Brisbane Broncos big guns led by Reece Walsh rock Dolphins as Tabuai-Fidow injured
Brisbane powered home to beat fierce derby opponents the Dolphins 28-14 as the losers suffered a hammer blow when star fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow sustained a hamstring injury.
The Broncos led 6-4 at the break before scoring four tries in 14 minutes, three of them after Dolphins errors, with centre Selwyn Cobbo notching two and fullback Reece Walsh racing the length of the field.
A sell-out crowd of 46,224 watched the match at Suncorp Stadium.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Queensland representative Tabuai-Fidow left the field in the 21st minute after chasing after winger Corey Oates, while playmaker Kodi Nikorima finished on the sidelines with ice on a calf injury.
The Dolphins had already lost three of their biggest stars to injury with forwards Felise Kaufusi (hamstring) and Thomas Flegler (shoulder), along with centre Herbie Farnworth (shoulder) all out of the game.
Tabuai-Fidow’s departure robbed the Dolphins of their main strike weapon in the third Battle of Brisbane, all of which have been won by the Broncos.
Five-eighth Nikorima moved to fullback and bench utility Anthony Milford came on in the halves but the Dolphins lacked cohesion once they lost their dazzling custodian.
The best player on the field in the first half was giant 21-year-old prop Xavier Willison who trampled Nikorima to score and made his presence felt with multiple powerhouse charges.
Dolphins prop Jarrod Wallace, recalled on the bench, scored the opening try from an Isaiya Katoa bomb after it was dropped by winger Oates.
The Broncos hit back when Willison barged over Nikorima close to the line.
Walsh returned from three weeks on the sidelines with a facial fracture and looked dangerous but his timing was out on occasion.
Broncos second-rower Jaiyden Hunt dropped the ball over the line on the cusp of half-time, but after the break it was Oates who scored first after a stellar cut-out pass by No.6 Ezra Mam.
Oates’s effort took him to 120 tries for the Broncos - their equal third-best alongside fellow winger Michael Hancock.
Dolphins centre Tesi Niu dropped the ball off an attacking kick and Walsh swooped, before Cobbo latched onto further errors by Nikorima and Milford to put the result beyond doubt.
Dolphins wingers Jack Bostock and Jamayne Isaako scored late tries.
