Broncos star’s statement in new Madge era; Titans’ defensive woes exposed: What we learned

The Broncos have handed the Titans a pre-season reality check, beating Des Hasler’s side 50-12 at the Toowoomba Sports ground on Sunday afternoon.

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MATCH CENTRE: Broncos vs Titans teams, scores, videos, updates

Michael Maguire fielded a team littered with regular first graders, but his Gold Coast counterpart rolled out a strong starting 13 who largely left the field early in the clash.

Regardless, the Titans were flogged by their Queensland rivals, with the barrage beginning with a Gehamat Shibasaki four-pointer that left commentators confused.

No.6 Billy Walters skipped through the defensive line, while his back rower Jack Gosiewski stopped in it, impeding the defensive efforts of David Fifita.

The on-field referee ruled the play a no try, but Bunker officials Kasey Badger overruled that call and handed the Broncos the first points of the evening.

“I don’t know if I agree with Kasey, I think (Jack) Gosiewski stops in the line close enough to the defenders to impede David Fifita,” Greg Alexander said.

“Brilliant play from Billy Walters… but is he denied the opportunity (to make a tackle) when the danger presented?

“Just the interpretation of how we look at obstruction, Gosiewski stopped close enough to the defensive line to impede Fifita.”

Dan Ginnane then added: “If he just bumped into him, it might have been enough”.

Next came Cory Paix, who scored his first of two tries before he was subbed off, putting his best foot forward in the race for a spot in the Broncos’ hooking ranks.

He burrowed over for the first before steaming onto a smart Corey Jensen offload to cross for his second, while Brendan Piakura also cleaned up a messy kick battle to score.

The Titans hit back on the stroke of halftime, with AJ Brimson and David Fifita combining with a grubber for their first and only try of the period.

But the barrage ensued in the second half, with the Broncos running in a further five tries, compounding what was a horror performance on Des Hasler’s birthday.

Deine Mariner scored two of those, while Dolphins recruit Latrell Siegwalt also skipped through defenders for a try of his own.

Meanwhile, hulking prop Benjamin Te Kura bashed his way over, showcasing his brute force and size while Delouise Hoeter showed he’s a threat with ball in hand, dancing for a 49th minute try.

TITANS’ DEFENSIVE WOES LAID BARE

The Titans were the fourth worst defensive outfit in 2024, conceding a total of 656 points under Des Hasler and those woes continued against the Broncos.

The Gold Coast outfit missed a staggering 42 tackles against their Queensland rivals who ran riot, crossing the white line nine times.

The Broncos, meanwhile, only missed 10 while their total running metres painted a dire picture.

Michael Maguire’s outfit ran the ball for 1589 metres, while the Titans only recorded 1085, a difference of 503 metres.

“I’ve never seen numbers like that,” Greg Alexander said on commentary, stunned by the damning statistics.

Brisbane also had 557 post-contact metres compared to the 332 recorded by the Titans and also broke the line nine times to one.

MARINER’S STATEMENT PERFORMANCE

Deine Mariner made it clear on Sunday afternoon he will be a consistent figure in Michael Maguire’s starting 13 this season.

The 21-year-old had a breakout year in 2024, playing 21 games after featuring in only six in the two years prior.

He scored a double against the Titans, barnstorming through defenders and showcasing his sheer speed on multiple occasions.

Mariner broke five tackles and the line once, tallying 56 running metres to go with his two tries he was able to produce after starting on the wing.

PAIX’S QUICKFIRE DOUBLE

He wasn’t on the field for a long period, but Cory Paix made a statement in the battle for the Broncos’ hooking spots.

Blake Mozer, who is carrying a shoulder injury, was tipped to get the nod in either the No.9 or No.14 for Round 1, however he’s now unavailable.

Billy Walters, meanwhile, was the Broncos’ first string hooker in 2024 and delivered a strong performance at five-eighth against the Titans.

Throw in the mix Paix, Tyson Smoothy and eventually Ben Hunt when Ezra Mam returns to the No.6 jersey, and Maguire has a selection headache on his hands.

So after getting a chance to audition at dummy-half to start the game against the Titans, Paix scored a double, burrowing for his first before supporting Corey Jensen for his second.

In his 27-minute stint he tallied eight points, four tackle breaks and two line breaks in a solid display.

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PRE-MATCH PREVIEW

The Michael Maguire era gets underway as the Brisbane Broncos host the Gold Coast Titans in a Pre-season Challenge clash at Clive Berghofer Stadium.

No signs of new recruit Ben Hunt, with Billy Walters and Jock Madden the men named in the halves for the Broncos.

Hayze Perham features at fullback, with ast week’s hero Latrell Siegwalt named in the No.14 jersey.

Ben Te Kura gets a run at prop, with Jack Gosiewski also featuring after he suffered an arm injury which ended in 2024 campaign after joining from the Cowboys.

Rising halfback Coby Black has also been named on the bench.

For the Titans Kieran Foran and AJ Brimson partner in the halves in this clash, with Des Hasler running out a strong outfit that includes David Fifita and Moeaki Fotuaika among others.

Jaylan de Groot has slotted in at fullback while Keano Kini is away with All Stars commitments, while there’s no sign of Tino Fa’asuamaleaui who is plotting his comeback from an ACL injury.

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