The Brisbane Broncos have kept their finals hopes alive with a thrilling 8 point victory over the Dragons on Friday night.
The Dragons did well to get back in the contest but they were aided by a refereeing blunder which saw Matt Gillett sin-binned in the second half for an incorrect offside call.
The Broncos travel to Melbourne for a daunting round 26 clash with the Storm. While for the Dragons, their hopes of a spot in the finals have ended with their Friday night loss.
FINAL SCORE:
Broncos 30
Dragons 22
Finals hopes go on the line tonight as the Brisbane Broncos host the St George Illawarra Dragons. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:30pm AEST.
The Broncos have played impressive football at home in recent weeks and will prove tough to topple for a Dragons side coming off an easy win over the Titans.
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Brisbane themselves are coming off a thumping victory over the Knights, but they were pushed for 60 minutes before eventually running away with the contest.
While the Dragons did impress at times in attack against a poor Titans outfit, the Broncos just look the more dangerous at the moment with the football.
Justin Hodges’ move to fullback payed dividends for the Broncos, with the Queensland Origin star in superb touch. Ben Barba is also coming off a fine performance against Newcastle, having scored a hat-trick.
Throw in the good form of Josh Hoffman and Dane Copley and Brisbane certainly have the points in them to open the Dragons up.
St George Illawarra meanwhile will be hoping that star players Benji Marshall and Josh Dugan are both fit to play against Brisbane.
Both players went off the field last week against the Titans but should play, with a place in the finals on the line.
While the Dragons have impressed in recent wins against Canberra and Gold Coast, it will take a more complete performance to upstage the Broncos.
With the loser certain to exit the finals race, tonight’s contest should go down to the wire.
The Dragons will give it their all but Brisbane at home should rise to the occasion and secure a win.
Broncos by 4.
Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:30pm (AEST).
If you are following the action live, be sure to share your thoughts on the match in the comments below.
Jay C
Roar Guru
You could clearly see the ball touch the ground in the first try. Even without the stupid guessing game, call it on the field and hamstrung the video ref, it would have been a try. Beale's little dog and pony jump maybe should have been a penalty - I am not too sure what the specific ruling is for a bouncing ball. Gerard Beale and jumping scrapes a raw nerve for me, as I believe it cost Brisbane a premiership in 2011. And if you want to start changing decisions how about the two tries they scored while Brisbane were ridiculously cut down to 12 men in a decision that is up there with the hand of Foran and the 7 Tackles of last year. Add to this the fact that one of those tries was off of a knock on and the other a forward pass. How anyone could look at that game and think St George were hard done by is one eyed nonsense. IMO.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Jay C, Cummins hates the dragons. He was the ref at the centre of the siren thing against Melbourne earlier in the year and now las night. The first try wasn't a try and Beale get's tackled in the air which leads to another Broncos try. Without those 2 tries its 12-4 at half time and a very different game
Scrubbit
Guest
That's a problem for next weeks Friday night episode of NRL.
Scrubbit
Guest
I actually thought it was a try. -_- each his own I guess.
steveng
Guest
Anyway and anything that happened last night with the Broncos the bottom line is that the Broncos will be thrashed by the Storm next week, they have no chance of beating the Storm!
Jay C
Roar Guru
Ridiculous. From start to finish. UNDESERVED penalties. Forward Pass. Ball clearly touched the ground. Clearly. Almost everyone I know reckons it was a great game. And later on he over turned because that was the correct decision.
steveng
Guest
Turned out to be an entertaining game but only because the refs let it get into one with the 10min sin bin, deserved penalties to the Dragons and so on, because and otherwise the Broncos would have won by 30 points which would have made it the most boring game of the year. Plus, right from the onset, with the first Broncos try, which was not a try and the ref gave it as a try when he didn't even see the ball, all the action was in front of him but the ball was attempted to be put down on his blind side and "he gave it as a try" and then for the life of me I cannot understand how a video referee can give it as a try when it was more obvious on the video that the ball didn't touch a single blade of grass...OhHh I know, and as BooF Gould said, that the video ref has to give it as a try because the ref gave it? I cannot understand why the video ref later overturned the refs decision as no try and gave it as a try?
Johnnyball
Guest
Where was this Broncos side all season? They were brilliant. Saints locked out of the game until poor bloody ref blunder allowed them in. I am scared though that if a ref blunder like last night occurs again during the finals (say to cowboys) the fans are going to be howling. A steady head is going to be required in the review panel upstairs.
Liatrevlis
Guest
Mythbusters tried it , and had succees , they my friend were polishing elephant turd , refs or NRL turd can't be
Jay C
Roar Guru
Nonsense. The Dragons were terrible. The only reason they came anywhere near was the sin binning. It was 24-4 when Gillet was sent off. Cummins is very, very lucky that the Broncos won.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Aren't Cronulla still running around?
Good on the ref
Guest
The decision to sin bin was wrong. But i applaud him for making a decision there and then (even if if was the wrong one). If you watched Thursday nights game between dogs/south...now that is a ref i do not want to officiate any more games this season. So much foul play and niggle and not one single sin bin.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Bahaha. Jeez!
Cameron
Roar Guru
Lol. You need to get your eyes checked if you initially thought it was a pro foul.
Cameron
Roar Guru
No proof whatsoever!
Scrubbit
Guest
Good game, but Cheesus Rice the refs kept it exciting. Brisbane shouldn't have fallen away so badly after that decision (granted that wasn't the only decision), but teams like rabs, storm, roosters, cowbies, and manly will shred them even worse.
Scrubbit
Guest
They haven't been found guilty yet, and if they were to be found innocent, yet were punished early do you think that'd be fair? If they win the premiership (they won't but "IF") it would probably be stripped from them by the NRL.
Muzz
Guest
The Bunker will feature an inbuilt grub remover so Ennis's days are numbered.
Elma Dudd
Guest
How can you be sure that a turd can't be polished ? Unless of course you have tried and failed .
Scott Pryde
Expert
Alan, Sorry but at least sum it up fairly. I take your point that the sin binning was a complete clanger and the Broncos were the better team. But there were some shocking decisions against the dragons in the first half that put as out of the game at half time...