Brisbane Broncos

With Scott Sorensen playing a starring role from the bench and Api Koroisau controlling the ruck the Panthers kicked away in the second half to rack up their 20th win on the trot at home.

A confident start by the Broncos was rewarded with first points in the 11th minute when Tesi Niu crossed after Kotoni Staggs left Izack Tago and Jarome Luai in his wake before offloading to his fullback.

The Panthers clicked into gear in the 21st minute when Luai beat a couple of defenders on his way to the line and scores were level at 6-6.

An eight-point loss in round six and a six-point loss in round 19 ranked as two of the Broncos' best showings in a season which saw them win just seven games on their way to finishing 14th.

Hopes were high of a new dawn at Red Hill in 2022 with Adam Reynolds and Kurt Capewell joining a roster that already boasted Payne Haas and Kotoni Staggs but three straight losses have taken the shine off a promising 2-0 start.

Elsewhere, a Broncos star has been ruled out with coach Kevin Walters confirming a gun centre will make his club debut, while two more stars are racing the clock for the clash with the premiers.

THURSDAY

Canberra Raiders vs North Queensland Cowboys 7.50pm at GIO Stadium

Roosters five-eighth Sam Walker landed a sideline conversion to put his team ahead 18-16 just six minutes from fulltime after they had trailed 10-0 at the interval and then laid on the match winning try for second-rower Sitili Tupouniua.

Roosters centre Joey Manu scored two individual tries to get his team into the match, while Brisbane centre Kotoni Staggs was equally as inspirational for his team.

Kevin Walters will be most concerned by his side's defence which has leaked nine tries in the past two games, and the Roosters' form against the Cowboys will give the Broncos mentor some sleepless nights this week.

Injuries to Albert Kelly and Pat Carrigan compounded the issues for the Broncos and their depth will be tested as they look to get things back on track at home.

The Roosters rolled into Townsville and produced some of their best footy of the season to send an ominous warning to all their rivals that a top-four finish is very much on their radar in 2022.

Foxsports.com.au has obtained the footage which shows Haas’ left fist making contact with Kelly. The New South Wales Origin forward can also be heard calling Kelly a “f***ing c***.”

Kelly was also heard saying: “Why would I step on your shoes?”

Playing his first game since suffering a pectoral injury in round one, Johnson quickly found his groove, putting centre Jesse Arthars across with a perfectly timed pass in the fifth minute.

The Broncos then lost Thomas Flegler to the sin bin in the 21st minute and had Albert Kelly leave the field with an ankle injury and the Warriors capitalised through Arthars, who finished off some good lead-up by Johnson and Reece Walsh.

Having conceded just three tries across the first two rounds the Broncos gave up six to the Cowboys and some of the defensive lapses will give coach Kevin Walters sleepless nights in the build-up to round four.

The Warriors are yet to fully hit their straps but did enough to sneak past Wests Tigers and they'll look to build on that in front of their adopted home crowd in Redcliffe.

Plenty to look forward to in the battle of the big men with Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan matching motors with Addin Fonua-Blake and Matt Lodge, who combined for 298 metres against the Tigers.

A hat-trick to Cowboys forward Jeremiah Nanai and five-star performances from Valentine Holmes and former Bronco Tom Dearden led the visitors, who set up a 14-6 lead in the first half before going on with the game in the second.

It was a sweet homecoming in his second game against the Broncos for Dearden, who scored a try and set up three to outplay Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds.

Reynolds' first match at home was a mixed bag with the former Rabbitohs kicking the ball out twice on the full in the minutes leading up to Holmes' try in the 45th minute.

The arrival of Adam Reynolds and Kurt Capewell has the Broncos buzzing and their influence has been clear for all to see in the first two games.

Further north and the Cowboys have their own star recruits in Chad Townsend and Peta Hiku, two experienced campaigners who bring composure and class to a proud club crying out for a return to the glory days of 2015 and the gutsy days of 2017.

There is no better setting than Suncorp Stadium on a Sunday afternoon for the latest instalment in a rivalry which has been going strong since 1995 and rarely fails to deliver.