It had all been going so well.
Canberra were by far the better side for ten minutes, with Jamal Fogarty giving the Brisbane back three kittens with his high kicking and the entire game being played at the Broncos’ end of the field.
Then, after barely entering the Raiders’ half, Reece Walsh shimmied past Matt Timoko and raced clear, opening the floodgates for 20 minutes – literally, too, as the heavens opened – in which the game was ended as a contest.
It finished 34-10, but the heavy defeat was the least of Ricky Stuart’s problems.
Fogarty, by far their most influential player for the last two years, left at half time with a suspected bicep tear ahead of a month that includes crunch meetings with the Sharks, Sea Eagles and Roosters.
“They seem to think he has ruptured his biceps,” confirmed Stuart.
“If that is the case, and it has got to be scanned when we get home, the best-case scenario is probably 12 weeks.”
Without the calming hand of their halfback, not to mention his hugely influential kicking, things look very difficult indeed.
This was an early indication of that. The Broncos were rampant, but didn’t have to be brilliant to come away with a comfortable win.
Chevy Stewart, the 18-year-old fullback, was ruthlessly targeted with towering bombs, while his opposite number, Walsh, tore the edges apart.
Kevin Walters’ side are looking very threatening indeed, not least when Walsh is in this mood.
They’ve endured a middling start with a few tough away trips and a raft of key position injuries, but with bodies coming back and the fixtures looking more amenable, they can aim up.
“Reece has got that explosiveness in him to break a game open,” said Walter.
“He struggled a bit early, but when he decided to run, he ran, and we got some good results on the back of that.”
If you offered a dream situation in which to debut, then at home to the Titans might be it. Chevy Stewart did well in that regard.
As far as nightmare second games go, however, a wet night against the Broncos in Brisbane might well be it, especially for a fullback.
Stewart spilled two bombs, one that might have lead to a try had James Schiller not bailed him out and one that did when Ezra Mam tapped on for an easy putdown.
He was posted missing as Billy Walters picked up and ran from dummy half, leaving a big gap to kick into for another score.
In between, the rookie fullback had also been manhandled back into his own in-goal after having escaped, though to his immense credit, the next time he was trapped, the 18-year-old showed no fear and got himself out.
That lack of fear didn’t exactly help when, just before half time, he returned a kick with interest and was smashed into the middle of next week by Kobe Hetherington.
The aerial assault kept coming, and so did the teenager.
Sticky mightn’t have been pleased with the errors in the first half, but he is a guy who values ticker – and Stewart, on this evidence, has buckets of it.
The bombs kept coming, Chevy caught them. When he did, he was often postage stamped by onriushing Broncos. He got up, played the ball, and got one with it.
It’s easy to play when things go your way. For a long period tonight, that wasn’t the case for Stewart, but the manner in which he kept coming back can only stand him in good stead going forward.
We saw Walsh back to his best tonight, bamboozling Timoko for the opener and then splitting the other side wide open for a second before half time.
Ezra Mam got on the scoresheet too, as did Jordan Riki, and both Pat Carrigan and Kotoni Staggs got early marks with the game won.
This, remember, is a side that is without Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas, arguably their two most influential players, both of whom will be back imminently.
Walsh is probably their best player, but all his class comes off the back of the kick and control of the halfback and the go-forward that comes from the front rower.
This hasn’t been a vintage start from Brisbane – albeit with plenty beyond their control – but they’ll get a solid block of fixtures now in which they are either at home or playing bottom four sides.
This was a game they lost last year, and the Raiders have proven they can be very difficult to put away.
This Canberra are a little different in that they throw a little more in attack and have a few younger faces in the side, but they are by no means easybeats. The Broncos thrashed them.
Last week saw Brisbane to the same to the Dolphins, who suddenly look like world beaters after last night’s win over Parramatta.
It’s ominous stuff. They’re warming nicely.
Tony
Roar Guru
Yep, 18 is far too young to be considered venerable. I do like the idea of one’s imagination being “dilutional” though.
Fatty Arbuckle
Roar Rookie
The fullback is vulnerable not "venerable"....
