It has taken exactly one match for the NRL finals to descend into controversy around referees. The Gold Coast Titans are out, the Broncos advance but the post-game focus will surround a series of highly controversial calls at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
History will show the Broncos winning 44-28Â and even with some generous decisions in their favour, it would be difficult to argue that they weren't the better team in a 13-try Queensland derby that surely now has some serious electricity.
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Broncos send Titans packing
Brisbane run in eight tries to advance in the finals series.
The first sticking point surrounded a penalty try to Jordan Kahu early in the first half, the first in a finals game since Jamie Lyon's against the Roosters in the 2013 grand final.
Titans centre Konrad Hurrell swung his boot around as Kahu was inches away from planting the ball and kicked it clear of his hands. It looked a neat piece of play but Bunker referees had little hesitation in awarding the penalty try.
They were right to the letter of the law and were later backed by referees boss Tony Archer. But it didn't stop fierce debate from unfolding and the Titans would have little cheer about on that front for much of the night.
Down 22-18 early in the second half, Brisbane back-rower Alex Glenn crossed for his second. It went upstairs but Bunker officials somehow managed to miss James Roberts kicking Ryan Simpkins after playing the ball.
Combined with David Mead being controversially penalised for dangerous contact with Corey Oates, who had climbed high to take the ball in his own 20m zone, the Titans were having one of those nights were little went their way.
That included losing halfback Ash Taylor for the final 45 minutes and back-rower Zeb Taia, who didn't even make it to kick-off after injuring a quad during the warm-up.
Star signing Jarryd Hayne had his good moments but dropping the ball off the kick-off to start the second half was a telling error as Brisbane quickly pounced and were on their way to victory.
The first half was frantic from the opening whistle. Josh Hoffman was denied a try within the first two minutes, only for Chris McQueen to score minutes later and give the Gold Coast – notoriously slow starters of late – a welcome 6-0 lead.
Pulsing with energy and go-forward, the Titans were getting the best of things before a stunning series of plays that preceded the penalty-try ruling. Former Gold Coast man Roberts cut them open on the left and was collared by Hayne a metre short.
Kahu would wrestle his way over on the next play before Hurrell's boot sent the ball flying as he went to put it down. The penalty-try call appeared to be the right one and Archer, perhaps sensing the fan backlash, backed up his men in the middle during the half-time break.
"From our point of view, it's a penalty try. Where they kick the ball out of his possession, it makes a significant difference. He kicked it out of his hands," Archer told Nine.
David Mead put the Titans back in front 12-6 after 15 minutes as Brisbane failed to clean up another kick before Kahu hit back after an Anthony Milford break down the left again, which would prove brittle all night for Gold Coast.
The Broncos were flying and Jarrod Wallace, powerful off the bench, went over under the posts as Brisbane settled clinically into their work. Battered and running on empty, the Titans somehow managed to conjure a try to Hoffman and lead 18-16 at half-time.
But halfback Ash Taylor was gone for the night and with him would go Gold Coast, who were hammered by referees in a second half that started in disaster for Hayne, who dropped the ball before watching Glenn score moments later.
Glenn's second in the 51st minute came after the Roberts kick and the Titans were fuming. Down and effectively out by this point, Oates and then Milford hammered in the final nails.Â
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