The Newcastle Knights were defeated 53-0 by the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
With one forced changed before kick off, it was a night to forget for the Novocastrians as a rampant Broncos side scored ten tries while Jarrod Mullen, Tyler Randell and Nathan Ross were all forced from the field due to injury.
The red and blues started the game strongly with four completed sets, but things suddenly unraveled eight minutes in when Mullen was forced from the field with injury and Corey Oates scored in the left corner off the back of a penalty.
Corey Parker missed the conversion, but seven minutes later he got his two points when Jack Stockwell was called offside and the Broncos skipper called for the tee.
With 19 minutes played Anthony Milford tore open the Knights defence 40 metres out only to be brought down just short of the line. There was no stopping him in the next play though, as he wriggled over the defence to plant the ball down on the line.
Five minutes later Milford punished the red and blues again when he carried the ball down the left flank and put Oates through for his second try. Parker missed from the tee to keep the score at 16-0, but soon after the Milford show resumed as he collected a kick from halves partner Ben Hunt to score his second.
Early in the second half the Broncos continued their barrage, a bizarre passage of play resulting in Oates completing his hat-trick.
To make matters worse for the Knights Tyler Randell didn’t return after the break due to concussion before Nathan Ross was also ruled out due to concussion.
The Broncos didn’t relent though, and with 54 minutes played James Roberts made a break down the right touchline to set Jordan Kahu up for a try. Kahu converted his own try, and five minutes later Hunt spun out of a tackle to score as well.
With 11 minutes to play it was Joe Ofahengaue’s turn to get a four-pointer, the interchange forward grounding a Hunt chip to make the score 44-0.
Five minutes later Jordan Kahu got his second, and soon after Milford completed his hat-trick and slotted a field goal to make the final score 53-0.
SUMMARY
Newcastle Knights 0
Brisbane Broncos 53 (T: Oates 3, Milford 3, Kahu 2, Hunt, Ofahengaue, G: Parker 2/5, P 1/1, Kahu: 3/5, FG: Milford)
