Punted Brisbane centre Dale Copley has gained the ultimate revenge on the Broncos, leading Sydney Roosters to a comprehensive 32-16 win over his former NRL club at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night.
Copley scored two tries and laid on another to hand Brisbane their seventh loss in their past nine games and put a significant dent in their top four hopes.
Copley totally outplayed his opposite James Roberts, the player who pushed him out of the Broncos when he made a late off-season move from Gold Coast to Red Hill.
Boyd Cordner and Blake Ferguson also starred in what was just the Roosters’ fourth win of the year.
Man of the match Cordner bent back the Broncos defensive line all night and scored a deserved try in the 62nd minute.
Copley’s second four-pointer five minutes later all but sealed the win for the Roosters.
Darius Boyd scored eight minutes from time before Herman Ese’ese was controversially disallowed a try of his own by the bunker two minutes, as they ruled it a double movement, a decision that ended any chance of a late Brisbane comeback.
But it was a deserved victory for the Roosters who enjoyed their best win of a disappointing year.
The Roosters held a lion’s share of possession early and led 6-0 after five minutes courtesy of a Copley try set up by a Blake Ferguson pass.
Jarrod Wallace hit back for the Broncos via a kick deflection for a score of 6-all after 19 minutes.
A Latrell Mitchell try from a Connor Watson offload put the home side ahead again in the 27th minute.
Ferguson then scored himself in the 32nd minute when Copley broke the Roosters line and the home side enjoyed an 18-6 lead at the break.
After halftime Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Tom Opacic traded tries before the Roosters won the crucial moments when the game was in the balance to break a six-game losing streak.
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