Round 17
Brisbane Broncos 19 d. Gold Coast Titans 18

2007 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

Broncos edge out Titans in Golden Point classic
Fri July 6, 2007
South-East Queensland rivals Brisbane and Gold Coast produced one of the all-time great classics in front of 48,621 fans at Suncorp Stadium tonight with a Darren Lockyer drop goal in Golden Point the difference.

Lockyer played his 274th first grade match for the Broncos, equalling the club record alongside club original Michael Hancock and Lockyer stamped his mark on the match when his side most needed their captain to stand up and deliver.

The Titans scored first when Josh Lewis crossed over in the 5th minute. Brett Delaney converted for the Gold Coast to lead 6-0.

Brisbane stuck back five minutes later with powerful lock forward Tonie Carroll having too much strength crashing over following a good ball from Lockyer. Corey Parker landed a difficult conversion to level up the scores and soon after added a penalty goal to push the Broncos up by two points.

Craig Frawley extended Brisbane's lead with a 30th minute try, but Parker was unable to convert with the Broncos up 12-6.

The second half was gripping and tense with the big crowd enjoying every moment and it took the Titans 28 minutes to level up the scores with Luke O'Dwyer winning the race to the ball following a grubber kick into the ingoal area. Delaney landed a fine pressure goal to level up the scores.

Gold Coast captain Scott Prince landed a crucial blow for the visitors three minutes after the O'Dywer try when he stepped through Carroll and Petero Civoniceva to score a classy try. Delaney added the extras to push the Titans up by six points, but the Titans joy was short lived with Prince forced to leave the field.

Brisbane applied the pressure in the final moments and a penalty on the Titans line finally saw the defence crack. Young prop Dave Taylor steamed over next to the posts and Parker's successful conversion leveled up the scores.

The Broncos nearly scored at the end with the thrilling 'local' derby heading into Golden Point.

It was in the pressure cooker where Lockyer's standing as one of Rugby League's all-time great players stood tall when he landed a drop goal from 40m out just 90 seconds into the extra time period.

Gold Coast may have lost the match, but they lost no friends and gained many more admirers. The Titans as a competitive force and presence on the Queensland Rugby League scene have proved themselves as a worthwhile force in the game. The game is now so entrenched as the No.1 sport in Queensland and success of the Titans and the North Queensland has been the major reason for the re-emergence of the code in Queensland after at one stage the AFL's Brisbane Lions were more popular than the Broncos.

It's been a great four weeks for the defending premiers where they have won all their matches and proved they are going to be in and around the top four when the whips are cracking. Brisbane have been hit hard by Origin and injuries and they find ways to keep on winning to confirm they are one of the champion Rugby League clubs on a consistent basis.

The northern rivalry has now been set and crowds of over 45,000 twice a year for these clashes is now set in stone for a long-time to come.

Rugby League was the real winner tonight.

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STATS
Tackles
Nathan Friend 49
Ben Hannant 43
Luke Bailey 35
Corey Parker 34
Brad Thorn 32

1-on-1 Tackles
Ben Hannant 5
Tonie Carroll 4
Corey Parker 3
Darren Lockyer 3
Mark Minichiello 3

Missed Tackles
Brad Thorn 6
Michael Ennis 6
Darren Lockyer 4
Luke Swain 4
Greg Eastwood 4

All Runs
Mark Minichiello 22
Luke Bailey 21
Denan Kemp 20
Petero Civoniceva 18
Brad Thorn 18

All Runs Metres
Denan Kemp 209
Brad Thorn 188
Luke Bailey 186
Mark Minichiello 161
Petero Civoniceva 158

Tackle Breaks
Mark Minichiello 9
Kris Kahler 5
Corey Parker 4
Ian Donnelly 4
Craig Frawley 4

Kicks
Scott Prince 17
Darren Lockyer 8
Michael Ennis 7
Josh Lewis 4
Shaun Berrigan 2

More Stats: CLICK HERE

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