Nat
Roar Guru
Baaahahahaha, I'm the big shot am I? Coming on here taking up your mighty 15 yrs in the rough rough leagues. Enough to start calling real NRL players wimps and dogs. Your hypocrisy is fantastic. However, i really only had one point that you would be offended by words and that's a huge tick. CAPS AWAY!! :laughing:
steveng
Roar Rookie
:laughing: what an fclown you must be, making things up in a comment like this! I don't have to justify anything to you, but my record stands as it is at a footy level of whatever it was (but of course not at the level of yours?) I'm happy with what I've achieved! Hey Nat, don’t come on here and make yourself out as a big shot, as we all know the keyboard warriors who come on the strongest. they are the bigger flinging BS artists! As and for example your gibberish nonsense shows what an imagination you really have and to what extent your nonsense will go with saying things like this about me “you have nowhere near the intelligence to steal the quotes from informed analysts who us that term in correct context and you’ve knocked it off from some shock-jock, mouth on a stick from Fox news??? "THAT IS NOT TRUE AND ITS ALLOT OF NONSENSE” as it proves who you are Nat and how far your dilutional imagination extends to, as you would say anything! Go away Nat and have a great Sunday night and calm down! :thumbup:
Nat
Roar Guru
15yrs? Is that all? I had 15yrs by the time I was 20yo and you can add another 15yrs on to that and I guarantee at a much higher level than your pub comp rubbish. I don’t doubt you were bashed plenty because on one hand you want to run with this “back in my day” BS and yet whinge about a FB getting posted on a perfectly executed kick chase. “Getting offended by words” for starters, you have no where near the intelligence to steal the quotes from informed analysts who us that term in correct context. However, I dare say you’ve knocked it off from some shock-jock, mouth on a stick from Fox news. One day try read a book without pictures, understand your history and strive for an independent thought.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Mate, I played RL for 15 years in the old days when a hit was a hit and we copped it sweet, not like Mam who's a wimpy sooky crybaby getting offended by words, or a dog like Riki having a cowards go at venerable FBs or winers catching bombs and flopping all over them or smashing them when they are defenseless and he's getting cheered as a big hero, I know what a fair dinkum hit is or being hit is like, as I've copped plenty and given plenty and what I see is a bunch of wosses as I'm not talking through my keyboard as I've been there and done that. It seems to me that you haven't!
Nat
Roar Guru
Mam is a big hero? The young bloke he hit is bigger and heavier than him. :laughing: Who are you to call anyone a wimp or a dog? The toughest thing you do is sit behind a keyboard calling people names - like a real hero.
steveng
Roar Rookie
First of all Walsh deserves it as hes a show pony and needs a bit of a wake up :laughing: but nah I wouldn’t at all, it just looks bad and its unfair as these blokes are totally defenseless like Chevy Stewart showed last night, as he was being constantly stampeded by big hero’s Mam who’s a wimp and that other big hero Riki which is a recipe for disaster, as someone is going to get really hurt one day and then what? As that is what my gripe is as it looks totally unfair and gives the game a bad look!
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Not with sharp tools or hammers ? For example , chisels can cut quite badly . Then ever hit your hand with a hammer? Plus, Look out or you’ll get splinters from those frames . Walking up high on frames can be quite hazardous. As can working while standing on ladders. That next step can be a doozy. :stoked:
Nat
Roar Guru
Are you seriously asking to change the rule for pressuring the FB on a kick? Yet some how if it was Walsh getting bundled by Latrell I think you might be ok with that.
Nat
Roar Guru
I tried that once but them missus promptly reminded me that all three were hers. But I certainly mumbled some stern words as I went out to the shed.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yes, fully agree with you Bernie, as that Jordan Riki is a constant exponent of the dog act flop and the other dog act of stampeding of either a FB or a winger that is totally venerable when catching high bomb(s), imo its a very ugly and bad look for the NRL and its becoming more and more common, especially the kicking of bombs which sides rely on scoring tries from.
Dutski
Roar Guru
Unlucky for Fogarty. He’s been a real general this year.
Tony
Roar Guru
Haha. It's hard work sometimes mate. Should never use big words.
Dutski
Roar Guru
When those pics hit the internet, then kiss your political career goodbye
Dutski
Roar Guru
It’s ok Tony. Some of us got it.
Bernie
Roar Rookie
the flop is my pet hate at the moment. i really dont see why if the tackle is called this ridiculous "submission/dominate" by the ref, then its ok for another defender to basically trot in and lie on top. if the player with the ball is grassed by a good, low tackle his progress is stopped, the ball has touched the ground. yes, he's been "dominated" by the defence, that's not a reason for a 105kg backrower to dive in. Melbourne, once again, excel at this.
FourwingSweepa
Roar Rookie
Edwards against the storm in Bathurst in the piss pouring rain if I remember correctly
steveng
Roar Rookie
Thats not tautology, that's the truth and what the pro Broncos crowd always do, as the more that Chevy Stewart was hurt the more the crowd cheered and were jumping up and down, if that is not disgusting to watch I don't know what is.
JohnB
Roar Rookie
Unlike the totally even-handed Raiders home crowd!