Broncos outclass Bulldogs to snap losing streak

The scrutiny on both coaches leading into the game was immense with off-contract Bulldogs mentor Dean Pay needing a win as badly as Seibold, who’d had the blowtorch applied to him and his Broncos side after six consecutive losses.

Glenn revealed before the match that the players had dictated during the week how they were going to play. It is hard to gauge how much of that came to fruition as the standard of the football for the most part reflected two teams that were still way off their best.

The Broncos deserved their win with the offloading of Pangai and kicking game of Anthony Milford the highlight.

There was great anticipation ahead of the NRL debut of Bulldogs prop Luke Thompson, who had played 158 Super League games for St Helens and seven Tests for England and Great Britain.

Thompson made his presence felt early by running over Pangai and then walloping Payne Haas with a tackle that bent him backwards near the tryline.

It was Pangai who ignited the Broncos with a late offload, and new back-rower Corey Oates changed direction to power his way over three Bulldogs defenders to score.

Pangai had a barnstorming opening to the match and put himself in the frame to toe ahead a dropped ball by Aiden Tolman and score to give the Broncos a 10-nil lead after 15 minutes.

The Bulldogs were woeful and gave the Broncos plenty of chances inside their own territory but the home team was unable to capitalise.

Oates was put on report for a high shot on Marcelo Montoya and the Broncos bumbled their way through the next five minutes.

Kieran Foran made them pay with a cut-out pass to a flying Nick Meaney who finished superbly in the corner.

As half-time neared Thompson and Pangai wrangled, with the Englishman put on report for a shoulder charge on the Tongan international.

Milford gave the Broncos the advantage in the second half with a pinpoint kick from 40 metres out to catch Dallin Watene-Zelezniak out of position. Jamayne Isaako chased hard and won the race to give Brisbane a 16-4 lead.

Isaako landed a penalty from Smith’s indiscretion and the Broncos went in for the kill.

From a scrum Brodie Croft and Tesi Niu combined to send Xavier Coates over in the corner for his fifth try in five games this year.

Foran was the provider for Watene-Zelezniak to score but Pangai had the final say. He took four Bulldogs with him towards the sideline and with an inch to spare popped it back inside for Isaako to claim a second four-pointer.

Seibold entered the post-match press conference with a smile on his face for the first time in almost four months.

"It has been a while," Seibold said.

"It was a much better performance tonight. I have seen it in halves of footy recently but we were able to put back-to-back halves together which was really pleasing. There is better [to come] but it was a step in the right direction.

"The boys have been fighting really hard but we haven’t got the performances we wanted but that win tonight gives our members and supporters a little bit of a shot in the arm because they have stuck solid.

"It was just about getting on the right side of the scoreboard."

Seibold allowed Brisbane's leadership group to have more of say in the routine before the match and it paid off. 

"I am real process driven as a coach. We had Darren Lockyer working with the leadership group this year and we have been really trying to give them some ownership and a voice," he said.

"We haven’t got the results but it hasn’t been from a lack of effort or not trying. You certainly go to bed happier after a win, let’s be honest.

"It has been a challenging six weeks but I will keep working hard until I am no longer required, and hopefully that is in a few years time."