Live: Broncos continue top four push with crucial derby clash in Townsville

The Cowboys go close in the middle of the park and Tyson Smoothy tries to get on the long side of the ruck, but Reece Walsh sends him back the other way.

But the Cowboys just spin it right and it’s way too easy for them to outnumber the Broncos and send Semi Valemei over despite Brisbane having more people on the park.

The dummy-half pass from Tyson Smoothy is a shocker and finds the grass.

It’s only the fourth tackle, but Billy Walters still forces an around-the-corner pass and it ends up in the hands of the Cowboys, who will attack from 40 metres out.

After Josiah Karapani just burst through the tackle of John Bateman and Jordan McLean off the second tackle and went 60 metres upfield, the Broncos immediately fire the ball to the right to attack the flank that Braidon Burns has vacated after that sin-bin.

Ben Hunt hits Kotoni Staggs with a short ball and it’s second blood to the Broncos.

That’s just a great read from the experienced Hunt.

The Cowboys winger shoots out of marker and tries to pressure the bomb from Reece Walsh, but he runs through the kicking leg and Ashley Klein sends him to the sin bin.

He’d be better off going for the tackle in that instance, because at least he might avoid the sin bin if he just tackles the player.

The Broncos are stopped close to the line and some deception at dummy half by Tyson Smoothy freezes the defence.

He goes to a short side on the left and Reece Walsh spins out of Tom Dearden’s tackle, popping a pass off his knees to Gehamat Shibasaki to dive over.

The Broncos lose their hooker as he tries to clean up a loose ball and is driven hard into the ground.

Tyson Smoothy is activated earlier than usual.

The Cowboys are at home in their glow-in-the-dark jerseys, hosting the Broncos, trying to push into the top four tonight.

Brisbane kicks off and the OG Queensland derby is underway.

And Jordan McLean’s knocked on in the opening set!

Manly probably needs too much to go right to make the eight, but a decent-sized win today doesn’t hurt.

They need to beat the Warriors big on Friday, then hope the Roosters lose by a lot against Souths in the following game that same night.

Otherwise it will be another early exit for the Sea Eagles.

But again, they’ve done their best today to rack up a score, so we’ll wait and see.

Daly Cherry-Evans’s grubber is perfect and Caleb Navale gets through but knocks on as he reaches out just before the tryline.

Adam Gee sends it to the bunker as no try, but Liam Kennedy spies Jacob Halangahu impeding him in the lead-up and, with no-one else in the vicinity, awards the penalty try.

Jack de Belin stands in a tackle and manages to offload to Jacob Liddle, who quickly finds Emre Guler to dive in with three minutes left.

It doesn’t mean much for the Dragons, but it’s probably ruling Manly out of the top eight for good.

They needed to win big this week and next and rely on other results for the Dolphins and Roosters to have a chance, but I think that’s just about done now.

The Broncos will continue their push for a top four finish without Adam Reynolds, whose return from a hamstring injury was pushed back after a setback during the week. Brendan Piakura, however, will make his return from the bench.

The Cowboys, who have a bye next week, will conclude their 30th year without centre Viliami Vailea, who was a late withdrawal with a hamstring strain. Zac Laybutt joins the starting side.

That was really quite disconcerting because the pitch invader sprinted pretty close to Clint Gutherson as he was standing under a bomb.

But they were closely followed by security and pretty hastily apprehended.

Play is back on.

Lyhkan King-Togia has been a target in defence all season and the Sea Eagles score down that avenue once again as Dayl Cherry-Evans hits a flying Tommy Talau, who steps inside the Dragons rookie to score Manly’s sixth try of the night.

The Sea Eagles are just rolling up the middle of the field and Toafofoa Sipley’s quick play-the-ball gives Daly Cherry-Evans the ball with some momentum and he hits Corey Waddell with a short ball.

Waddell coasts through a massive gap for his second try of the night, equalling his total for the rest of the season leading into this game.

It’s a ninth straight win for the Roosters’ NRLW side this year, beating the Cowboys 30-0 in Townsville — the first time this season they’ve kept a team scoreless.

In fact, the reigning premiers haven’t lost a game since August 25 last year, making this a 15-game winning streak, including the 2024 grand final.

But that is all tempered by an apparent broken jaw for captain Isabelle Kelly after copping a stray elbow from Cowboys winger Francesca Goldthorp.

We’ll have to wait and see, but with only two games left in the regular season, it’s hard to see her getting back on the field this year if it’s as bad as it looks.

Not much more to say about this Tricolours side, that looks utterly nailed on for a second straight grand final appearance (at least) but special shout-out to Jayme Fressard for getting over the line in her first full game since a horrible elbow break and dislocation in round one.

The Dragons grubber through on the right for Tyrell Sloan and Luke Brooks does well to get back to the ball first, but he leaves it behind, gifting St George Illawarra a full set on the tryline.

The Dragons spin it left and Clint Gutherson’s ball over the top looks like a shocker, but Tuipulotu picks it up off his toes at pace and dives in.

The Dragons spin it right and Tyrell Sloan gets outside Lehi Hopoate, holding him off long enough to reef a kick back in-field.

Tom Trbojevic turns and chases but it takes a horror bounce that beats everyone except Jacob Liddle flying in late, scooping up as he slides on his knees and diving over.

Hopoate returned to try to bash the ball out and definitely caused a bobbly, but the bunker says he maintained enough control to award the try.

David Klemmer stands in the tackle and Toafofoa Sipley comes in, hitting him in the thigh and coming down awkwardly on Klemmer’s lower leg, twisting the big man in the tackle and leaving him clutching at his left hip.

Sipley immediately apologises — it was an unfortunate accident because he did his pretty high on the thigh — but Adam Gee sends him to the sin-bin. That feels a little harsh to me.