2007 Brisbane Broncos season

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2007 Brisbane Broncos season
  2006 2008  

The 2007 Brisbane Broncos season was the twentieth in the club's history and they competed in the NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership. Coached by Wayne Bennett and captained by Darren Lockyer, the Broncos made the finals by just scraping into the top 8, but were knocked out in the first week by eventual premiers, Melbourne Storm. Two and a half years later the Storm would be found to have been cheating the salary cap over the previous four seasons and their 2007 premiership was stripped.

Contents

Pre-season

The Broncos' pre-season involved two matches in England and two more trial matches upon their return to Australia.

World Club Challenge

As reigning NRL premiers, on 23 February 2007 The Brisbane Broncos played against English Super League champions St Helens R.F.C. in the 2007 World Club Challenge. St Helens took the match 18–14 in the last minutes.

23 February 2007
20:00 UTC+0
Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 18–14 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos
Tries: Gardner (2)
Sculthorpe
Goals: Sculthorpe (3)
Report
Tries: Parker
Boyd
Goals: Parker (3)
Reebok Stadium, Bolton, United Kingdom
Attendance: 23,207
Referee: Steve Clark

Telstra Premiership

The World Club Challenge loss was followed by a poor start to the 2007 NRL season by the Broncos, who lost their captain and five-eighth Darren Lockyer to an ankle injury after the first match against the North Queensland Cowboys. Lockyer returned to the field in Round 3 against the Penrith Panthers, but Brisbane had lost their first three games in a row for the first time since 1999. They racked up their first win against the Sydney Roosters in the traditional Good Friday match played by the two clubs. Another loss followed by a win in the Andrew Johns farewell against Newcastle in Round 6.

When, in the Round 7 replay of last year's grand-final, Brisbane were unable to defeat Melbourne, they had managed to win just 2 of their first seven games, compared to their strong starts in 2006 and 2005. Having not yet played an NRL game in 2007, Tame Tupou, the Broncos' top try-scorer for the previous season, left the club in round 7 for England. In round 11 Brisbane were at the bottom of the ladder before racking up their biggest ever win, defeating an under-strength Newcastle Knights 71–6. It was also the Knights' biggest ever loss and the most points the Broncos had ever scored in a game. This was followed up with a loss to an understrength St George Illawarra Dragons.

As a result of the team's form, coach Wayne Bennett gave the players time off during the Broncos' bye. This strategy appeared to be successful, with the team winning five successive games. However, in their Round 18 win against the Cowboys, Lockyer tore his anterior cruciate ligament, ruling him out for the rest of the season. Lockyer's injury, combined with injuries to big-name players Karmichael Hunt, Justin Hodges, Brent Tate and Shaun Berrigan,[ citation needed ] played a role in Brisbane winning just two of their last eight games of the season.

In the last round of the 2007 regular season, the Broncos suffered an embarrassing 68–22 loss to Parramatta, equalling their worst ever defeat and most points conceded in a match. However, the club still finished eighth after the regular season, thus making the finals for the sixteenth straight year. Brisbane's efforts did not improve the following Sunday when they played their 500th game ever and their last of the season, being defeated soundly by eventual premiers the Melbourne Storm 40–0. Only one year after winning the premiership, 2007 saw the second time ever that the Broncos lost more games than they won in a season of football.

At the end of the season the Brisbane Broncos hed a gala ball at which coach Wayne Bennett was made a life member of the club. His refusal to make an acceptance speech at the club's presentation ball showed the strain in his relationship with the Broncos. [1] On 9 October 2007, the club announced the termination of the contracts of squad members Ian Lacey and John Te Reo, after they were involved in the assault of a man after the ball. [2]

Ladder

PosTeamPldWDLBPFPAPDPts
1 Melbourne colours.svg Melbourne Storm 2421031627277+35044
2 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 2418061597377+22038
3 North Queensland colours.svg North Queensland Cowboys 2415091547618−7132
4 New Zealand colours.svg New Zealand Warriors 24131101593434+15929
5 Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta Eels 24130111573481+9228
6 Canterbury colours.svg Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24120121575528+4726
7 South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney Rabbitohs 24120121408399+926
8 Brisbane colours.svg Brisbane Broncos 24110131511476+3524
9 Wests Tigers colours.svg Wests Tigers 24110131541561−2024
10 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Sydney Roosters 24101131445610−16523
11 Cronulla colours.svg Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24100141463403+6022
12 Gold Coast Titans colours.svg Gold Coast Titans 24100141409559−15022
13 St. George Illawarra colours.svg St George Illawarra Dragons 2490151431509−7820
14 Canberra colours.svg Canberra Raiders 2490151522652−13020
15 Newcastle colours.svg Newcastle Knights 2490151418708−29020
16 Panthers colours.svg Penrith Panthers 2480161539607−6818

Scorers (After Round 25)

For NRL first-grade matches only.

