In a pivotal match for their finals hopes, the Brisbane Broncos host the second-placed Cronulla Sharks on Saturday night, June 8. Electric five-eighth Ezra Mam will play his 50th NRL game as part of a near full-strength Broncos squad for this heavyweight encounter. Broncos vs Sharks kickoff 7:35 p.m. at Suncorp Stadium.
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Brisbane slip up against Titans
The Broncos come into this clash looking to bounce back from a narrow 34-36 loss to the Titans last round. Despite leading 24-12 in the 37th minute, Brisbane were unable to hold off the Titansโ fightback in front of a sellout 42,221 crowd at Suncorp. Mam, Walsh and Haas were among the standouts for the home side.
Origins return to boost Broncos
After being named for State of Origin duties, Reece Walsh, Pat Carrigan, Selwyn Cobbo and Payne Haas are all expected to back up for Brisbane provided they get cleared on Thursday afternoon. Their availability would provide a major boost to the home side.
Centre Kotoni Staggs also returns from a rib injury to bolster Brisbaneโs line-up. His inclusion sees Josiah Karapani drop back to the reserves.
Meanwhile, the Sharks have opted to rest star Blues halfback Nicho Hynes this weekend. Daniel Atkinson and Braydon Trindall will combine in the halves, while Cameron McInnes is set to back up from his Origin debut.
Ezra Mamโs 50th
For Mam, the match marks a significant milestone as the 21-year-old Broncos academy graduate chalks up his 50th top grade appearance for the club.
Mam re-committed to earlier this year by penning a five-year contract extension through 2029.
Broncos vs Sharks
Although the Sharks (9-3) are three spots ahead of the fifth-placed Broncos (7-5), Brisbane has won nine of their last 11 clashes against the Cronulla outfit and five of seven at Suncorp this season. In addition, Cronullaโs defence has given up 106 points over their last three games, a weakness that Brisbane should be eager to exploit.
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A win for the Broncos will be crucial in tightening their grip on a top eight berth.
Published 05-June-2024