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Dragons
1 Adam Quinlan
2 Brett Morris
3 Dylan Farrell
4 Gerard Beale
5 Jason Nightingale
6 Gareth Widdop
7 Sam Williams
8 Tyson Frizell
9 Mitch Rein
10 Dan Hunt
11 Leeson Ah Mau
12 Ben Creagh (c)
13 Trent Merrin
Interchange
14 Jack de Belin
15 Kyle Stanley
16 Joel Thompson
17 Mike Cooper
20 Jack Stockwell
25 Bronson Harrison
Coach: Steve Price
Broncos
1 Ben Barba
2 Daniel Vidot
3 Jack Reed
4 Dale Copley
5 Lachlan Maranta
6 Josh Hoffman
7 Ben Hunt
8 Josh McGuire
9 Andrew McCullough
10 Corey Parker (c)
11 Alex Glenn
12 Sam Thaiday
13 Matt Gillett
Interchange
14 Corey Oates
15 Martin Kennedy
16 Todd Lowrie
17 Jarrod Wallace
18 Dave Hala
Coach: Anthony Griffin
Barba ready to rock the 'Gong
By Matt Harris
NRL.com
9:54am Thu 27th March, 2014
If you're a Dragons fan you'd better batten down the hatches and hold on tight to something sturdy – there's an earthquake heading to Wollongong on Friday night.
Ben Barba may have new-found stability off the field, but his Bronco teammates and rugby league fans are still waiting for Brisbane's new fullback to rock their foundations on the field with the brand of scintillating football he has produced in the past for the Bulldogs.
Barba's career to date is as close as you'll get to a rugby league earthquake – a steady rumble to begin with between 2008 and 2010, followed by violent shaking brought on by his ground-rupturing years of 2011 and 2012, and then an almost unnatural and eerie silence in the 2013 season.
Now happy and enjoying his football in Brisbane, Bronco fans are hoping for a series of aftershocks from Barba that can shift the fault line that is the Telstra Premiership north of the border, in order to deliver the Broncos a seventh premiership in the coming seasons.
We all know Barba's destructive rugby league potential measures 10 on the Richter scale, as do his teammates. That's why they are waiting, hoping and wishing for the 2012 Dally M medallist to return to his destructive best.
"I think some of my teammates are waiting for that too. Hopefully it comes out this Friday [against the Dragons]," Barba said.
The beginning of the 2014 season has been somewhat foreign to Barba, with the 24-year-old requiring ankle surgery last year just prior to his arrival in Brisbane. The recovery process caused Barba to miss all three trial matches for the Broncos, as he aggravated his ankle again during the Auckland Nines tournament.
Now with three NRL games firmly behind him, the Norths Mackay junior is starting to find his feet at the Broncos and his attacking combination with halves Ben Hunt and Josh Hoffman is starting to reverberate around Red Hill.
"It was the first game last week where I actually felt really comfortable and felt good, so hopefully I can take last week into this week," he said.
"It's a new team and new teammates. I didn't get to play in any trials, hopefully over the last three weeks I've learnt something off 'Hoffy' (Hoffman) and Benny (Hunt) and everyone else in the side and we can move on from here.
"I think it's gone pretty well in the first few weeks. No one expected us to gel so well in the first game and it's continuing to grow.
"Hopefully as the weeks go on and we get better that combination will start to come off."
After scoring two tries in the Auckland Nines, the 100-game veteran will be looking to open his Broncos account in the NRL against the Dragons. Typically a prolific try-scorer with 23 tries from 24 appearances in 2011 and 22 tries out of 27 in 2012, the Darwin-born fullback last crossed for a four-pointer in Round 20 last year.
All signs are present that Barba will start peeling off the match-winning performances the NRL is accustomed to, a steady and settled personal life at his new Brisbane base can be attributed to that.
"It was hard after being at Canterbury for so long, the only thing I knew was Canterbury," he said.
"Coming up here was a big change and it took a whole pre-season really to get to know everyone's names off by heart.
"I've got some great teammates at the Broncs and some great leaders [around me] so they make it easy.
