Broncos Crush Bulldogs’ Perfect Start in Dominant Wet-Weather Performance
The Brisbane Broncos have shattered the Canterbury Bulldogs’ hopes of a record-breaking start to the 2025 NRL season with a commanding 42-18 victory in rain-soaked conditions at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.
In a lopsided ANZAC Round clash, the Broncos exploded out of the gates with six unanswered tries in the first half, storming to a 34-0 lead by the break. The Bulldogs, who had previously boasted the NRL’s best defence, were left stunned and disorganised, giving away repeated penalties and suffering three sin-binnings in the process. Two more players narrowly avoided joining them in the bin after being placed on report.
A fumble from Canterbury on the opening set set the tone, and the Broncos needed just a minute to strike first. Veteran halfback Adam Reynolds was masterful, producing a brilliant kicking display despite the wet conditions. He laid on two tries for winger Deine Mariner with pinpoint kicks, nailed sideline conversions, and even scored a try himself.
“He’s one of the best game managers in the league, and tonight he ran the show,” said Fox League’s Michael Ennis.
Canterbury’s discipline fell apart in the first half. Sitili Tupouniua and Josh Curran were both sin-binned for shoulder charges to the head, while Matt Burton escaped a similar punishment despite hitting Billy Walters high — an incident that saw Walters removed under HIA protocols.
Tupouniua was penalised again soon after returning from the bin, this time for leading with the knee into Broncos forward Brendan Piakura — an act many believed deserved a send-off. The crowd voiced its disapproval as replays aired on the big screen.
Moments later, Marcelo Montoya joined the list of offenders, also binned for head contact on Piakura. Referee Gerard Sutton paused play to warn Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton about the team’s lack of control.
“There are far too many incidents of foul play,” Sutton declared.
Despite early championship chatter, the Bulldogs were clearly outclassed in their first clash against a genuine top-four side.
To their credit, Canterbury fought back in the second half, winning the stanza 18-8 with two tries from Viliame Kikau on Brisbane’s right edge. The bizarre match even included a Broncos trainer accidentally getting hit by the ball during a penalty, forcing a rare re-kick.
Reynolds Injury Scare
The Broncos’ stellar night was slightly soured when Reynolds left the field late in the game holding his shoulder, which he appeared to hurt while scoring earlier. Initial reports suggested a minor shoulder “burner” or subluxation.
With Reece Walsh already sidelined, the potential loss of Reynolds — the NRL’s try-assist leader — could be a major blow.
Coach Michael Maguire was full of praise for his team’s quick start, especially on a short turnaround.
“The boys started really strong tonight,” said Maguire. “They’ve found their rhythm — now we’ve just got to build on it.”
Reynolds addressed the injury post-match: “It’s a bit sore, went kind of dead after the try. I’ll see what the physios say, but I plan to play every game.”
Ciraldo: “A Comedy of Errors”
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo didn’t sugarcoat his side’s performance.
“We were humbled in that first half. It just wasn’t good enough,” he said. “The errors we made — penalties, giving away seven-tackle sets — you just can’t do that against a team as talented as the Broncos.”
Ciraldo acknowledged the effort of most players but said a few were “off” and described the first 40 minutes as “a comedy of errors.” Still, he was encouraged by the second-half response.
“We scored 18 points and could’ve had more. I’m proud of that effort, but the first half was unacceptable,” he said.
Regarding the three sin-binnings, Ciraldo added: “Not sure all of them were deserved. Maybe the boys were just trying too hard.”
