Round 22
Raiders 30 d. Broncos 18

2006 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Broncos slump gets deeper as Raiders clear in the Top 8
Mon August 7, 2006
Wayne Bennett will have the world know that Brisbane isn't in a form slump but a club who loses four matches on the trot and hasn't won a match since the weekend before the State of Origin decider is in a slump.

Canberra yesterday defeated Brisbane 30-18 with two of the three Broncos tries coming in the final four minutes to extend out the scoreline.

Bennett after the match said, "I don't ever lack confidence because I know the quality of the players that are here.

"I said to them after the game, I thanked them because they could have been beaten by 50 points here today, it could have been the same last week.

"To their credit they'll tough it out and fight it out, they'll turn up next week and try hard, I know that. That's not the part we've got to get right, the part we've got to get right is just the better execution or the Storm will put a big score on us."

Bennett said before and after the match that the Broncos aren't in a form slump.

Damming statistics were revealed that since 2001, Brisbane have only won 5 out of now 42 matches since the final State of Origin match, a record that is extremely poor, yet despite all this Brisbane have finished in the top eight on each occasion and in 2002, 2004 and 2005 made the top four - which highlights how weak the NRL is this day due to David Gallop's 'great' leadership in how he's managed the salary cap.

Canberra scored first in the 11th minute through David Howell with inform fullback Clinton Schifcofske missing a rare conversion attempt.

Brisbane took the lead in the 21st minute when Brad Thorn crashed over with Corey Parker adding the extras.

Tries to Adam Mogg in the 28th minute and Adrian Purtell six minutes later saw Canberra up 14-6 with Schifcofske converting the Purtell try.

Impressive youngster Todd Carney scored five minutes into the second half to push Canberra's lead out to 20-6 with Schifcofske successful with the conversion.

Phil Graham crossed in the 64th minute to put the match beyond doubt and Schifcofske's conversion gave Canberra a 20-point buffer. Howell crossed for his second try in the 71st minute to embarrass the Broncos further.

Tries late in the match Sam Thaiday and Darius Boyd, both converted by Parker, gave the Broncos a boost on their for and against differences but did nothing else to confirm they were coming out of their form slump.

Every year it happens to Brisbane where they crash in spectacular fashion after the State of Origin series and each time Bennett has been unable to find the right formula to stop the Broncos slide. Last year Bennett shuffled the deck chairs by sacking Kevin Walters, Glenn Lazarus and Gary Belcher from the coaching staff but that hasn't averted the traditional end of season form slump.

Canberra are now clear in the top eight but they can't rely on for and against differences to get them a position as they clearly have the worst differences with -47 and have to keep on winning matches to get themselves in the top eight and hopefully avoid playing Melbourne in the opening week of the Finals.

Clinton Schifcofske, Adam Mogg, Matthew Elliott and Wayne Bennett spoke with ABC Grandstand after Canberra extended Brisbane's slump

Audio Source: ABC Rugby League

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