"It's been really enjoyable and I'm looking forward to my footy each week which is good."
If there is pressure on Barba to deliver some earth-shattering form he's not showing it, even though he's fully aware that the burden to produce for the Broncos will always linger.
"(Pressure) is something I put on myself. I know the first few weeks I was a bit quiet in what I was doing but I am trying to get involved in it a bit more," he said.
"Hopefully I continue to grow in confidence and start to play some good football."
Dragons v Broncos preview
By Tony Webeck, Chief Queensland Correspondent
NRL.com
2:15pm Wed 26th March, 2014
Dragons v Broncos
WIN Stadium
Friday 8pm
Well what a difference three weeks makes.
If not for some plucky Rooster resolve and a perfectly timed Mitchell Pearce pass this would have been the showdown between two undefeated teams who many experts, punters and six-year-olds believed had no right to hold such lofty positions in the 2014 season.
The Dragons' only home game in the opening three weeks was at their home away from home, ANZ Stadium, in Round 1 but they have been nothing but impressive in accounting for the Tigers, Warriors and Sharks to sit ahead of the Storm on points differential as the only teams still boasting a perfect record.
And if you don't think the good folk of Wollongong aren't busting to get out to WIN Stadium on Friday night in their best red-and-white then you've obviously forgotten the fervour surrounding their minor premiership seasons of 2010-11.
With 58 wins and four draws in 94 fixtures at WIN Stadium since 1999, the Dragons have a 62 per cent winning record in the 'Gong and their record against Brisbane there in recent times is at a similar rate, having won three of the past five.
If NRL games went for 75 minutes and not 80 then Brisbane would be sitting pretty alongside the Dragons atop the competition table but the defending premiers gave them a lesson that should hold them in good stead for the remainder of 2014.
Wins against the Bulldogs and Cowboys were more gritty than pretty but a breakout performance from Ben Hunt and whole-hearted performances from Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker and Martin Kennedy last Friday gave the competition sufficient warning that the Broncos are more than mere nuisance value in 2014.
A month ago the decision by Channel Nine to schedule this match on a Friday night could have been questioned but the vagaries within rugby league now make it a genuine showstopper on both sides of the border.
Watch Out Broncos: Up there in the sky... Is that a bird? A plane? No, it's high-flying Dragon Brett Morris! A week after breaking Warrior hearts with a 100-metre effort from his own goal-line, Morris soared high above the Remondis Stadium surface, claimed a judicious Gareth Widdop 'mini-bomb' and conjured a put-down to rival that of David Nofoaluma's try of the year last season.
His fourth-minute try against the Sharks brought up his ton of four-pointers in the NRL and 35 minutes later he started on the next 100 with a spectacular effort that will not be easily forgotten. It took his tally to three tries from three games in 2014 and a one-try buffer on twin brother Josh in their annual try-scoring shootout.
With 20 dummy-half runs he is the only player who doesn't play hooker in the top 14 for that statistic – the next winger is teammate Jason Nightingale – and with 474.2 metres from three games (at an average of 158m) only Albert Kelly and Sam Burgess have covered more territory.
He's lethal at the point-scoring part of the field but the Broncos will also have to contain his runs from dummy-half coming out of trouble that have been getting the Dragons' sets off to good starts.
Watch Out Dragons: He was quoted during the week as saying that he may never recapture the form of 2012 that stunned the rugby league world but Ben Barba has shown enough in three weeks to suggest that even below his best he is still better than most.
With a halves combination in Ben Hunt and Josh Hoffman that is still coming to terms with each other's strengths, Barba has been asked to be more of a provider than a finisher and is taking the ball first or second from the ruck on a much more regular basis than previous seasons.
Getting the ball in his hands more often can only be a good thing for the Broncos attack and there were signs last Friday that not only is Barba contributing but his mere presence is providing more space for Hunt to play his natural game.
Although he is still to open his try-scoring account as a Bronco, Barba has contributed two try assists, four offloads and has had possession 89 times, 10 more times than five-eighth Hoffman.
