Big guns fire as Broncos ambush Cowboys

The Broncos continue to match motors with Penrith at the top of the table after a 30-14 win over the Cowboys at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday.

With Jock Madden doing a fine job deputising for Adam Reynolds, and Ezra Mam again electric, the Broncos racked up their 16th win of the season.

The Cowboys looked to have made the perfect star when Kyle Feldt launched himself into the corner but he was denied by some desperate Kotoni Staggs cover defence.

Just a minute later the Broncos marched down field and opened their account through Jesse Arthars try courtesy of a superb long ball by Madden.

There was no denying Feldt in the 13th minute after Broncos fullback Reece Walsh spilled a bomb and the ball was spun wide for the veteran flyer to score the 126th try of his career.

The Broncos struck back in the 26th minute when Pat Carrigan powered onto a Billy Walters short ball to post tries in back-to-back matches having waited 78 games for his first.

Cowboys winger Semi Valemei came up with a big play to deny Herbie Farnworth a try three minutes before the break and a Chad Townsend penalty goal on the stroke of half-time closed the gap to 12-6.

The Broncos extended their lead to eight points early in the second half when Staggs popped over a penalty goal after Jamayne Taunoa-Brown went on report for a crusher tackle.

Doing a fine job filling in for Adam Reynolds, it was Madden putting Carrigan into a hole in the 53rd minute and the Maroons star found Mam in support to push Brisbane out to a 20-6 lead.

The home side hit back again in the 59th minute when Tom Dearden and Murray Taulagi got the ball wide for Feldt to grab his second and the margin was back to 10 points.

Both sides then traded trysavers as the defences refused to yield in the face of some scintillating attack - Heilum Luki standing tall for the Cowboys and Mam coming up with two huge plays on his own line.

A mistake by Kurt Capewell in the play the ball handed the Cowboys a golden opportunity but they were unable to cash in and it was the Broncos who iced the win soon after when Staggs exploded into the back field and his pass found Walsh for a 24-10 lead.

The Cowboys refused to lie down and Scott Drinkwater put Heilum Luki over on the right edge but Townsend's missed conversion left the margin at 10.

With three minutes to play Feldt chipped and regathered and looked certain to score but lost the ball as the Broncos defence closed in.

A late intercept try to Selwyn Cobbo made the final score 30-14 win and takes the Broncos to 36 competition points, equal top with the Panthers, but well behind the premiers on for and against.