NRL Round 2 2022: Broncos v Bulldogs result, Adam Reynolds notches win on club debut
Had they played this match 12 months ago, the Broncos would surely have lost by 20 points. That is the impact one man can make, writes Robert Craddock.
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After just one game together it appears Adam Reynolds and the Broncos have found each at the perfect time.
Much fitter than they have been, this Broncos team have the potential to make Reynolds look good and he can make them even better.
The Broncos beat the Bulldogs 16-10 - had the same match been played at the same intensity in recent years Brisbane would surely have lost by 20 points.
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Reynolds has walked into a team who is much fitter than they were in recent seasons but who just need a bit of spit and polish.
The Broncos had won just two of their last 18 away games and had not saluted at ANZ Stadium since 2018 before beating the Bulldogs. This was an excellent win.
Reynolds was recruited by the Broncos to win games just like this and under his steady hand they got there. There he was, with seven minutes to go and his team near breaking point on their own line, urging them not to lift but to stay calm.
There were probably six Brisbane players with more metres, more tackles or better highlight reels than Reynolds who had some moments of rust-shedding in his first match of the season.
But the Broncos probably would not have won had Reynolds not pushed himself to exhaustion by making two potential try-saving tackles in the last five minutes.
It was leadership of the purest form.
Earlier, Reynolds pulled off a stunning between-the-legs pass on the line to Kotoni Staggs who dropped it as he was diving over.
It was a bold, brave unexpected play which took the breath away and showed a man with a deep seated belief in what he was doing.
A few weeks ago several Broncos players were known to be upset at how hard the team was worked during the off-season. No-ones whinging now.
The benefit of that off season grind is that the Broncos shape as a team which should rise steadily – if not spectacularly – this season.
They may not be Penrith or the Storm. But they are not bad. And they are getting better.
The increased fitness and cohesion seems to be rising the confidence levels of players across the board.
Experienced Corey Oates looks a happier player. Herbie Farnworth is gaining impressive metres (more than 200 last night). Albert Kelly luxuriated in the extra attention given to the man inside him.
Farnworth has spent a good deal of his first grade career on the back foot.
Suddenly, his true talents are emerging as the side rises around him. He is off contract and a priority signing for director of football Ben Ikin.
Billy Walters looked sharp and strong and capable of surprising in his first season under his father’s coaching.
The Broncos are on the rise – that’s the good news.
The sobering news is that other teams are finding their backbone as well.
Newcastle are on the move. The Titans are improving. The Cowboys look better than they were. Canterbury have recruited well.
Tipping competitions are back to where they were a decade ago with head scratching aplenty.
This is shaping as a wonderful year for the code.
REYNOLDS’ REIGN BEGINS IN STYLE AT BRONCOS
By Chris Honnery
The Adam Reynolds era at the Brisbane Broncos kicked off on a positive note with a gritty 16-10 win over the Bulldogs to hand Brisbane an unbeaten start to the 2022 season.
A Herbie Farnworth double and some Albert Kelly brilliance was enough for the Broncos to make it two-from-two in 2022 and set up an enticing Queensland derby next weekend against a resurgent Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium.
It was a Sunday night shootout at Accor Stadium and though all eyes were on Reynolds in his first game at the Broncos, it was his halves partner who shone.
Kelly – who turns 31 on Monday – was involved in two of Brisbane’s three tries while his defensive effort at the death to pounce on a grubber kick proved the difference.
“(The defensive resolve) is something that we’re not used to here at the Broncos for the last period but (it’s a) different team here,” Brisbane coach Kevin Walters said.
“That’s the thing that won us the game more than anything else. It was great stuff.
“I don’t know if it makes a statement, it just means the guys are really working hard for each other. There’s a real care factor out there which as a club, we haven’t seen for a while.
“Even with Adam in the side tonight, we had to work really, really hard across the board.”
Meanwhile, Walters was confident Reynolds’ greatest influence on the Broncos was still to come.
“I was just happy he got through the game,” he said.
“His best footy for us will be five, six weeks’ time. Our best footy is certainly in front of us.”
REYNOLDS REIGN BEGINS
In his 232nd NRL game, and first in Broncos colours, it took a little while for Reynolds to get into the groove but he soon flourished.
The biggest signing of the 2022 season almost produced the play of the round with a through-the-legs pass to Kotoni Staggs in the 60th minute, although the try was overturned after Staggs dropped the ball over the line.
Reynolds’ presence was noticeable with the Broncos of the past likely to have lost confidence at that moment, but instead, they looked solid and cohesive.
He’s not usually known for his defence but Reynolds was crucial, including a desperate try-saving tackle on Brent Naden in the 78th minute.
HERBIE FULLY LOADED
If Kotoni Staggs is a Ferrari, then Herbie Farnworth is a Lamborghini.
The Englishman scored a double and finished the match with a mammoth 216m, four tackle busts, two tries and seven tackles.
Staggs was kept quiet by his own lofty standards, making just 51m off five carries.
OWN WORST ENEMY
Two dropped balls within their own 20-metre zone and nine other costly errors hurt Brisbane’s chances of posting even more points.
Brisbane must clean up their handling errors as they prepare for a rejuvenated Cowboys side next weekend.
FOXX HUNT AND TPJ BATTLE
Much of the spotlight was on the battle between Brisbane young gun Selwyn Cobbo and Bulldogs flyer Josh Addo-Carr and it’s safe to say the Bronco did his job in keeping his opposite number quiet.
Addo-Carr finished the match with 92m and one linebreak.
Barnstorming Bulldog Tevita Pangai Jr also proved a headache against his former club with his five offloads catching the Brisbane defence off-guard on several occasions.
His aggression got the better of him though after he was placed on report for a late shot on Reynolds who was in the process of kicking.
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Originally published as NRL Round 2 2022: Broncos v Bulldogs result, Adam Reynolds notches win on club debut
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