His 143 metres last week against the Roosters was the most for both teams and a massive jump from the 49 and 58 metres in the opening two rounds. Barba's confidence is growing, and that should be a major concern for the Dragons defence.
Plays To Watch: With the changes to rules around the ruck the speed men have become lethal out of dummy-half and in Brett Morris and Jason Nightingale the Dragons have two of the best in the business. And with 83 dummy-half runs to date, the Dragons do it more than any other team in the competition. If the Broncos markers give them any latitude they will soon propel their side downfield and give the Dragons momentum in a set of six that can be difficult to stem.
With two tries and two try assists Ben Hunt's confidence went to new levels last Friday night but Dragons coach Steve Price will have taken note of where he attacked. Hunt scored the opening try by ducking down a short blind-side in the sixth minute and then laid one on for Lachlan Maranta in the 55th minute when he again exploited a stretched Roosters defence on a short right edge. Blind-side Dragons defenders beware, especially close to your own line.
Where It Will Be Won: Both teams spent an extraordinary 56 minutes of last weekend's games in the opposition half yet while the Broncos came up with 26 points and lost, the Dragons converted all that territory into just 14 points but still defeated the Sharks.
Winning the territorial battle will be crucial but shapes as an absorbing arm-wrestle, with little separating the two teams in key statistical categories. They have both conceded 19 penalties, the Dragons have made one less error (25 to 26) and missed three less tackles (69-72) than their northern opponents.
The platform laid by the forwards and kicking games of the respective halves will determine which team cracks first.
The History: Played 30; Dragons 13, Broncos 17. The history between these two teams since the merger entity came into being in 1999 is dictated very much by periods of dominance by each club. The Broncos won the first four meetings (including a 44-14 hammering at Wollongong in 2000) but between Round 23, 2005 and Round 4, 2009 the Dragons won eight straight. The record recently is all the Broncos, having won the past six encounters and eight of the past nine.
What Are The Odds: The Dragons have been on fire but punters are tipping their run will come to an end, with virtually all of the early money taken by Sportsbet.com.au going on Brisbane despite them being $2.05 outsiders.
Match Officials: Referees – Gerard Sutton & Gavin Morris; Touch Judges – Paul Holland & Ricky MacFarlane; Video Referees – Bernard Sutton, Ben Galea.
Televised: Channel Nine – Live 7.30pm (Qld); Delayed 9.30pm (NSW).
The Way We See It: A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the Dragons lost two consecutive grand finals to the Broncos in 1992-93 but this shapes as an absorbing new chapter in the storied history between these proud teams. The first game in Wollongong for 2014 will ensure a parochial home crowd but the Broncos have been exhibiting a toughness in the opening three weeks that has been missing since Darren Lockyer's retirement at the end of the 2011 season. The class of Gareth Widdop and the home fans might just be enough for the Dragons to maintain their unbeaten start. Dragons by 4 points.
Broncos bracing for Dugan's return
Broncos coach Anthony Griffin says there would be no surprise if the Dragons recalled their electrifying fullback Josh Dugan for Friday night's Round 4 clash against his side in Wollongong.
Dugan suffered a lateral knee ligament injury in the pre-season Charity Shield match against South Sydney and was slated to miss at least the first month of the season, with a return in Round 5 considered the best possible scenario.
However, Griffin has an inkling that the Dragons' custodian may strap the boots on one week early to breathe more firepower into the Red V.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see him play, he's one of the best players in the game," Griffin said.
"His running game at fullback is one of the best there is. I think he was due back next week so I wouldn't be surprised to see him play tomorrow night."
Not only do Griffin's men need to nullify the threat of Dugan if he takes the field, but the Broncos' boss has identified multiple attacking threats that the undefeated Dragons can call upon.
"They've been excellent. They've played some great attacking football every week and they deserve their three wins," he said.
"All their key people are playing well. The two wingers and the people they bought in (Gareth) Widdop, Joel Thompson and (Sam) Williams.
