Brisbane Broncos comeback winner over Parramatta Eels

“It was a very good first try, very fast and well anticipated.”

Sailor will be missed when he leaves for St Helens next year, but will be given another chance to play for the Broncos after Walters confirmed Reece Walsh will not be able to return from a hand injury next week.

Despite the reversal, the first 10 minutes were still full of danger

This was the second straight game the Broncos got off to a shaky start but eventually fought back.

While Parramatta had already scored three touchdowns, they had only controlled the football twice and their defensive line was woefully lacking in offensive power.

But from that point on, Brisbane found their gear and turned things around under the guidance of Pat Carrigan and Adam Reynolds.

“It’s not a great start and it kind of goes against everything we talked about in the beginning,” Walters said.

“But I admire their courage to stick with the game and fight hard. Although the result was not pretty, they persevered well.

“They never gave up and that’s why we won the game, they just kept going and kept trying.”

Carrigan – as he had been all year – was an iron man, running for 215 metres and making 54 tackles to put the team in control.

From then on, Reynolds dominated with the Mariners, the captain getting a lucky try off a mistake from Blaise Talagay before working a miracle in the next set.

Sivo couldn’t block the center back’s high shot, and Reynolds quickly scooped up the ball and passed it to Kotoni Staggs with another grounder.

The 34-year-old’s performance sparked a shift in the team’s defence, as he kicked 708 metres and notched two assists and two defensive line break assists.

But Reynolds wasn’t satisfied and he made a terrible showing by firing the ball away with a minute left.

“There were moments in the game where we could have been better, simple as that,” Reynolds said.

“We were doing a lot of things and I had to do everything right and I didn’t do it tonight.”

Has the star co-star’s worth skyrocketed?

Walters has consistently said he believes the Broncos can keep his defensive line stars beyond their contracts in 2025, but the status of Staggs and Cobo will make that a difficult goal.

Staggs scored 130 touchdowns and eight interceptions against the Eels, which was arguably his best performance against the Eels. He produced the best performance of his career against the North Queensland Cowboys two weeks ago.

Although his defensive awareness was poor before Sivo’s attack attempt, his energy when dribbling the ball was crucial in generating momentum.

Cobo’s versatility in playing in the back line makes him an attractive target for opponents, while Walsh is set to renew his contract with the club, which will be a tricky issue for salary cap management.

It was Cobo’s first game since Round 21, and he scored a touchdown while running for 167 meters, 11 tackles, and two line breaks.

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“I loved seeing Selwyn with the ball in his hands, and I thought he made some good decisions defensively as well,” Reynolds said.

“This is his first game in a few weeks and there is no doubt he will perform better again.”

With teams such as the Sydney Roosters looking for a new centre pairing following the retirements of Joey Manu and Joseph Suali from rugby league, the Broncos are also facing key decisions in their careers.

How are the Broncos doing this season?

Brisbane still can’t afford to lose, but they still have a chance of finishing in the top eight.

They will be keenly watching to see if the Sharks can beat the Dragons, who will have to lose two of their remaining three games if the Broncos are to surpass them.

With the Dolphins in a similar position, next week’s battle in Brisbane promises to be an exciting one.

But Walters had no intention of hyping up the upcoming contest; he did, however, send a telling message.

“It (the Dolphins game) wasn’t more important than tonight, we had to win tonight, we didn’t play well and still won, and I’m sure if we played it again next week, the result wouldn’t be the same,” Walters said.

“There are no ifs and ifs here, we will be in the final. We will be in the final but we have to play well next week.”

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