Broncos solve halves headache — but a ‘Ferrari’ was missing; Burton causes nightmares: 3 Big Hits

The Broncos have hung on to defeat the Bulldogs 16-10 in a thrilling clash to finish Round 2 — and secure back-to-back wins to start the season.

The Dogs got on the board first thanks to a Braidon Burns try. They were able to capitalise off a Broncos error when fullback Tesi Niu dropped a stunning Matt Burton bomb — that sideline commentator James Hooper dubbed “genius.”

Brisbane hit back through Corey Oates who scored off a pinpoint Albert Kelly kick.

Neither Burton or Reynolds could convert the tries to scores were locked up 4-all at half time.

A fired up Dogs outfit came out in the second half and it took just eight minutes for them to snatch back the lead through hooker Jeremy Marshall who burrowed over from dummy half.

Fox League commentator Warren Smith summed up the opening minutes of the second half when he said “who let the Dogs out?”

But five minutes later the tables turned as Herbie Farnworth stripped the ball off Braidon Burns and ran 50 metres to score. Reynolds slotted the conversion and the scores were once again all locked up.

Brisbane had a chance to take the lead but bombed what would have been a sensational try. Reynolds threw a stunning ball — between his legs — only for Kotoni Staggs to knock on over the line.

They made up for it though when Farnworth crossed for his second of the night. Sharpshooter Reynolds nailed the conversion and snatched a 16-10 lead for the Broncos.

The Bulldogs desperately tried to fight back and it got close when Josh Addo-Carr put in a grubber in the final 10 seconds, but Albert Kelly scooped up the ball to seal his team’s win.

KEVVIE SOLVES HALVES HEAD ACHE AS REYNOLDS TICKS OFF DEBUT

Broncos coach Kevin Walters said before the game that he wanted Reynolds to “slide into the side as seamlessly as possible.”

The level-headed halfback did exactly that, according to Michael Ennis, as he went about his business in the first half without overplaying his hand.

“It’s been an immediate impact from the Broncos’ No.7,” he said.

“You can already see just how calm they are, happy to play the long game here and roll through the middle and Reynolds’ kicking game just happy to turn the Bulldogs around.”

But with the game locked up 4-all at half time, Reynolds really started to come alive.

“All the talk this week, all the hype has been around the little master,” Ennis said.

“This is what he’s been brought to the club for, this is exactly where the Broncos have been at the last few seasons. They’re in a dogfight here and they need their No.7 to get their home.

“This is what he was brought he for, this is what he’s so good at - taking the game away from the opposition and suffocating them.”

While it wasn’t Reynolds’ most dominant game, there’s no doubt his calm nature did the Broncos wonders as things got hectic in the final minutes.

He also gets a special mention for the insane bucket pass threw his legs that would have been the try assist of the year had Staggs not knock it on over the line.

Walters doesn’t have to worry about Reynolds. The 31-year-old is a proven winner and will find his groove soon enough. The big question mark has always been over who would play five-eighth.

Albert Kelly got the nod over Billy Walters — who was used as a hooker off the bench — and the 30-year-old did more than enough to cement his spot in the No.6 jersey.

Kelly had a strong Round 1 and then backed it up on Sunday, setting up the Broncos’ first try and collecting a desperate Dogs grubber in the last 10 seconds to save the game.

“We saw his instinctive play against Cody Walker last week where he plucked the ball out of Cody’s back pocket and raced 80 metres to score. With his first real injection down this left-hand side it’s a really nice chip,” Ennis said of Kelly’s kick to Oates.

“That was special from Kelly. He had a split second to realise that Okunbor — who is a big man — would struggle to turn around if he landed that kick perfectly and in the blink of an eye just changed.”

Source: foxsports.com.au

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foxsports.com.au