Round 6
Penrith Panthers 18 l. Brisbane Broncos 38

2009 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

Broncos Power Over Panthers
Sat April 18, 2009
Source: www.broncos.com.au

THE WOW Brisbane Broncos survived a scare before convincingly beating the Penrith Panthers in Sydney tonight.

The Broncos scored two tries in the last 10 minutes to dispatch the Panthers 38-18 and stay equal top of the NRL ladder.

The Broncos only sealed it with seven minutes remaining, Steve Michaels breaking clear down the left wing and then grubbering ahead for Karmichael Hunt to five on the ball.

When Corey Parker kicked his third goal from the left touchline the Broncos were home.

Justin Hodges provided some icing on the cake with a solo try at the death.

The Panthers had got just what they needed in the second minute of the second half in when Michael Jennings broke free and put winger Shane Elford over for a try.

Mick Gordon knocked it over from the sideline and it was back to 24-12.

With 25 minutes left the Panthers got within a converted try, an off-load bouncing off a Penrith player and landing in Jennings arms for a try.

But with 13 minutes left Corey Parker gave the Broncos an eight-point buffer with a penalty goal after Petero Civoniceva had been penalised for holding the tackler.

In the first half the Broncos got what looked like a generous call from video referee Bill Harrigan when he ruled Antonio Winterstein had enough downward pressure on a Karmichael Hunt grubber in the seventh minute.

Winterstein wasn't quite so lucky when Harrigan ruled he was not taken out on a Penrith kick, the ball ricocheting into the arms of Gordon, who slid into the corner.

Gordon missed the difficult kick - which would have been his 24th in a row - and it was 6-4 to the Broncos after 11 minutes.

However there was no good fortune needed in the 16th minute for Winterstein, who stole a Peter Wallace kick out of the air and Gordon's hands to dot down.

Corey Parker lobbed another beautiful goal from wide of the posts and it was 12-4.

The Panthers were causing the Broncos trouble by throwing the ball around, but it would cost them in the 22nd minute.

Justin Hodges plucked a wayward pass out of the air and ran 50 metres to score under the posts, Parker's goal making it 18-6.

The Broncos then bombed a try, when Wallace worked Hunt into a hole and he off-loaded to Parker who just couldn't gather the ball under loads of pressure.

But Wallace would engineer another in the 34th minute, dummying and going to the line before off-loading in the tackle to put Alex Glenn over.

Parker again saluted and it was 24-6.

Andrew McCullough made a long break from dummy half in the 37th minute but Penrith fullback Lachlan Coote covered support player Wallace beautifully and knocked the ball clear, finishing the scoring chances for the first half.

Referees: Shayne Hayne and Tony De Las Heras
Crowd: 14,332

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