The Brisbane Broncos suffered a heavy defeat to the Redcliffe Dolphins, losing 40-6 in the XXXX Derby at Suncorp Stadium due to critical errors at pivotal moments. These mistakes in the first half allowed Redcliffe to establish a significant lead by halftime, which proved insurmountable, especially in the absence of injured Kotoni Staggs. Staggs, who suffered a quad injury, did not return after the break.
Despite standout performances from Pat Carrigan, who tallied 119 running meters, 42 tackles, and a try; Corey Jensen with 52 tackles; and Jesse Arthars, who recorded 129 running meters, three tackle breaks, and a line break, the Broncos struggled to make an impact, leaving them in a precarious position regarding the finals.
The match began as a tight contest for the first 15 minutes until Jamayne Isaako scored in the right corner to give Redcliffe a 6-0 lead. In the 17th minute, Broncos captain Adam Reynolds was forced off for a head injury assessment following a late tackle by Felise Kaufusi, who was sin-binned for 10 minutes.
Redcliffe extended their lead to 12-0 with a try by Jake Averillo in the 21st minute. The Broncos began to rally, with Jesse Arthars breaking through the Redcliffe defense from his own half and passing to Selwyn Cobbo, who was stopped just short of the line. Brisbane maintained possession and eventually scored through Pat Carrigan in the 24th minute, reducing the deficit to 12-6 after a successful conversion by Staggs.
However, Redcliffe responded quickly, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow capitalizing on a Broncos error, intercepting a dropped ball, and sprinting 80 meters to score under the posts in the 28th minute. Brisbane’s situation worsened in the 30th minute when Xavier Willison was sin-binned for a high tackle. Redcliffe took advantage of the numerical advantage, with Averillo scoring again to make it 24-6 by the 34th minute.
The Broncos’ troubles compounded just before halftime when Staggs, having suffered a quad injury, was forced off for the rest of the game. Brendan Piakura also left the field due to a head knock and went for a head injury assessment.
The second half saw further deterioration for Brisbane, with Herbie Farnworth scoring for Redcliffe in the 47th minute after cutting back inside. The game was effectively sealed when Tabuai-Fidow scored his second try of the night 10 minutes later, extending Redcliffe’s lead to 30 points.
