Broncos claim Macca's Local Derby

The Gold Coast Titans have gone down to the Brisbane Broncos in the Macca's Local Derby at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

After a hard and fast start from both teams, the Broncos were reduced to 12 men when Toby Sexton was hit late by Jordan Riki, resulting in the Brisbane back-rower being sent to the sin-bin.

The Titans then rose to the occasion and it was none other than proud Kamilaroi and Daingatti man Jayden Campbell who scored first with a powerful try in the eighth minute in a fitting way to begin the Indigenous Round clash.

Shifting from right to left 20 metres out, the ball landed in the young fullback’s hands, who then sold Ezra Mam with a classy dummy before tucking the ball under his arm and running to the white stripe, reaching out to score first points in the Macca’s Local Derby.

Nine minutes later, the Gold Coast were on the attack once again, shifting the ball from right to left, allowing exceptional vision from halfback Toby Sexton to notice the Broncos’ right edge defence had crept up, throwing a pin-point cut-out pass to Corey Thompson who ducked and weaved a scrambling Kotoni Staggs before icing his first four-pointer of the season.

When it rains, it pours - as residents of South East Queensland would know recently – and points were exactly like how the recent weather has been… coming thick and fast at Suncorp Stadium and in the midst of the action was Sexton again.

The perfect piece began with a consecutive number of offloads, with the second phase play seeing Fifita get the ball to Jayden Campbell who then found the No. 7 to weave his magic.

The playmaker linking up with his halves partner in the 23rd minute with a perfectly-weighted grubber kick for AJ Brimson to swoop in and place down millimetres from the dead-ball line to extend the lead – and Jamayne Isaako’s third straight conversion rubber stamping an 18-0 lead.

The Titans then had Sam McIntyre and Esan Marsters marched to the bin for professional fouls in quick succession in the 32nd minute, and to rub salt into the wounds, Sexton was also taken to the sidelines with a shoulder complaint.

But the 11 remaining men showed plenty of spirited defence to only concede a Selwyn Cobbo try in that period, which was nullified in the 35th minute when David Fifita used his brute strength to muscle his way over the chalk in his return game from injury to keep the score at 24-4 at the break.

Coming out of the sheds in the second half, the Broncos hit back with three quick tries in ten minutes to Te Maire Martin (52nd), Riki (53rd) and Herbie Farnworth (58th), winding back the margin to only two points with 20 minutes to play.

A further four-pointer was added by Kurt Capewell in the 69th minute for the Broncos to take the lead for the first time in the match, ahead 28-24.

They added another four points in the 74th minute through Ezra Mam who extended the lead to ten points, and Tyson Gamble added a field goal in the 78th minute to notch the score to 35-24.

That was the final score at full-time, with the Titans to next meet the Cowboys on Thursday night at Cbus Super Stadium for the club's Indigenous Round celebration.