Records fall as Broncos demolish Titans for first win
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The Broncos set a new club record en route to earning their first win of the year on Sunday, as they handed a 44-4 thrashing to local rivals the Titans in Brisbane.
The result marked the three-time premiership winners' biggest ever NRLW victory and was the largest ever loss the Gold Coast have suffered since entering the NRL Telstra Women's Premiership.
Kiwi Ferns centre Mele Hufanga did much of the damage with a four-try effort which equaled her club record mark set last year, while skipper Ali Brigginshaw was at her playmaking best as she laid on two assists and played a prominent role in several other four-pointers.
Mele Hufanga 3rd Try
Having been well beaten in both of their games through the opening fortnight, Scott Prince's side were boosted by the injury return of star players Gayle Broughton and Shenae Ciesiolka, along with the availability of new recruit Stacey Waaka, who took the field less than two weeks on from winning an Olympic gold medal with the New Zealand sevens team in Paris.
Brisbane dominated the first half proceedings, completing 17 of 18 sets and running in four tries to the equal the number they'd managed to score in the prior 140 minutes of the season, all while holding their opponents to nothing at the other end.
After Julia Robinson burned the Titans down the left flank for the opening try inside five minutes, Destiny Brill burrowed over from close range for a try which doubled the lead following Romy Teitzel's second conversion.
Julia Robinson Try
After having further tries ruled out due to a forward pass and obstruction, Hufanga got over for her first after receiving a late offload from Tazmin Rapana following some quality build up from Broughton.
Minutes later it was a near carbon copy late ball from Rapana which gave Hufanga her second and the Broncos a 22-0 lead at the half.
Mele Hufanga 2nd Try
After Brigginshaw regathered her own bomb amidst a sea of Titans jersey, the veteran No.7 handed off to Hayley Maddick who dotted down for Brisbane's fifth.
When they eventually did get over the line with half an hour to play, the Gold Coast had the effort ruled out by a Bunker review.
A line break from golden girl Waaka on the next set advanced Brisbane down field and after moving the ball to the opposite side Brigginshaw put Teitzel over for a try which she also converted.
Romy Teitzel Try
Hufanga's next, a long-range effort this time, followed before the Titans got one back through Lauren Brown with 20 to play.
A fourth for Hufanga put an extra exclamation mark on the performance and saw her equal the club, and NRLW record, for most tries in a game for the second time in her career.
Match: Broncos v Titans
Round 3 -
home Team
Broncos
6th Position
away Team
Titans
5th Position
Venue: Totally Workwear Stadium, Brisbane
Match Snapshot
- After averaging 25 points against them through their first two games, Brisbane held a team to four points or fewer for the first time since Round 3 in 2022.
- The result surpassed Brisbane's previous biggest NRLW winning margin of 34 points and went well beyond the Titans' prior heaviest defeat of 26 points.
- Romy Teitzel kicked six of seven conversion attempts and scored a try for a personal tally of 16 points.
- Across their NRLW history the Broncos have now won six of nine at Brisbane venues.
- Georgia Hale put in a huge effort in a losing side, making 59 tackles.
Maddick is flattened by Hale!
- Starting front-rowers Keilee Joseph and Chelsea Lenarduzzi were dominant up front, running for a combined 314 metres.
- Evania Pelite went on report for a high shot inside the final 15 minutes, while Jamie Chapman was cited seven minutes from time for making contact with her elbow.
Play of the Game
A clinic in late ball-playing from Brisbane. It started with Gayle Broughton crabbing across field and getting the attention of the sliding defence, before Keilee Joseph played in Tazmin Rapana. From there it was a peach of a late offload that sealed the deal, as Gray found Hufanga on her shoulder for the try.
Mele Hufanga 1st Try
What They Said
"We didn't start well, they got the roll on, they ran well, tackled hard and we didn't. We just couldn't get the momentum back... to have that scoreline against us, it's hard to take too many positives, but there was one try in the last 25 minutes, so it could have got even uglier than it was I guess." – Titans coach Karyn Murphy.
Titans: Round 3
"We came into the game 0-2 and very similar to last year we have put ourselves in this position. We have got a good footy team, it was just a matter of playing to our potential... I'm very happy for the girls. It's great to see that the girls nailed the plan. We held the footy, that was the most impressive thing for us." – Broncos coach Scott Prince.
Broncos: Round 3