PlayerTriesGoalsField goalsPoints
Corey Parker 445/540106
Darren Lockyer 223/33357
Justin Hodges 120048
Steve Michaels 100040
Karmichael Hunt 80032
Tonie Carroll 70028
Darius Boyd 60024
Brent Tate 50020
Greg Eastwood 50020
Michael Ennis 17/8018
Shaun Berrigan 40016
Dane Carlaw 30012
Dave Taylor 30012
David Stagg 2008
Petero Civoniceva 2008
Ben Hannant 2008
Craig Frawley 2008
Joel Moon 20/108
Shane Perry 2008
Brad Thorn 2008
Sam Thaiday 11/206
Denan Kemp 1004
Nick Emmett 1004
TOTAL8977/993511

2007 match results

^ Not a Broncos Home Game
* Game following a Test match
** Game following a State of Origin Match
RoundOpponentResultBrisbaneOpponentDateVenueCrowdPosition
Trial Match Celtic Crusaders Win32 615 Feb Brewery Field 2,000+
WCC St. Helens Loss141823 Feb Reebok Stadium 23,207
Trial MatchCanberra RaidersWin181224 Feb Dolphin Oval
Trial MatchMelbourne StormLoss0463 Mar Princes Park 8,273
1 North Queensland Cowboys Loss162316 Mar Suncorp Stadium 50,41612/16
2 New Zealand Warriors Loss142425 Mar Mt Smart Stadium 16,73812/16
3 Penrith Panthers Loss282930 MarSuncorp Stadium24,58215/16
4 Sydney Roosters Win32106 Apr Sydney Football Stadium 11,47612/16
5 ^ Gold Coast Titans Loss162813 AprSuncorp Stadium47,68613/16
6 * Newcastle Knights Win201622 Apr EnergyAustralia Stadium 25,52411/16
7 Melbourne Storm Loss182827 AprSuncorp Stadium33,75013/16
8 South Sydney Rabbitohs Win844 MaySuncorp Stadium27,38712/16
9 Cronulla Sharks Loss81611 May Toyota Park 12,26213/16
10 Manly Sea Eagles Loss61821 May Brookvale Oval 13,49314/16
11 **Newcastle KnightsWin71627 MaySuncorp Stadium27,43312/16
12 St George Illawarra Dragons Loss4111 Jun Oki Jubilee Stadium 10,30215/16
13BYE12/16
14 ** Canterbury Bulldogs Win191215 Jun Telstra Stadium 10,12110/16
15 Wests Tigers Win481825 JunSuncorp Stadium29,3649/16
16Penrith PanthersWin241630 Jun CUA Stadium 8,5537/16
17 **Gold Coast TitansWin19186 JulSuncorp Stadium48,6216/16
18North Queensland CowboysWin241613 Jul Dairy Farmers Stadium 25,1265/16
19 Parramatta Eels Loss162023 JulSuncorp Stadium25,7025/16
20Cronulla SharksWin301629 JulSuncorp Stadium24,5635/16
21Manly Sea EaglesLoss8215 AugSuncorp Stadium35,7846/16
22Melbourne StormLoss61412 Aug Olympic Park 7/16
23Canterbury BulldogsLoss242517 AugSuncorp Stadium35,1999/16
24Canberra RaidersWin301926 AugSuncorp Stadium31,6148/16
25Parramatta EelsLoss22682 Sep Parramatta Stadium 17,1128/16
QFMelbourne StormLoss0409 SepOlympic Park15,552

Honours

League

Club

Players

Bold Players have played International or State any year

Full Backs

Wingers

Centres

Halves

Hookers

Props

Second Rowers

Locks

Player movements

Gains

NameFrom clubContract Details
Peter Wallace Penrith Panthers Contract until the end of 2009, will come in 2008.
Joel Clinton Penrith Panthers Contract until the end of 2010, will come in 2008.
Ashton Sims St. George Illawarra Dragons Contract until the end of 2010, will come in 2008.
Tom Hewitt St. George Illawarra Dragons Contract until the end of unknown, will come in 2008.
PJ Marsh Parramatta Eels Contract until the end of 2010, will come in 2008.

Losses

NameTo clubContract Details
Tame Tupou Bradford Bulls Contract until end of 2008, will go there mid-2007.
Brent Tate New Zealand Warriors Contract until end of 2010, will go there in 2008.
Shaun Berrigan Hull Contract until end of 2011, will go there in 2008.
Petero Civoniceva Penrith Panthers Contract until end of 2009, will go there in 2008.
Dane Carlaw Catalans Dragons Contract until end of 2010, will go there in 2008.
Brad Thorn Canterbury Crusaders Contract until end of 2008, will go there in 2008.

Re-signings

NameContract Details
Sam Thaiday Contract until end of 2009.
Joel Moon Contract until end of 2009.
Stephen Michaels Contract until end of 2009.
Darius Boyd Contract until end of 2009.
Denan Kemp Contract until end of 2008.
Greg Eastwood Contract until end of 2009.
Michael Ennis Contract until end of 2010.
Justin Hodges Contract until end of 2011.

Off Contract at end of 2007

NameContract DetailsOther
Shane Perry Contract Ends 2007Likely to move back into Queensland Cup

References

  1. Clark, Laine (5 February 2008). "Statistics don't do Bennett justice". foxsport.com.au. Australia: AAP. Retrieved 7 January 2010.[ dead link ]
  2. "Brisbane axes Lacey and Te Reo" . Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  3. "Honour Board". broncos.com.au. Brisbane Broncos. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2013.

27°27′53″S153°0′34″E / 27.46472°S 153.00944°E / -27.46472; 153.00944 (Suncorp Stadium)