attack,” Ennis added.
“Their goal line attack at the moment needs some work there is no doubt about that.
“Anything outside the 20 or 30 metre line where they are moving the ball with offloads through the middle, they look good Brisbane.
“But once they get inside that attacking 20 it is a little pedestrian.”
Parker believes the Broncos need to address their end of set options.
“It is a real area that the Broncos need to fix up their end of set plays,” Parker said.
“They had two seven tackle sets from Albert Kelly and then they back it up with a penalty and give the Titans a real leg up.
“It is a real interesting one for Kevvie Walters and his halves pairing.
“He has got one more game to make up his mind in terms of who is going to partner Adam Reynolds.”
The Titans made the bold call to get rid of both their halves in Ash Taylor and Jamal Fogarty in the off-season putting their faith in a four game rookie in Toby Sexton.
However on what we saw against the Broncos it looks to have been a masterstroke from Justin Holbrook.
Sexton had a linebreak, six tackles without a miss and a try and his kicking game was on point from start to finish.
“You think of some of the great halves that have played the game and they are support players,” Ennis said of Sexton’s try when he ran a forward’s line to barge over.
“You think of Andrew Johns he would push into holes like that. Cooper Cronk was able to do it. James Maloney was fantastic at it.
“It is a courageous line and that is a good sign from a young man to be able to do that so close to the line.”
Cooper Cronk lauded the decision to invest in Jayden Campbell at fullback and Sexton at halfback.
“I loved it,” Cronk said of their combination.
“I like what Campbell is doing. He made a difficult catch. But just his footwork.
“He is electric one on one whether it is a small defender or a big middle third player. He can get through the middle third and create.
“They are all in on Toby Sexton and Campbell. There has been some nice touches.
“There is something going on at the Titans where Mal Meninga and Justin Holbrook really like the combination of Campbell, AJ Brimson and Sexton and they are really going to take them to the next level.”
Benji Marshall believes Sexton has the perfect temperament for a halfback in the NRL.
“They are all in on Sexton and they let a player like Fogarty go to the Raiders, which means they rate Sexton highly,” Marshall said.
“I just like his energy. He is not the most elusive player but he gets the job done. He organises the team very well.
“I think there is bright signs for his future.
“You saw Toby Sexton push through that gap and a lot of halves don’t run those brave lines. I certainly didn’t.”
STAGGS SHINES BUT BRONCOS OLD BAD HABITS REMAIN
Kotoni Staggs showed just what the Broncos were missing in attack, but their defensive woes continued against the Titans.
Staggs had 43 run metres, two tackle busts, a linebreak, three tackles and a brilliant solo try in the first half against the Titans.
Michael Ennis and Cooper Cronk were amazed by Staggs’ superb four-pointer.
“Just bang, bang, shimmy and the power and acceleration from Kotoni Staggs made it all too easy,” Ennis said.
“What a player he is. He just goes bang and cuts back on that inside and gets over for Brisbane just before halftime.
“I hope this kid gets an opportunity to have a full season. He is a supreme athlete.
“There is so much ability there.”
“I like the individual brilliance of Kotoni Staggs,” Cronk said.
“The last try of the first half from Staggs was just brilliant.
“The Kotoni Staggs effect right there. Shimmy, shimmy, right foot step and left fend.
“We have seen that right through since his debut game.
“They need to get Reynolds in and condense that middle third of the field so they can get the ball out to their edges and Kotoni Staggs.”
The Broncos were saved by three late tries, but their defence was pretty average and they found themselves down 28-6 late in the second half.
“Their edge defence needs to improve dramatically... it was paper-thin at times last year,” Cronk said.
“I really think that is the thing he wants to see improve.”
Source: foxsports.com.au