Broncos crash Cowboys’ opening party

It was supposed to be a Cowboys party. It became a Broncos stampede.

David Fifita is mobbed by his Broncos teammates after scoring a 70-metre solo try Picture: Getty Images

It was supposed to be a Cowboys party. It became a Broncos stampede.

The Cowboys’ celebration of their shiny new $293 million home turned to devastation as Broncos wonder boy David Fifita ran riot in a 28-21 derby ambush in the season opener at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Friday night.

On a day when the coronavirus crisis rocked the NRL, the Cowboys were left sick to the stomach as Brisbane’s posse of young guns and remodelled playmaking spine turned the derby classic into a one-sided demolition job.

Before 22,459 fans, the Cowboys suffered a horrendous dose of stage fright, with Brisbane doing the early forward graft before Fifita delivered the knockout punch with a try that only the gifted can deliver.

With Brisbane leading 18-9 inside 58 minutes, Fifita took the ball from a standing start 70 metres out, shrugged off two Cowboys, tore upfield, then audaciously stepped Valentine Holmes to plunge over.

To steal a term from Fifita’s generation … OMG.

If Fifita was worth $1 million before this clash, the off-contract back-rower added $200,000 to his value and the Broncos should pay whatever he wants to keep the 107kg wrecking ball at Red Hill for life.

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This was a magnificent display by the Broncos to launch their 2020 campaign. The ghosts of their horror 58-0 finals loss to the Eels last season were swept away by a Broncos side that looked hungrier, sharper and stronger than their 2015 grand-final nemesis.

Broncos coach Anthony Seibold flogged his troops in pre-season. The dividends were evident. Brisbane looked fit, lean and mean, delivering victory without injured trio Matt Lodge, Jack Bird and Alex Glenn plus the suspended Joe Ofahengaue.

With new recruit Brodie Croft looking slick in his debut in the No 7 jumper, the Broncos dominated from start to finish, leading 12-9 at half-time before Fifita’s 70-metre solo heroics.

The back-rower was ably supported by Jamayne Isaako, who was superb replacing Bird at fullback, while Payne Haas charged for 213 metres in another commanding front-row display.

The Broncos came to Townsville to spoil the Cowboys’ party and from the opening minutes they played with more energy and intent.

At times, the Broncos were almost too aggressive. That was evidenced in just the second minute, when Tevita Pangai Jr was placed on report for a silly swinging arm on Cowboys centre Justin O’Neill.

A lot is made of the Broncos’ forward firepower but it’s on the edges where they possess a lethal weapon. His name is Kotoni Staggs.

Few centres in the code have his fusion of pace and power. Whenever Staggs gets the ball he looks dangerous and he torched the Cowboys in the 20th minute, only needing a sliver of space to slice through and crash over for a 12-4 lead.

The key to Brisbane’s success this season will be the chemistry of their new halves pairing, Anthony Milford and Croft. They combined nicely, giving Brisbane’s scrumbase better balance.

The Cowboys scored two late tries to whittle the deficit to seven points, but Brisbane deserved to win by 20.

The Courier-Mail