NRL: Lockyer-less Broncos open with win

Corey Parker and Ben Hannant of the Broncos celebrate after Hannant scored a try. Photo / getty Images

Broncos 18
Eels 6

Brisbane have begun life without Darren Lockyer in positive fashion, seeing off the Eels 18-6 in NRL clash at Parramatta Stadium.

In rainswept conditions, both sides struggled terribly in keeping possession with handling errors very much the order of the evening in a scrappy affair.

However, it was the visitors who headed home with the two competition points thanks to second-half tries from Jharal Yow Yeh, Peter Wallace and Ben Hannant.

The Eels were deprived of the services of star fullback Jarryd Hayne, who failed a fitness test on his injured knee but got off to a flying start when big-money off-season signing Chris Sandow made an instant impression with a try after just four minutes.

The former South Sydney halfback's first major contribution in the blue and gold was to grubber a kick across the greasy surface and he pounced quickest to score after Gerard Beale fumbled close to the tryline.

With the rain continuing to fall, it was the home side who looked the more comfortable in the opening period with the Broncos yielding possession on a regular basis as the Eels grew in confidence.

However, like they did so often last season, poor discipline proved to be their downfall, with referees Shayne Hayne and Gavin Morris penalising them eight times in the first half alone.

The Broncos finished the first half deep in Eels territory, but Stephen Kearney's side showed tremendous character in defence with young backs Ken Sio, Ryan Morgan, Cheyse Blair and Esi Tonga belying their tender years to repel the visitors.

The Broncos were much improved in the second half as the Eels were forced onto the back foot with Sandow unable to exert any influence in attack.

A knock-on under the high ball from Sio presented the Broncos with the ball in great field position and they spread the play wide to the right through Wallace and Justin Hodges, who teed-up Yow Yeh to score in the corner.

That try appeared to knock the stuffing out of the Eels and it was no surprise when Anthony Griffin's side added a another four-pointer on the hour when Wallace's grubber bounced awkwardly in the in-goal area and he pounced as the Eels' defence hesitated.

With the Broncos now firmly in control, Parramatta looked bereft of ideas in attack as the Queenslanders began to dominate.

Lockyer's successor, Corey Norman, began to find his feet and he played a major role in Hannant's late try, starting the move that saw the former Canterbury prop bulldoze his way over the line.

Corey Parker kicked three goals for Brisbane, with Luke Burt kicking one for the Eels.

To compound a miserable evening for the home side, debutant five-eighth Ben Roberts limped off with a quad strain midway through the second half.

BRISBANE 18 (B Hannant P Wallace J Yow Yeh tries C Parker 3 goals) bt PARRAMATTA 6 (C Sandow try L Burt goal) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: Shayne Hayne, Gavin Morris. Crowd: 11,399.