A never-say-die Broncos, missing several stars but led by Ezra Mam and Billy Walters, and inspired by a huge team effort in the last 20 minutes, turned an 18–0 nightmare into a 22–18 dream.
How the turnaround happened
For the first hour the Bulldogs owned the contest. Early tries to Marcelo Montoya and Matt Burton, followed by a powerhouse charge from Viliame Kikau, had Cameron Ciraldo’s men cruising at 18-0. The Broncos looked flat without Origin stars Payne Haas, Patrick Carrigan and Reece Walsh, and a spilled bomb from Cobbo summed up a clunky opening.
Everything changed in the 63rd minute when halfback Adam Reynolds varied his kicking angles and Ezra Mam began attacking Canterbury’s outside shoulders. Rookie winger Josiah Karapani finished a sweeping left-edge raid to light the fuse, and five minutes later Delouise Hoeter slid over on the opposite flank. Reynolds missed the kick (his only miss of the night) leaving the Broncos two scores away, and when Billy Walters ducked out of dummy-half to score beside the posts the scores were locked with ten to play.
The decider came soon after: Kotoni Staggs punched through weary middle defenders, Mam straightened the line and Piakura – cleared of a head-knock moments earlier – thundered over. Reynolds slotted the extras and, despite a last-gasp Burton bomb, Brisbane’s line held firm.
Round 18 heroes in maroon and gold
- Ezra Mam – three try assists and two line-break involvements in that whirlwind comeback.
- Adam Reynolds – 3/4 conversions, 386 kicking metres and the composure that sparked the revival.
- Selwyn Cobbo – recovered from an early error to notch 208 running metres and two tackle-breaks at fullback.
- Brendan Piakura – match-winning try, 33 tackles and relentless line speed on the right edge.
Team Stats
| Team Stat (2nd half) | Broncos | Bulldogs |
| Possession | 58 % | 42 % |
| Line Breaks | 6 | 2 |
| Missed Tackles | 24 | 31 |
| Errors | 5 | 9 |
What the result means
The triumph lifts Brisbane to an 11–6 record and keeps them within arm’s reach of the top four as the Origin period draws to a close. Most importantly for Maguire, the manner of victory underlines a newfound resilience that was missing during last season’s slide. “Belief never wavered,” he said post-match, crediting a patched-up forward pack led by Xavier Willison and Tyson Smoothy.
For the Bulldogs, the loss stings. Ciraldo’s side had won four of their past five and sat on the edge of the top two; leaking 22 unanswered points in 17 minutes will raise familiar questions about late-game management.
Next in the diary
The Broncos return to Suncorp Stadium on Friday night to face old rivals Melbourne, with Haas, Carrigan and Walsh all expected back in maroon and gold. The Bulldogs travel to Newcastle on Sunday searching for an 80-minute response against the Knights.
Published 5-July-2025
