At the end of an emotional week for the Brisbane Broncos they were able to storm home in the second half to come away with a 22-18 win over Wests Tigers on Saturday in Newcastle.
Wearing specially designed jerseys with the initials of Toni Hunt and Lavinia Gould in a heart above the Broncos logo, Ali Brigginshaw's team scored twice in the last eight minutes to grab the win.
Hunt will take indefinite leave as she begins chemotherapy following a second cancer diagnosis, while Gould is also taking time to support her daughter, who remains in a serious condition in hospital following complications from surgery.
It was Brisbane’s backs whose speed got them out of trouble early in the first half but it looked as though Wests Tigers were going to claim the win in the second half after scoring back-to-back tries.
The efforts of Julia Robinson and Shenae Ciesiolka, who combined for 346 run metres and nine tackle breaks, helped steer the Broncos home in the end.
Shenae Ciesiolka Try
It was an arm wrestle of a first half which saw both teams completing at over 70 percent, but it was the Broncos whose confidence began to grow as they dominated possession.
Brisbane fired some early warning shots at the Tigers which saw Robinson cross in the 11th minute, before the try was denied due to an obstruction.
The Broncos attack lifted when interchange player Chelsea Lenarduzzi came on, as it was her blistering run down the middle which broke the Tigers defence allowing her to score to the right of the posts in the 22nd minute. Brigginshaw converted to make it 6-0.
Jakiya Whitfeld Try
After spending much of the first half defending repeat sets, Wests Tigers got back within two points on the stroke of half-time through winger Jakiya Whitfield's fourth try of the season.
The return of Rikeya Horne and Kezie Apps after missing last week due to head knocks lifted the Tigers and it was Apps who opened the scoring in the second half. Pauline Piliae-Rasabale made no mistake with the conversion, putting the Tigers in front for the first time.
The Tigers continued to keep the foot on the throttle, adding another six points and a first NRLW try for Salma Nour in the 43rd minute.
A hip-drop tackle on Sarah Togatuki saw Annetta Nu’uausala sent to the sin bin leaving the Broncos down a player, but an individual effort from Brianna Clarke dragged them back to 16-12 with 22 minutes to play.
The Broncos' discipline in defence allowed them to regroup and take the momentum back into their favour when Destiny Brill darted over from dummy half in the 62nd minute to lock it up at 18-18.
Ciesiolka then put the final touches on the match when she went over in the corner to bring the Broncos lead out to 22-18 in the 66th minute.
Match: Wests Tigers v Broncos
Round 8 -
home Team
Wests Tigers
8th Position
away Team
Broncos
4th Position
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Match Snapshot
- Wests Tigers Tarsha Gale Captain Jae Patu made her NRLW debut off the interchange bench
- Wests Tigers back-rower Eliza Siilata left the field five minutes into the match for a HIA after a head clash with Grace Griffin. She did not return.
- Broncos prop Brianna Clarke was placed on report in the 20th minute for a dangerous tackle.
Kezie Apps Try
- Wests Tigers prop Sarah Togatuki left the field after an alleged hip-drop tackle from Annetta Nu’uausala in the 45th minute which later ruled her out of the match.
- Wests Tigers activated their 18th player after losing Siilata to a HIA and Togatuki to foul play.
- Broncos forward Chelsea Lenarduzzi was placed on report in the 68th minute for a high tackle on Tigers replacement player Bianca Bennetts.
Salma Nour Try
Play of the Game
Brisbane forward Brianna Clarke got through a mountain of work which saw her run 157 metres and score a crucial try in the second half. It was her try which gave the Broncos the momentum shift after Wests Tigers had threatened to run away with the game.
Brianna Clark Try
What They Said
“It’s not all about being pretty in a regards to a really good win. I’m just proud of the girls, they didn’t shoot themselves in the foot, they didn’t rush things, they knew we had plenty of time - although it probably didn’t feel like that on the field. They certainly showed some patience and resilience and that’s the type of group that we’ve got, and it really showed our true character and who we are as a footy team.” - Broncos coach Scott Prince
Broncos: Round 8
“First half was a really good grind, I thought we did really well. We’ve struggled to score tries in the second half the last five weeks. We were able to score a couple of tries today and looked like leading and running away with it. Really disappointing to get to 16-6, and then they had a player in the bin, we put two tries on them it was all going our way then all of a sudden, we gave a penalty away, and missed some tackles. We got let down by a couple of individual choices and options which was poor.” - Wests Tigers coach Brett Kimmorley
Wests Tigers: Round 8
What's Next
Wests Tigers will host the Newcastle Knights next Thursday at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney. The Broncos are on the road again for the third week in a row, as they travel to Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney to take on the Dragons.
