Brisbane’s premiership defence is hanging by the slimmest of threads after the Broncos fell 24-18 to the Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, June 26, extending their losing streak to seven matches and leaving their finals hopes in serious jeopardy.
For much of the opening half there were genuine signs the premiers had rediscovered something. Tom Duffy handled the responsibility of leading the side with confidence, Brendan Piakura continually asked questions of the Roosters’ edge defence and Brisbane played with far greater purpose than it had shown during recent weeks. A deserved 16-12 halftime lead had Suncorp believing the slide might finally be about to end.
Instead, the game gradually swung in the Roosters’ favour after the break. They tightened their completion rate, dominated territory and relied on the experience of Sam Walker, James Tedesco and Daly Cherry-Evans to control the contest when it mattered most. Brisbane never completely dropped away, but once the visitors edged in front the Broncos spent the rest of the night chasing the game.
Broncos Build on Early Pressure
The Roosters threatened almost immediately, James Tedesco coming within inches of opening the scoring before Billy Smith eventually crossed in the seventh minute after Brisbane again struggled to deal with a towering kick.
Rather than allowing the setback to dictate the evening, the Broncos settled into the contest.
Ben Hunt took the ball to the line before Brendan Piakura broke through the defensive front and produced a clever offload for Tom Duffy to score Brisbane’s opening try. Heavy rain had begun to fall by then, yet the Broncos looked increasingly comfortable handling the slippery conditions.
Their confidence only grew a few minutes later. Duffy turned provider with an exquisitely weighted grubber that sat up perfectly for Piakura, who gathered cleanly to hand Brisbane a 12-6 lead.
The Roosters responded through Robert Toia after James Tedesco’s clever grubber created confusion near the line, but Brisbane finished the half on top. When a loose Daly Cherry-Evans pass bounced invitingly into open space, Grant Anderson reacted quickest, racing 40 metres to score and restore a four-point advantage heading into the sheds.
It was reward for a first half in which Brisbane had matched one of the competition’s form sides in both energy and execution.
Roosters Turn the Tide
The complexion of the match changed almost immediately after halftime.
Billy Smith forced his way over for his second try to level the scores before the Roosters began to squeeze Brisbane through repeat sets and improved field position. The Broncos defended with determination, Josiah Karapani producing one outstanding try-saving tackle while Duffy also held up well defensively, but they were spending more and more time inside their own half.
That pressure finally produced the decisive moment just after the hour.
Walker sparked the movement himself, supported on the inside as the attack unfolded and finished it to cap his 100th NRL appearance with the match-winning try. His subsequent penalty goal stretched the lead to eight points and left Brisbane needing two scoring plays in the closing stages.
The Broncos earned two points from a late penalty after Nat Butcher was penalised and placed on report for a hip-drop tackle, but the Roosters closed out the final minutes with the composure expected of a side sitting near the top of the ladder.
Duffy Provides a Bright Spot
Brisbane’s season may be slipping away, but Duffy’s development continues to provide genuine encouragement.
Asked to shoulder greater responsibility following the absences of Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam, the young halfback produced arguably his most complete NRL performance. He scored Brisbane’s opening try, laid on another with an excellent attacking kick and consistently made good decisions with the football while handling the defensive workload with composure.
The Broncos have desperately needed someone to steady the side during a difficult stretch of the season. On Friday night, Duffy showed increasing signs he is capable of becoming that player.
Another Costly Night
The defeat came with another injury concern after Xavier Willison failed his Head Injury Assessment following a high tackle from Lindsay Collins early in the first half.
Collins was placed on report before later failing his own HIA and taking no further part in the match. Sam Walker, Robert Toia and Nat Butcher were also placed on report during the contest.
For the Broncos, though, the greater concern is the position they now find themselves in.
The return of Reece Walsh, Kotoni Staggs and captain Payne Haas had given Brisbane a much-needed lift before kick-off and there were periods where the side again resembled the reigning premiers. Yet good patches have become increasingly difficult to convert into victories.
The Roosters were far from flawless, particularly before halftime, but they played the second half on their terms and capitalised when Brisbane’s opportunities dried up.
Another opportunity has slipped away, and with seven consecutive defeats now on the board, Brisbane’s margin for error has all but disappeared. The premiers are running out of time to rescue their season, and unless the results change quickly, their title defence will end well before the business end of September.
Published 26-June-2026
