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This could have been anything. The Broncos romped home 46-12 over the Wests Tigers in a game that could have been a lot, lot worse for Tim Sheens’ men.
Reece Walsh tore them to shreds and Payne Haas bullied them through the middle, but in truth, the Broncos weren’t close to their best and didn’t need to be.
It was one team who are unbeaten and another that is yet to win and it looked like it. It didn’t necessarily have to go down like it did, but an early confluence of factors assured that this would be nothing more than a Tigers thrashing.
Twice in the early stages, the Broncos got to play five, had nothing, and got a member’s bounce to give them six more tackles. On both occasions, they turned it into points, abetted by Wests Tigers defending that left plenty to be desired. That set a tone.
The best version of the 2022 Broncos were a bit lucky and a bit good. This team is a bit lucky and a lot good.
Tim Sheens insisted that he could still carry the Tigers forward despite their 0-5 start to the year.
“I’ll never give up on this group,” he said. “We’ve played four games and we were always in those games. Tonight was the first where we were never a chance to win. We went out to win the second half, that’s all you can do.
“I’m willing to cop as much as you’ll give me but I’ll still be turning up with the boys and working hard. They are a quality group of guys and have got talent.
“We have to wear a lot of this and work a lot harder as staff and players. Many coaches have had eight or nine losses in a row. These things can happen.
“The more you get beat, the tougher it is to dig yourselves out of it. We will find a way to do it.”
This was a run down of all the things that the Tigers can do wrong. There were so many yardage penalties, gifting field position to a team that really doesn’t need it gifting to them. There were forward passes, errors and even an offside at the kickoff.
It’s a tough assignment to come to Brisbane and making the game competitive requires doing the simplest of tasks correctly. You’re allowed to be conservative, to make the Broncos play well to beat you and generally spoil things for the hosts.
The Tigers did none of it. Their defensive resilience was nonexistent. Simple things, like putting the body in front of the attacker, were missing. Payne Haas’ try, in which he offloaded, then ran from dummy half, was superb from the prop but pathetic from the defence.
There was a slight revitalisation of the side in the second half, but it’s easy when you’re 28-0 down. Plenty of this Tigers side are young and, with young players, these things can happen.
But for guys like David Klemmer, John Bateman, Isaiah Papali’i and Api Koroisau, there needs to be a long conversation about what they think they’re doing at the Wests Tigers. This isn’t acceptable.
“They’re leading the comp for a reason and we’re at the back of the comp for a reason,” said Sheens.
“We didn’t touch the ball for ten minutes at one stage. You’ve got to go set for set with a team like that and if you don’t, you’re in trouble, particularly at home.
“We’ve played four games and we were always in those games. Tonight was the first where we were never a chance to win.”
It was a strange state of affairs for a side that went to the break 28-0 up: you felt like they’d been decent and little more. The Broncos had five tries but only really one had been created through flowing attacking play.
That changed after the break, with some excellent backline moves, but it was hard to see it as more than a training run given the quality – or lack thereof – on the other side.
Walsh was the clear star, providing the sort of attacking nous that prompted the Broncos to pay the big bucks bring him back to the club.
But beyond him, the effort from Pat Carrigan was exceptional. Last year, he was caught between two stalls, not quite a ball-playing lock but much more comfortable with his hands than the average middle forward.
Tonight, he was essential to the best shape that the Broncos put on. Marty Taupau, too, excelled in his role off the bench, showing deftness with his hands as well as the usual power and impact.
There’s always question marks in games like this around the opposition, and the start of the season has been something of a rails run for the Broncos after their tough opener in Penrith.
But you can only beat what is in front of you, and at the moment, they are doing that with ease.
“I’m pleased for everyone involved, particularly the players because they’re working hardest, physically and mentally,” said Kevin Walter.
“We need to keep going. I can feel it amongst them, they’re a good group of fellas and they just want to keep going and getting better.
“We’re breaking it up month by month. We’ve done the first, now we’re into the second and it’s four weeks of footy again. We’re not looking at the bigger picture, just what’s ahead in the next month and then focusing on the next weeks.”
Tim Sheens’ great brainwave, thought up midway through the Bulldogs defeat, was that Adam Doueihi was his team’s best fullback.
“He’s got good skills to get the ball away, and he reads the game very well,” he said. “It’s just him reading the game and organising the offence that is a bonus for us.”
It’s possible that Doueihi is their best option as an offensive fullback, but it seems impossible that he is their best defensive 1.
Of all the things wrong with the Wests Tigers tonight, his positioning and execution in defence is probably top of the list. The kick in behind the line was on all the time, with Doueihi barely in shot for several tries.
For Jordan Riki’s first, he attempted a legs tackle on a runaway backrower a metre from the line, though attempt is being very kind. Even if he had made it, it would still have been a try.
For Riki’s second, Doueihi was wandering between his own posts when a kick was slipped in behind. The lack of positioning is bad, but the lack of urgency was worse.