Michael Maguire’s Brisbane Broncos brought Canterbury’s strong early-season run to a crashing halt on Thursday night.
Rugby league greats say Maguire’s side exposed a key weakness in Cameron Ciraldo’s Bulldogs — and exploited it to great effect in a dominant 42-18 victory.
It marked the Bulldogs’ first loss of the season, after their smaller forward pack had helped them build the league’s tightest defence — conceding 46 fewer points than any other team to that point.
So how did Maguire orchestrate the win?
The strategy centred around isolating Bulldogs defenders in one-on-one situations, allowing Brisbane’s larger middle forwards to overpower their opponents.
“I was really impressed by the Broncos,” said Matty Johns on Matty and Cronk. “Madge’s tactics were spot-on, especially considering he was up against a smaller Bulldogs pack.
“The Dogs play a fast, swarming style — like hyenas — but when you’re outsized, you need to win the ruck to beat a team like Brisbane.
“Madge used big forwards running off his playmakers like Adam Reynolds, creating those one-on-ones with players like Haas and Willison — and they just broke through.”
Cooper Cronk added that isolating defenders and then exploiting them with quick attacking plays proved decisive.
“Maguire clearly planned this all week,” Cronk said. “The Dogs had momentum, but Brisbane targeted gaps where defenders dropped back, ran big bodies through them, played quick, and attacked again.
“It was wave after wave — a real ‘shot, shot’ mentality. That’s when Madge’s teams are at their best — physically and mentally ready from kickoff.”
Ben Hunt also rebounded from a poor showing the previous week against the Warriors, where he had more errors than running metres, to deliver a strong performance that symbolised the Broncos’ intent.
“Ben Hunt really bounced back,” said Johns. “He must have been frustrated after last week — Madge probably gave him a rev-up.
“There was a moment where a loose ball was there for the taking, and Hunt just launched himself at it. It wasn’t a 50/50 ball — maybe 70/30 against him — and he still found a way to win it. That shows how committed he is.”
Looking ahead, Cronk believes the Bulldogs will struggle against physically dominant teams throughout the 2025 season.
“I like what the Bulldogs are building,” he said. “They’ve got a clear identity and will win games. But when they face big forward packs like Brisbane, that’s when they’ll be tested.”
Ciraldo also has a young core, including Jacob Kiraz, Bronson Xerri, Stephen Crichton, Toby Sexton, Jacob Preston, Harry Hayes and Bailey Hayward — all under 25. Johns warned that managing expectations around these rising stars will be crucial.
“There’s a lot of hype around the Bulldogs now,” Johns said. “Every win builds excitement, but with that comes pressure.
“It’s gone from ‘can they make the finals?’ to ‘can they make the top four?’ — even ‘can they win the comp?’ That’s a heavy load for young players to carry.”
