Brisbane Broncos in last after Canterbury Bulldogs’ shock win over South Sydney Rabbitohs
The Brisbane Broncos didn’t even have to play for their 2020 season to hit new depths with a huge upset dropping the side to the bottom of the ladder.
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Brisbane’s season from hell just got even worse.
The Broncos are at an all-time low, now sitting last on the NRL ladder following the Canterbury Bulldogs’ shock 26-16 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Thursday night.
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The result pushes the Bulldogs into 15th and relegates the Broncos to 16th — which is why post-match all the talk was about the Queensland side.
The Broncos have lost their last nine matches – a club record – and have the worst points differential in the league at -326. That’s 146 points behind the Bulldogs.
The only way the Broncos can avoid the first wooden spoon in history is with a win over the Parramatta Eels tonight or the North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium next Thursday night.
Then they have to hope the Dogs don’t conjure up any more unexpected wins.
Sports reporter Sam Phillips tweeted: “I‘ve said it for a few months now – the Broncos deserve the spoon this year. Up you go @NRL_Bulldogs. Well deserved W.”
Phil Lutton wrote: “Broncos now odds on to come last. Amazing.”
AAP‘s Scott Bailey tweeted: “It’ll be one of the few just things of 2020 if Brisbane are handed the wooden spoon next week. Rarely has it ever been more deserved.”
Well, Broncos, if you needed motivation to front up in these last two games, there it is. #NRLSouthsBulldogs
— Michael Atkinson (@kinson88) September 17, 2020
Broncos will be deserving wooden spooners this season. They’ve been worse than the Bulldogs #NRL
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) September 17, 2020
In an upset no one saw coming, the Bulldogs raced out to a 20-0 lead after 27 minutes and stunned the finals-bound Rabbitohs.
The Bunnies were heavily criticised throughout the match but Channel 9‘s Phil Gould took the biggest swipe in the first half.
“They’ve had South Sydney all over the place,” Gould said.
“South Sydney when they’re energetic and setting the tone, that’s when they’re at the best. But sometimes they come out like they are tonight and kind of just warm into the task and only doing what they have to do to contain their opposition.
“There’s not that bristling energy I like to see from them. They’re not here South Sydney.”
In a controversial first half, the Rabbitohs saw Jaydn Su‘A sin binned for a hit that left the Bulldogs’ Lachlan Lewis stumbling, with Canterbury scoring twice in quick succession.
But when getting back to 13-on-13, the Rabbitohs scored through Jaxson Paulo, despite his foot sliding into touch before grounding the ball.
The Rabbitohs scored again before halftime and it looked like they might run over the top of Canterbury with an early try in the second half, but Chris Smith grounding a grubber deep in the in-goal all but sealed the result for the Dogs.
The Bulldogs put in some inspirational efforts in defence to deny the Rabbitohs and the win was extra special given it came in skipper Josh Jackson’s 200th game.
Originally published as Brisbane Broncos in last after Canterbury Bulldogs’ shock win over South Sydney Rabbitohs