Brisbane Broncos Broncos win NRL pre-season challenge after big wins over North Queensland and Manly

Joel Gould

AAP

2 Min Read

25 Feb 2024

Sione Hopoate - a familiar surname to Sea Eagles fans - is tackled by Manly’s Clayton Faulalo on Saturday. Credit: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Brisbane have won the NRL pre-season challenge and given coach Kevin Walters a window into the promising depth at the club in 2024.

The Broncos won 46-20 against North Queensland with a full strength side in the first week of trials, before a second tier outfit beat Manly 40-14 on Saturday, while the top squad was in camp in Los Angeles before the round one NRL match with Sydney Roosters in Las Vegas.

The Broncos finished the pre-season tournament on 28 points, equal with the Sydney Roosters, but won the $100,000 first prize due to a better for-and-against record.

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Brisbane centre Delouise Hoeter, who co-captained the side on Saturday, said to start the season so well was “a good feeling”.

“We wanted to build on last week and I feel like we did that with a less experienced side,” Hoeter said.

“We still have a long way to go from our best but everyone that played should be proud of their achievement.

“It shows great depth from our young players all the way through to players who are just on the fringe.

“Paixy (Cory Paix) and I loved leading the team on Saturday and for a team that was pulled together in a week, they were great.”

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 24: Delouise Hoeter of the Broncos is tackled during the NRL Pre-season challenge match between Manly Sea Eagles and Brisbane Broncos at 4 Pines Park on February 24, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) — Delouise Hoeter helped lead the Broncos to the NRL pre-season title, netting the club $100,000. Credit: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

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Giant 205cm prop Ben Te Kura, 19, had a strong game against Manly, running for 104m.

Brisbane great Corey Parker said Te Kura would only get better.

“I am not one to put extra pressure on the kid but he is in a great system and hanging around some great players like Pat Haas and Pat Carrigan,” Parker told AAP.

“He obviously has a big future. Te Kura will be a first-grader at some point but how regular that is will be up to him and Kevin Walters.”

Highly rated hooker Blake Mozer also had an impressive match against a Manly side that also fielded a fringe roster, since their top side are in Las Vegas.

“Full credit to the Broncos They were able to get away with the $100,000 and it is good experience for those kids to be able to play on TV,” Parker said.

“The signs we have seen in their first two games were positive. It shows great depth.”

Parker said there were other positive signs in the opening pre-season win against the Cowboys, in which second-rower Brendan Piakura scored two tries and showed he would be an accomplished replacement for veteran Kurt Capewell, who joined the Warriors in the off-season.