"They've got a great young forward pack with (Trent) Merrin and (Tyson) Frizell and those types of guys. (Ben) Creagh's got a lot of experience. They are all in good form and playing well."
Griffin also gave specific mention to Dragons' wingers Brett Morris and Jason Nightingale, who combined to score all three of St George Illawarra's tries in last week's scrappy 14-12 win over the Sharks.
Morris's superman-like acrobatics to score his second try on the stroke of half-time from a pin-point Gareth Widdop kick highlights the danger that Brisbane wingers Lachlan Maranta and former Dragon Daniel Vidot are up against.
"The two wingers they've got have done everything in the game – they've won grand finals, played for their country and State of Origin. It really helps the team when they've got those types of guys in form which they've got at the moment," he said.
"It won't only be up to our wingers but the whole team to keep them at bay."
Lachlan Maranta will be tasked with the unenviable role of marking Morris, with the 21-year-old Broncos winger spending extra time practising under the high ball at training this week in order to defuse the constant aerial bombardment that Gareth Widdop's boot is sure to deliver.
"We always study the opposition kickers and he (Widdop) has done a great job. It's probably the first time in his career where he gets the ball when he wants it," Griffin said.
"He's had to play behind Cameron (Smith) and Cooper (Cronk) at Melbourne so he'd probably only get three or four kicks per game. So to jump straight into that (five-eighth) spot and be able to execute it the way he has, it's a real sign of the class he's got."
On the home front, Griffin feels that his team is getting better as each game rolls by and he's expecting his side to bounce back after last Friday's heartbreaking last-minute 30-26 loss to the Roosters.
"There approach has been good. We're all disappointed with what happened on Friday night and I suppose we'll find out how we've handled it tomorrow night," he said.
"We just need to keep improving what we do. If you draw a line through the last three games I think we've improved a little bit every week and that's the key for us again on Friday night.
"We just need to concentrate on ourselves and try to keep improving and if we do that we'll be happy and the results will come."
NRL.com
Dragons v Broncos
Dragons: Jack Stockwell and Bronson Harrison are expected to drop off the extended bench, leaving the Saints 1-17. Star fullback Josh Dugan (knee) is tipped to be just short of fitness, having done isolated training rather than running with the main squad yesterday. Halfback Michael Witt is expected to return from a dislocated shoulder in the NSW Cup.
Broncos: No changes expected, with Josh McGuire back from suspension, Martin Kennedy pushed to the bench and David Hala dropping out of the 17.
Brisbane hand Dragons first loss of 2014
By Matt Encarnacion, Western Sydney Correspondent
NRL.com
10:09pm Fri 28th March, 2014
Brisbane have handed St George-Illawarra their first loss of the season, dismantling the Dragons 36-20 in front of 10,526 fans in Wollongong on Friday night.
It was Brisbane's seventh win in a row over the Red V, and their third win from four games this season to announce themselves as early season surprise packets.
The Dragons, meanwhile, will rue some soft tries that ruined what would've been the perfect opening month of the season.
Brisbane led from start to finish, racing out to an early 12-0 lead on the back of consecutive tries to lock Matt Gillett in the opening 10 minutes.
The first came via Ben Barba's seventh minute inside ball to a screaming Dale Copley, who found a sneaky Matt Gillett supporting on the inside.
The Broncos lock found himself in again just three minutes later, this time becoming the recipient of a charitable Brett Morris when the representative winger failed to clean up Gillett's grubber.
And with Corey Parker coolly slotting over both conversions, the Broncos were up by two converted tries before the Dragons could say "first home game in Wollongong".
But the home side did hit back in the 14th minute on a Jason Nightingale special. The former Kiwi representative soared to take an AFL-like "mark" before wrestling his way through three defenders to plant the ball.
Five-eighth Gareth Widdop's attempt hit the post – the third time he's found the timber in three misses this year – leaving the score at 12-4.
The points kept flowing in the 18th minute, this time Sam Thaiday making a simple yet determined run straight through Dragons lock Trent Merrin, who originally turned the ball over to give Brisbane good field position in the first place.
Parker's extras again handed Brisbane a 12-point advantage.
