It proved a little close for comfort, but Dean Young’s Dragons managed to hold off the Broncos 30-26 at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon for their first win of the season.
It was again the side’s young forwards who stood up with Toby Couchman (20 runs, 215 run metres, 36 tackles) going toe-to-toe with five-time Dally M Prop of the Year Payne Haas (23 runs, 281 run metres, 33 tackles) whilst Dylan Egan and Hamish Stewart both assisted on tries and Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga and Ryan Couchman again tallied triple-digit run metres.
“I’m stoked for all the boys, all the staff, all the fans that have been waiting so long,” Young said.
“That win’s been four weeks in the making. We’ve done a lot of things right at training and the last four weeks we’ve played the top four teams… Tonight, our back five were outstanding, our forwards wanted to win the physical battle, and our spine were outstanding at sticking to the plan.”
The Dragons were tested early defensively, but the visitors stood tall with Moses Suli throwing Ezra Mam over the sideline metres out from the stripe.
Dylan Egan produced a one-on-one strip on Patrick Carrigan soon after and the Dragons found first points off it with Hamish Stewart coming off the left foot and fashioning a pass inside as he was stumbling to Valentine Holmes who leapt over to slam the ball down.
Holmes converted his own try to make it 6-0 just seven minutes into proceedings.
Adam Reynolds was placed on report for a dangerous tackle which left Toby Couchman clutching at his lower leg in the aftermath of the try.
The Dragons went close to a second try their next set after Josiah Karapani was unable to reel in Daniel Atkinson’s last-tackle bomb.
The officials ruled a forward pass as they attacked off it, but it mattered little with Atkinson scoring off his own grubber several plays later to put his side ahead 12-0.
Ryan Couchman was also placed on report for a dangerous tackle on Payne Haas before Brendan Piakura was placed on report for a high shot on a kicking Atkinson a quarter of the way in.
Holmes knocked over a penalty goal off it to extend the Dragons lead beyond two converted tries.
Karapani went close to snagging Brisbane’s first try off a Mam chip only for a desperate Dragons cover effort led by Clint Gutherson to force a drop in the in-goal.
An escort penalty handed the Broncos an opportunity at a gift penalty goal as the half-time siren sounded to cut the deficit back to a dozen.
The next points of the contest belonged to Brisbane with Jesse Arthars reeling in a Dragons pass as the visitors were on the attack and taking off downfield to score untouched.
Undeterred, the Dragons came up with an answer off a cross-field Atkinson kick which Stewart went aerial to take in and throw it back to Gutherson who moved it outside to Mathew Feagai to score.
NRL Match Highlights: Round 13 vs. Broncos
Holmes came up with a miraculous try moments later getting a hand to an Adam Reynolds cut-out and toeing it forward before it hit the ground to race away and score underneath the sticks.
Setu Tu scored off an Atkinson bomb the very next set to extend the Dragons’ advantage out to 30-8 with a quarter to play.
The Broncos made a late charge courtesy of tries to Karapani, Xavier Willison, and a second to Arthars but the Dragons were able to hold on for an emotionally charged victory in enemy territory – and their ninth from their past 11 against the Broncos.
NRL Press Conference: Round 13 vs. Broncos
