The Brisbane Broncos have carried the woes of 2020 into 2021, surrendering a 16-0 half-time lead in a season-opening loss to Parramatta.
Brisbane looked a new club as they ran in the first three tries in their first game under Kevvie Walters, but the Eels stormed back with 24 unanswered points in the second half on a rough night for the hosts at Lang Park.
Heading into their season opener, the Broncos were on an 11-game losing streak that dated back to July 11 (round nine) of the 2020 season, which saw them finish last for the first time in the team’s proud history.
But it was the Eels who looked like the reigning wooden-spooners in the first half on Friday night, although Brisbane’s game did start in the sort of comical fashion that we came to expect in 2020.
Winger Xavier Coates collected the kick-off and immediately threw a forward pass, but unlike last year, the Broncos defence aimed up against a Parramatta attack that completed just over half of its sets in the first 40 minutes.
One of the Eels’ many handling errors immediately preceded the Broncos’ first try of the year, scored by returning winger David Mead, who was one of the club’s only off-season signings.
On the other flank, Coates made up for his season-opening error when he swooped on a chip over the top by five-eighth Anthony Milford, who looked infinitely more energetic than he did at almost any point in 2020.
Coates picked up a double thanks to another piece of Milford magic, a perfectly weighted long pass in the 32nd minute.
But the winger’s 20th birthday ended in misery after he landed awkwardly on his head and neck when touching down for his second try, leaving the field in clear pain and heading to hospital for scans.
Prop Matt Lodge had already gone off with what looked to be a serious hamstring injury, while former Cowboy John Asiata
The Broncos took a 16-0 lead into the break, but we got our first real glimpse of last year’s issues when some lazy marker defence allowed Eels hooker Reed Mahoney to scoot over from close range.
Brisbane surrendered early leads in six of their 17 losses last year, and that pattern continued on Friday, with Clint Gutherson and Blake Ferguson scoring spectacular tries in the 50th and 59th minutes, and Mitchell Moses potted a sideline conversion to give the Eels an 18-16 lead heading into the final 20 minutes at Lang Park.
Jake Turpin came within inches of putting the Broncos back in front barely two minutes later when he tried to finish off a 90-metre effort sparked by Milford and Brodie Croft, but the video referee denied him, ruling he knocked on in trying to ground the ball.
Fatigue and an inability to finish sets of six marred any attempt to get that close again, and the Eels finished things off with a last-minute try to hulking prop Junior Paulo to put the result beyond doubt.
Dogs run down by Knights in rainy Newcastle
Earlier on Friday, the Bulldogs also jumped out to a hot start in Newcastle, only to be overrun by the Knights 32-16.
Canterbury, the only team that threatened Brisbane for last spot on the ladder a season ago, scored through Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in the third minute of a sodden clash at Hunter Stadium but the Knights hit back immediately through new skipper Daniel Saifiti.
The Dogs hung in with a 20th-minute try for back rower Adam Elliott, but Newcastle scored twice on either side of half-time to take an insurmountable lead, with Saifiti finishing with a double for the first time in his career.
Watene-Zelezniak scored a late consolation try for Canterbury, while the Knights lost utility back Kurt Mann to a knee injury, which was believed to be a medial ligament injury.