But the Dragons answered once again when centre Gerard Beale produced a neat catch and pass for Morris to score his sixth try of the season, in just four games.
Widdop's conversion reduced the deficit to eight and – despite Morris and Beale almost combining for another try that would've been a contender for best of the season and Daniel Vidot spilling the ball over the line – that's the way it stayed at the break.
It took the Dragons less than a minute to prise open Brisbane's defence in the second half, with centre Dylan Farrell pouring through a gap down the right edge and chipping ahead for winger Jason Nightingale to stun the visitors.
But as the Broncos did throughout the game, they replied with a soft try to forward Todd Lowrie, who strolled over from close range in the 45th minute.
Centre Dale Copley gave Brisbane their biggest lead of the night when he was on the end of two tip-on passes – one each from Thaiday and Parker – to extend the margin to 14 points.
The hosts breathed life into the game when they went 90 metres in two plays, resulting in Beale going over in the left corner in the 65th minute, but Brisbane sealed victory in the 72nd on a right shift set play, Thaiday setting up Ben Hunt to go through untouched.
St George-Illawarra 16 (Nightingale 2, Morris, Beale tries; Widdop 2 goals) defeated by Brisbane 36 (Gillett 2, Thaiday, Lowrie, Copley, Hunt tries; Parker 6 goals). Crowd: 10,526.
I think the Donkeys are over achieving early this season but I'm sure opposition teams will have their number before not too, I hope we play our best against them in 2 weeks time..
The disappointing thing about this match was the crowd of only 10k when u consider the Dragons have one of the best fan base in the NRL maybe no one including their own supporters are sold they will be a force this year.
Griffin pleased with bounce back
By Matt Encarnacion, Western Sydney Correspondent
NRL.com
7:30am Sat 29th March, 2014
In the end, Brisbane recorded their biggest points tally of the season, defeated an undefeated team on their own home turf, and walked away with a pretty impressive 3-1 start to the season.
Heck, even defensive stalwart Todd Lowrie got on the scoresheet tonight.
"And that was the way that the game was going all night," Broncos coach Anthony Griffin said after the 36-20 win over St George-Illawarra.
"Points were coming in unusual ways, but I just thought in general we were going about it with a really good attitude after the disappointment of last week. That was the most pleasing thing."
By last week, Griffin was referring to the demoralising loss against the defending premiers – a near upset that could've really set up their season.
"Just emotionally, we could've come down here with our tails between our legs," he said. "It was a hard one to swallow last week, but we bounced back, trained great all week and we just needed to come down and get that one done tonight and we did."
And on Friday night the Broncos were there again, like they were against the Roosters, clinging onto an eight point lead deep into the second half.
Then it got down to four, and then it got down to two.
"It was a funny old game. They scored some amazing tries. It felt like we were in control, but then something ridiculous would happen," he said.
"The good thing was, when it got to 18-16, we steadied and regained our composure."
And a large part of that had to do with the somewhat surprising play of halfback Ben Hunt, who backed up last week's virtuoso performance with, as Griffin described, as steadier one.
"There's a few times [Hunt] didn't continue [with good form], but he's getting there," he said. "He's come up with a couple of big plays there in the middle of the second half. One to score, and one to put us in a position to score. And he's doing that every week.
"As I said a few times this year, [Hunt] finished the season very well last year, so he came into this season with some form on the board.
"Hoffy's just doing a good job just running the football when he gets his opportunity. And also teaming up with Ben [Hunt] and Benny Barba, there's still a long way to go with that. But tonight, we got 36 which was the best we've done for the year. So it's going okay."
By okay, he means better than last week which, after seven days, was still etched in his mind.
"The execution at times wasn't real good. But to bounce off the disappointment of last week and be able to come down here and beat an unbeaten side was pleasing," he said.
Price perplexed by referees
By Matt Encarnacion, Western Sydney Correspondent
NRL.com
8:00am Sat 29th March, 2014
A perplexed Dragons coach Steve Price said he will be keen to figure out why his side couldn't land a penalty in their 36-16 loss to the Broncos on Friday night.
