Injury-decimated Broncos score spectacular tries to heap more pain on Dogs

This brings to an end tonight’s NRL live blog.

The Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys can celebrate wins this evening.

Brisbane, down on troops, belted the Bulldogs.

The Cowboys won an 80-point shootout with the Cronulla Sharks

ABC Sport will be back tomorrow for live digital coverage of the NRL action on Anzac Day.

We hope you join us then.

Brisbane prop Jack Gosiewski was part of a brilliant forward pack tonight.

They set up the 32-12 win.

Gosiewski joined ABC Sport after the win.

No one expected us to win … we bloody put on a pretty good performance.

Yep. I’d say that is about spot on Jack.

Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds and coach Michael Maguire are speaking to the media.

Maguire has praised his side’s effort tonight, especially those players who stepped into the side tonight.

Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo mentioned Brisbane’s goal-line defence in the opening quarter as a pivotal moment.

Brisbane captain Reynolds has also touched on it.

It’s not ideal, but when you defend your line for that period of time, you gain confidence from that … you could just sense the energy was up.

Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo is speaking to the media after his side’s 32-12 loss.

Ciraldo says there were some really good moments from his side, but other times were disappointing.

Not being able to score early in the first half, when his side had three consecutive sets at the Brisbane goal-line, was a moment in the match that hurt his side

“Disappointing in a few sections of the game,” he says.

“I thought we started really strong … unfortunately, we just couldn’t take our opportunities at that end of the field.”

— reporting by AAP

With 12 players unavailable, brilliant Brisbane handed cringeworthy Canterbury a reality check in a 32-12 win that came at a huge cost to the losers.

The Bulldogs lost star second-rower Viliame Kikau to a pectoral injury in an opening half at Lang Park that was close to perfect by the understrength Broncos.

The Broncos were without Test stars Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan and Reece Walsh, as they were last year when they conjured a comeback 22-18 win over the Bulldogs in Sydney.

Their replacements were immense. Ben Talty and Jack Gosiewski powered on as starting props, while fullback Hayze Perham, playing his first starting NRL game in 964 days, had a hand in two first-half tries in a stellar display against his former club.

The defending premiers gave an NRL debut to prop Va’a Semu and a club debut to versatile forward Preston Riki, who was put on report and sin-binned for a high shot on winger Jonathan Sua in the second half.

The finishing of the hosts was out of this world. Magic Round is three weeks away, but five-eighth Ezra Mam and winger Deine Mariner were magicians to ground the ball in the corner for tries without going into touch.

Mam had one of his best games in the NRL, and in cahoots with skipper Adam Reynolds totally controlled the match.

The Bulldogs were toothless in attack and the early return of skipper Stephen Crichton had little impact.

Brisbane’s defence on their tryline was immense. Centre Kotoni Staggs, on one leg, was brutal with his work. When outside backs Gehamat Shibasaki and Josiah Karapani threw Crichton over the sideline early, it was a statement moment.

A Mam grubber set up centre Shibasaki for the opening try.

Reynolds managed the game to perfection and Mam added the classy flourishes. It was the latter who threw a scintillating cutout pass for winger Karapani to make it 10-0.

Bulldogs bench forward Harry Hayes stuck his leg out to trip Reynolds. Hayes was sin-binned and the Broncos made the Bulldogs pay.

When Mariner scythed past three Bulldogs and finished with a freakish put-down in the corner, the gulf between the sides was never more evident.

Perham threw the final pass for the Mariner try and his line-break assist was the catalyst for Cory Paix to race away and make it 20-0 at halftime.

Kikau went down in the 10th minute and battled on, but disappeared up the tunnel 11 minutes later.

Mam was horizontal in the air and facing the wrong way when he somehow grounded the ball for the first try after the break.

Matt Burton and Lachlan Galvin got the Bulldogs on the board, but it was too little, too late.

