Broncos potent in first-up win over Roosters

Match Snapshot

Three-time premiers Brisbane didn't miss a beat, slotting straight back into the dominant footy we have come to expect from them while the Roosters didn't help their chances with a mountain of errors.

• A nasty head clash between Millie Boyle and Roosters winger Taylor-Adeline Mapusua saw the latter taken from the field in the first half with a possible broken nose, while Boyle was able to play on after a HIA and a jersey change. 
• Despite playing the second half with bandaging around her chin, Boyle was best on the ground with an NRLW-record 23 carries (for 202 metres) and a try. 
• Roosters captain Hannah Southwell was placed on report at half-time. 
• Recruit Jess Sergis showed how valuable she will be to the Tricolours with some huge defensive plays and tough carries as well as a second-half line break. 
• The Brisbane playmaking quartet of Tamika Upton, Tarryn Aiken, Ali Brigginshaw and Lauren Brown was simply a class above with Upton again devastating. 
• As good as Brisbane were, the Roosters' completion rate gave them little chance to get into the game with just seven of their first 17 sets completed, recovering to 18 of 31 by full-time. 
• A second half head clash between Upton and teammate Julia Robinson saw the latter forced off for an HIA with concerns over a cheekbone fracture.
• Roosters bench forward Keilee Joseph's impressive afternoon included a first-half try-saver but she may be in doubt for round two after hobbling off with an ankle injury late in the game. 

Play of the Game

With Brisbane in control of the match having moved to 14-0 ahead early in the second half, star fullback Tamika split the Roosters defence up the middle and burst into open space; perfectly weighing up her options she draw opposition fullback Brydie Parker and held up the pass for a rampaging Millie Boyle to make it 20-0 and effectively game over. 

What they said

"I'm happy with the two points. The performance felt like a round one game to me. You could tell the players hadn't played for a long time so happy to come away with a good result. We're fortunate we've got a few players who have played before so know each other's games." - Broncos coach Kelvin Wright.

"We put ourselves under a lot of pressure in the first half. Our completions were around 50 percent and they completed at over 70. Coming out of our own end we had simple errors which meant we had to tackle a lot. With all the footy the Broncos had, to only come in at 10-0 down was probably a win for us." - Roosters coach John Strange.

What's Next

The Roosters head to Wollongong next week to take on a Titans side which fought back impressively against the Dragons in round one but fell short. They will be hoping to have skipper Corban Baxter back on deck after she was forced to withdraw from their round one clash.

The Broncos open next Sunday's WIN Stadium triple-header against newcomers the Knights, having started their quest for a fourth straight title with an impressive first-up win over the Roosters. They may need to find a wing replacement for Julia Robinson, pending scans on her cheek and HIA protocols.