It was the joint venture side's first loss of the season, and while the third-year coach admitted it was a positive start to the year, questioned the referees' policing of the ten metre rule.
"It certainly has [been a good month]. As I said, we're still learning about ourselves. It has been a very positive start and we put ourselves in a position tonight to win that footy game, to get back within two," he said.
"We'll live and learn, dust ourselves off and get ready for next week. It was tough to get a ten metre penalty there tonight."
While Price was clear that the 6-3 penalty count in favour of the Broncos wasn't the reason why his side lost, he remained flummoxed as to the inconsistencies displayed by the two referees.
"Definitely with the two referees there, it's something I'll have to look at in the review. One referee was 10-11 [metres], the other one was 7-8 [metres]," he said.
While not hiding his frustrations with the officiating, Price said the turning point came in a "five to eight minute block" in the second half where his side lost the game.
"I thought it was a very fast game. There weren't many penalties blown," he said. "We spoke about that, [Brisbane] pride themselves on starting fast [and]they certainly did that.
"Credit to our guys, I thought we got back into the arm wrestle really well. We come back after halftime, scored a tremendous try, and [got] within two but didn't play with any composure or any smarts there for a number of minutes.
"And [that] put us on the back foot and I thought that's where the game was won, in that five to eight minute block there."
With a clash against the Rabbitohs at the SCG next week, Price was hopeful of forward Tyson Frizell recovering in time from a slight ankle issue suffered during the game. He said prop Dan Hunt, who missed the game with a knee complaint, and fullback Josh Dugan will also be available to play.
Thaiday shocked by Broncos' hot start
By Matt Encarnacion, Western Sydney Correspondent
NRL.com
6:30am Sun 30th March, 2014
Brisbane veteran Sam Thaiday admits he is shocked by his side's promising start to the year, and described their 80-minute victory over the Dragons as the blueprint to success.
A winless pre-season had many pundits dismissing the six-time premiers before a ball was kicked but Friday night's road win lifted the Broncos to a 3-1 record over the opening month of the season that has entrenched them in the top eight.
It would've been a perfect four from four had the Roosters not stolen victory from the jaws of defeat at Suncorp Stadium in Round 3.
"I'm very surprised. You train hard and you bust your butt all off-season, but you're never sure on how you're going to go," Thaiday told NRL.com.
"We've played some tough teams now, they've been a lot of testing games and hopefully we can take a lot of confidence off this first month and continue on into the weeks to come."
The former club captain confessed he had his own doubts coming into the new season after going winless through a trial period that included heavy losses to the Warriors, Cowboys and Titans.
But ahead of next Friday night's clash against the Eels, Brisbane registered strong wins over the Bulldogs and Roosters before handing the Dragons their first loss of the year.
"Three out of four, it's been a great month for us. Coming off the [Auckland] Nines and coming off our trial form, we probably weren't looking too good or feeling too great," he said.
"But we really showed each other, if anything, that if we play a tough brand of footy where we just work hard for one another, we can win games."
After relinquishing an eight-point lead in the loss to the Roosters, the Broncos held off a stubborn Dragons outfit that wouldn't go away. Thaiday said his growing team had quickly learnt a tough lesson against the defending premiers.
"We knew this was going to be a big challenge. When you play a team that's won three straight, they have that winning form, that bit of confidence, so we knew it was going to be a tough task," he said.
"We probably thought ourselves a little bit unlucky losing to the Roosters last week, but it shows that it's an 80-minute game. We just didn't show up for 80 minutes against the Roosters.
"We really had to show that effort tonight against the Dragons in a funny old game, but it was good to win."
Thaiday reserved special praise for teammate Matt Gillett, who scored two tries in the opening 10 minutes to set up the win.
"Matt's been working very hard on his game in the off-season and it was a great reward for him to get over early and score those two tries. It just shows that all that hard work is paying off for him," he said.
Watched this game , man it was boring, Donkeys are playing boring footy IMO. But they still wont make the finals.
Broncos v Dragons
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