The Broncos overcame a horror first half to pull off the heist of the season and stun the Bulldogs thanks to three moments of magic from five-eighth Ezra Mam, who was booed every time he touched the ball.
The visitors are now well and truly in the hunt for a top-four spot after leaving Accor Stadium with a 22-18 victory when it looked at one stage like they would lose by 40.
The Broncos were dead and buried when Matt Burton slotted a penalty goal to put the hosts up 18-0 early in the second half, but some Mam brilliance turned the game on its head as Brisbane crossed four times in the final 20 minutes to steal the win.
“That’s the great escape. These are grand final like celebrations,” Dan Ginnane said on Fox League.
“They’ve come from the clouds,” Cooper Cronk said.
The Bulldogs’ collapse left the Fox League panel in shock.
“I’m in disbelief over what just happened,” Greg Alexander said while Mick Ennis added: “They completely self-destructed the Dogs … it just fell apart”.
The Broncos couldn’t have played any worse in the first half as Selwyn Cobbo struggled in his return to first grade, but the undermanned Broncos still had Mam who took it upon himself to steal the win.
The classy five-eighth got the ball rolling when he found Josiah Karapani with a long ball, with the winger dancing through to score a stunner from near halfway.
Mam then played short to set up journeyman Delouise Hoeter for a try five minutes later, before Billy Walters burrowed over from close range to bring them within two.
A Kotoni Staggs break should have resulted in a Broncos penalty from wide out, but it mattered little as Mam played short to send Brendan Piakura over for the winner with seven minutes to go after he passed an early HIA.
An hour before kick off, Lachlan Galvin was promoted to the Dogs’ starting side with Matt Burton shifting into the centres.
For the first try, Galvin combined with Connor Tracey and Marcelo Montoya down the short side off a scrum to create space, with Montoya diving over in the corner.
Burton scored the Bulldogs’ second try after an outstanding chip and chase from 30 metres out.
“Not too many players can do that,” Cooper Cronk said in commentary.
Montoya’s pass in the lead up was also a highlight.
The Bulldogs winger kept the play alive on tackle five after collecting an errant pass and when he was tackled, kept it alive again with a miraculous flick pass over his head.
BIG HITS
HALF MEASURES
Friday’s shock result cost the Bulldogs any chance of finishing the round in first spot, with their second-half fadeout set to leave coach Cameron Ciraldo furious given his side should have been able to defend the lead.
Next year’s halves situation may be looking a lot clearer with confirmation Toby Sexton is off to the Super League, but the playmaker conundrum for the rest of 2025 remains a mystery after the Bulldogs pulled a late switch on Friday night.
Ciraldo declared on Thursday that his plans for Lachlan Galvin wouldn’t be influenced by the same people who questioned his side’s recruitment strategy, but the mid-season recruit did end up starting on the same day that Sexton’s move to join Catalans in 2026 was confirmed.
While the halfback won’t be there next year, he still remains a key figure this season, with the only question who will partner him in the halves.
Matt Burton was named at five-eighth after finally not being the NSW 18th man, but he started at left centre thanks to a late reshuffle that saw Galvin start in the halves.
Both men had their moments – Burton scored and Galvin had some joy with his kicking game – but they didn’t combine well in attack on a night that didn’t provide Ciraldo with the answers he would have wanted.
OH NO COBBO
Cobbo’s first game since round 13 couldn’t have gone any worse with the Broncos fullback at fault for two tries on a night that justified Michael Maguire’s decision to drop him to reserve grade.
The former Maroons star had been out for a month but got his chance with Reece Walsh and Gehamat Shibasaki away on Origin duty, but it was a night to forget for the young man who is off to the Dolphins in 2026.
Cobbo and Deine Mariner failed to clean up a kick which allowed Burton to score, while he didn’t catch a Galvin bomb which ended up with Viliame Kikau crashing over.
He also sent a kick-off sailing out on the full and fumbled a ball when the Broncos had a rare attacking opportunity which could see him sent straight back to reserve grade.
He wasn’t the only one who struggled with skipper Adam Reynolds kicking out on the full twice, sending a grubber dead and having another one charged down before he nailed some clutch goals to seal the win.
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