Walsh ignores injury to inspire Broncos to big win against Cowboys

Reece Walsh ignored a painful wrist injury to inspire the Broncos to just their second win in 12 weeks and leave the Cowboys final eight hopes in jeopardy.

Walsh spent most of the first half clutching at his wrist but had a major impact on Brisbane's 42-18 win, along with centre Kotoni Staggs, who scored two second half tries as the Broncos powered home.

Trailing 18-6 just before halftime, the Broncos scored 36 unanswered points and Walsh had a hand in three of their four second half tries before he left the field in the 76th minute.

The Broncos got off to the best possible start when hooker Billy Walters offloaded to put prop Corey Jensen over for the opening try in just the fourth minute.

However, Cowboys five-eighth Tom Dearden levelled the scores when he dummied and charged at the line in the 10th minute.

Halfback Chad Townsend then put fellow veteran Kyle Feldt over in the corner with a long Harbour Bridge-style pass midway through the first half and the home side had all of the momentum.

North Queensland centre Viliami Vailea was the next to score after a Townsend bomb was allowed to bounce and he regathered to dive over in the 25th minute.

At 18-6 down a big scoreline beckoned but the Broncos refused to go down without a fight and after two disallowed tries centre Deine Mariner crossed just three minutes before halftime.

Josh Rogers then scored from his own kick to level the scores in the 57th minute after fullback Reece Walsh flew high to contest the bomb and tapped the ball back for the Brendan Piakura, who passed to the journeyman playmaker.

Staggs lifted the tempo to another level when he took on and beat Val Holmes one-on-one from a scrum win, and when Jordan Riki pounced on a Walsh grubber to score in the 68th minute the Broncos led by 12. 

Staggs then scored his second try to put the result beyond doubt and interchange forward Xavier Willison iced the win with a 78th minute try.