Broncos open NRL season in fine style

Friday 12th March 2010

By Steve Mascord in Sydney

Brisbane scored a stunning victory over North Queensland on the opening night of the NRL season Friday as St George Illawarra and Parramatta turned on a supershow in Sydney.

Tipped to miss the finals for the first time in 18 years following the close-season departure of several stars, the Broncos raced to a 24-0 lead over the Cowboys before just under 50,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium.

Neil Henry's side came back in the second half before falling to a 30-24 defeat that provided the season's first real shock. Unheralded Brisbane fullback Corey Norman was the star, saving three tries and laying on another in the first half.

Winger Denan Kemp's try assured the home side of victory after NQ captain Johnathan Thurston seemed likely to inspire an amazing comeback victory.

Earlier in Sydney, Dragons hooker Nathan Fien starred a few hours after becoming a father - before breaking his ankle in the 18-12 win before a crowd of 18,297.  New Eels signing Shane Shackleton (hamstring) was another casualty of a thrill-a-minute encounter which marked Timana Tahu's return from rugby union.

The former Wallaby was involved in several ill-tempered confrontations, his outing described as "solid" by coach Daniel Anderson.

Anderson was more effusive about the quality of the contest, saying: "I've never seen anything like it. There hasn't been any give and take.

"It was a really, really intense game."

The Dragons showed Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne so much respect that halfback Jamie Soward kicked the ball dead four times.

"You want them to kick to where the seagulls are," coach Wayne Bennett said. "We don't want to kick the ball to him on the full, it's making it too easy for him."

"It may be a strange tactic but Anderson said he it proved the difference. "They kicked very well and we kicked very poorly," he said.

"I don't know if the Dragons had to run the ball off their own line in the entire second half. We gifted them field position with a poor kicking game - it's as simple as that."

Dragons captain Ben Hornby had not eaten for several days after suffering from an infected wisdom tooth.