Electric first half sets Broncos up for big win

Twenty unanswered points in the first half set the Broncos up for a dominant 32-10 win over the Roosters on Thursday night, which keeps them on track to secure a top four spot in coming weeks. 

In what was arguably their best opening 40 minutes of the year, Herbie Farnworth, Ezra Mam and Patrick Carrigan crossed for tries, with Adam Reynolds converting all three and adding a penalty in front of a boisterous crowd at The Gabba. 

While Brisbane's fourth-straight win keeps them right in the race for the minor premiership – jumping them to the top of the Telstra Premiership ladder for the meantime ahead of the Panthers playing on Saturday night – it could spell the end of the Roosters' hopes of playing finals in 2023. 

Reynolds pulled the strings beautifully in a performance which included two try assists, while up front Payne Haas and co dominated the contest in the middle. 

On an otherwise dreadful night, veteran wing Daniel Tupou became the Roosters' all-time record try-scorer with his 140th try, scored 10 minutes from full-time.

Brisbane came screaming out of the gates, and after Farnworth's reaching effort on four minutes, Reece Walsh chipped the ball perfectly over the top for a flying Mam to collect for a try under the posts. 

With Reynolds converting both and then adding a penalty, the Broncos assumed a 12-0 lead which they held until Carrigan got over for the first try of his 78-game career six minutes from the break. 

Prior to that the Roosters had a James Tedesco try rubbed out when the Bunker found an obstruction in the lead up. 

Down 20-0 at the break, the Tricolours enjoyed a glut of early possession in the second half but couldn't find a way through the organised Brisbane goal-line defence. 

A fourth Broncos try to Kotoni Staggs was ruled out for offside on 54 minutes, but there was no denying him 13 minutes later when he punished Lindsay Collins for an error coming off his own line, for his fourth try in seven games against the Roosters. 

Billy Smith and Tupou got over in the final quarter for the Roosters, with the latter being a historically significant achievement, but it was Mam who had the final say with a runaway effort scored after a wayward kick from Smith gifted him an open field.