Broncos second-rower Brendan Piakura was replaced after aggravating a knee injury in the second half.

It is the icing on the cake for Brisbane.

Xavier Willison charges onto a short pass from Ezra Mam.

Willison gets past the trip of Stephen Crichton, and is then tackled by Bulldogs fullback Connor Tracey.

Ref Wyatt Raymond sends the decision upstairs, believing there is a double-movement.

Crucially, Raymond says Willison got to the goal-line.

There is no double-movement action, and the TV camera does not conclusively show that Willison was short.

That means it is a try.

And no one is more surprised than Willison.

Canterbury’s Matt Burton is on report for a dangerous tackle on Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs.

Burton wrapped his arms around the body of Staggs, then went onto his back.

Staggs landed on his head, and Burton was penalised.

If one play in this match could summarise what has happened tonight, it just happened.

Lachlan Galvin was shaping to put up an attacking kick on the final tackle.

Galvin waits, and waits, and waits.

You could hear the Jaws music as Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs chased Galvin from behind and tackled the young playermaker before he could kick the ball.

That was the end of the set.

It is third-time lucky for the Bulldogs.

Lachlan Galvin has run through a big hole to score.

There was a nice decoy run from one of the Bulldogs forwards, which drew the attention of two Bronocs defenders.

That created the gap for Glavin to run into.

Broncos 26

Bulldogs 12

The Bulldogs have been on the attack for the past five minutes.

The visitors have been throwing everything at the Broncos, but they cannot break through.

Two grubbers from Lachlan Glavin have forced goal-line dropouts.

But the Bulldogs have a third straight set.

Canterbury has blown a huge chance.

Stephen Crichton made a big line break, and only a desperate tackle stopped him from scoring under the posts.

The Bulldogs had to go to the left. There was a massive overlap.

But the Dogs went right.

Brisbane was able to scramble to defend the line. It was then last tackle, and Canterbury halfback Lachlan Galvin was unable to get a kick away. After a few passes, a heavy grubber goes dead.

The Broncos are back to 13 men.

The Bulldogs are on the board.

Kurt Mann has made a line break up the middle, then passes to Matt Burton, who scores under the posts.

That try was set up on the play before, when Stephen Crichton made a strong run down the right, which fractured Brisbane’s defensive line.

The Broncos will feel aggrieved. Fullback Connor Tracey may have knocked on a few plays before the try.

Broncos 26

Bulldogs 6

The Bulldogs are trying to get back into this match while the Broncos have a man in the sin bin.

But Brisbane’s goal-line defence is still holding firm.

The Bulldogs looked like they were going to have a chance of scoring when Stephen Crichton sent a pass to winger  Marcelo Montoya close to the line.

But Brisbane’s cover defence pulled down Montoya just two metres from the line.

Deine Mariner 

Ezra Mam

The Broncos are down to 12 men for the next 10 minutes.

Brisbane interchange Preston Riki has hit Canterbury winger Jonathan Sua with a high shot.

And Riki is going to be sent to the bin for that shot.

Based on other similar sin bins this season, I think that is fair enough.

It was direct shoulder contact with the head.

Broncos 26

Bulldogs 0

I called Deine Mariner’s finish special.

Ezra Mam’s finish is AMAZING.

The Brisbane number six may have produced the try of the season.

Mam went down the short side and threw a perfect pass to Josiah Karapani, who sprinted down the wing.

Karapani passed inside, but the ball was knocked down by a Bulldog.

Mam picks up the ball, in the left corner of the field.

He then steps to the sideline to beat the tackle of  Marcelo Montoya.

Mam is diving, he turns in mid-air, and now his chest is pointed towards the sky while he is travelling backwards.

And SOMEHOW, Mam got the footy down behind his body.

Broncos 26

Bulldogs 0

Errors were a big issue for the Bulldogs in the first half, and it has continued to start the second.

They have the ball at halfway, but a poor pass is dropped by Kurt Mann.