Payne Haas, Adam Reynolds tear Cowboys apart as Broncos win Queensland derby

Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas produced a lethal mix of finesse and firepower to torment the Cowboys in a trademark Queensland derby classic.

Champion Broncos duo Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas produced a lethal mix of finesse and firepower to torment the Cowboys and inspire Brisbane’s 26-16 triumph on Friday night.

In a trademark XXXX derby classic, wily old fox Reynolds conjured two touches of class before superstar prop Haas delivered the knockout punch of a plucky Cowboys outfit before 45,317 at Suncorp Stadium.

Under siege early, the Broncos held their nerve, with Reynolds setting up Brisbane’s opening try for Jack Gosiewski (23rd) before scoring himself to fire the home side to a 12-0 half-time lead.

The Cowboys produced a gusty fightback to level scores at 12-all, but Haas nailed the coffin shut, unleashing a savage 30-metre solo burst to secure victory nine minutes from time.

The Broncos weren’t ruthlessly clinical but they were cool enough to recover from last week’s loss to Canberra, while alarm bells are ringing for a Cowboys side that slumped to its third consecutive loss.

“It was a really good test of our character,” Maguire said. “To see the way they defended and their connection was great.”

Jack Gosiewski pounces on an Adam Reynolds kick to score.

HUNGRY HAAS

It almost gets boring saying it, but Haas is a freak. The 119kg monster broke the Cowboys’ spirit and thoroughly deserved the Carl Webb Medal after finishing with 20 runs, 185 metres, five offloads and 10 tackle busts.

His 71st minute solo try, powering through the rucks to issue the last rites, suggests he can be the front-row spearhead that powers Brisbane to a premiership.

“That was a big moment, that was a beauty,” Maguire said of Haas’ try.

Payne Haas with the match winner in the Queensland derby

HALF THEIR LUCK

The XXXX derby was largely decided by the gulf in option-taking of the respective scrumbases.

Cowboys halves pairing Tom Dearden and Jake Clifford enjoyed a glut of possession and field position in the opening half hour but, after camping in Brisbane’s red zone, they walked away with a duck egg.

Compare their game management with that of Broncos counterparts Reynolds and Ben Hunt. Brisbane’s veteran 34-year-olds oozed class. They only needed a handful of chances and duly capitalised.

It was Reynolds’ precision grubber kick for back-rower Gosiewski that opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, before the wily No.7 dummied his way through to fire the Broncos to a crucial 12-0 half-time lead.

To cap a fine night, Reynolds became the third highest pointscorer of all-time, surpassing Jarrod Croker (2374) as he surged to 2378 career points.

Adam Reynolds goes himself to score a try.

ERRATIC REECE

It was another rocks-and-diamonds performance from superstar Broncos fullback Reece Walsh.

After his shocker last week against the Raiders, Walsh produced two moments of brilliance but largely bumbled his way through the derby.

The Maroons maestro nailed a superb 40-20 kick which laid the territorial platform for Gosiewski’s opening try, but for most of the night, Walsh would have driven coach Michael Maguire mad with his option taking.

Walsh was guilty of pushing the pass and finished with four errors, with his failure to defuse a high kick leading to Murray Taulagi’s match-levelling try in the 55th minute.

Sixty seconds earlier, Walsh was put on report for taking out Taulagi, but he atoned with a crucial cut-out pass for Jesse Arthars to give the Broncos an 18-12 lead on the hour.

“Reece will be fine, he just has to work his way through it,” Maguire said.

POP GUN COWBOYS

The Cowboys had Brisbane under siege in the opening quarter but simply couldn’t convert pressure into points.

North Queensland had a staggering 78 per cent of territory in the opening 22 minutes but, despite having four consecutive sets at one point, they lacked the class and cohesion to unlock the Broncos.

TODD’S TORMENT

Pressure is building on North Queensland coach Todd Payten. While the Cowboys played with great heart, Payten was left to lament a third consecutive loss and he desperately needs to snap their dismal 0-3 start against the Raiders next Saturday.

“I felt they were on the rack, but we had some poor moments which is a sign of low confidence,” Payten said.

“We feel under pressure as a club and it’s justified.

“We are in a tough spot and there’s no magic bullet. It’s just had work and graft.”