Corey Oates stunner helps Brisbane to 20-16 win over Cronulla
A STUNNING Corey Oates finish in the final stages has gifted Brisbane a 20-16 win over Cronulla to keep their top four hopes alive.
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COREY Oates produced a piece of tryscoring magic to send an emphatic message to Queensland selectors and save Brisbane’s bacon in a thrilling 20-16 defeat of the Sharks in Sydney.
The Broncos overcame the loss of boom prop Tevita Pangai Jr (ribs) and another dismal second-half siesta to clinch a crucial road triumph in skipper Darius Boyd’s 150th game for the club.
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Fittingly, it was Boyd who played a key role in Oates’ Hand of God moment, throwing the final pass that gave his towering winger a shot at glory in the 70th minute.
For an hour, Brisbane were cruising and in control at 16-4 when they simply switched-off, allowing Cronulla duo Ricky Leutele and Wade Graham to stun the Broncos and level scores at 16-all inside 64 minutes.
But with the Broncos teetering, the visitors found a hero in Oates, who submitted a claim for the finish of the season by taking Boyd’s pass and using every inch of his reach to touch down millimetres inside the corner post.
On form, Oates — axed by Queensland last year — deserves to be playing Origin, but is almost certain to be overlooked when the Maroons’ side for Game Two is named on Monday.
“No one else would have scored the try that he scored,” Broncos coach Wayne Bennett said.
“For a guy his size … he is very athletic and the good wingers know how to find the tryline.
“He is the best form I’ve seen in him in.”
Brisbane’s first-half was among their most polished of the season. They completed at a superb 94 per cent and the offensive discipline turned the screws on the Sharks as the Broncos bolted out of the blocks with two tries in the opening eight minutes.
It was a vital win for the Broncos, who will finish the weekend in the top eight with a 7-7 record, but will be without Pangai Jr for this Saturday’s clash against Canberra at Suncorp Stadium.
“He has rib cartilage (damage), he will be out for two or three weeks,” Bennett said.
“I was pretty impressed with all the things there, we started really well and that gave us the momentum.”
BRISBANE 20 (A Milford C Oates T Pangai Junior tries J Isaako 4 goals) bt CRONULLA 16 (W Graham R Leutele J Ramien tries C Townsend 2 goals) at Southern Cross Group Stadium. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Matt Noyen. Crowd: 14,587
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