'We can't rely on comebacks': Broncos take harsh lesson from WCC loss

Rugby league’s comeback kings announced their abdication after Brisbane’s latest Houdini act fell short in an epic World Club Challenge in Hull.

Relegated a decade ago, Willie Peters’ Hull KR led the MKM Stadium showpiece before a sold-out 24,600 crowd by 30-4 with 21 minutes left and it was party time in the stands - until the Broncos hoisted the wet sail that took them through three finals series comebacks to a premiership in 2025.

Twenty unanswered points had East Hull holding its collective breath, but when the last maroon and gold raid failed, it was party time again, with the Robins triumphing 30-24 - and a signal to Broncos coach Michael Maguire and his players that it was time to end their penchant for Great Escapes once and for all.

“Look, If you put yourself in that position over and over, at some stage it’s gonna hurt you,” the coach said. “As much as we came back at the end there, you just can’t keep doing that.

“We probably did that a bit at the back end of the (2025) season. We’ve got to work hard at the start of the game.”

Captain Adam Reynolds reckoned, “there’s no point waiting 60 minutes or until halftime to start playing some footy”, and winger Deine Mariner concurred, saying: “We’re trying to change that.

“It worked for us at the back end of the season last year but we want to get our start right so we can hold our lead. That’s the type of footy we’re trying to learn.

“We can’t always rely on doing the comeback and rely on magic to happen.”

Maguire wouldn’t even say if he felt the Broncos were capable of snatching the game late, responding simply: “We didn’t. It’s basically showed we didn’t have the time.

"You can have the momentum but if you’re going to …do the hard work early in a game, you don’t put yourself in that position.”

Despite having won seven premierships, Brisbane have only managed to lift the world title twice. They’ve failed in the WCC three times as well as dropping a World Club Series match against Warrington in 2017.

With three consecutive WCCs going to Super League sides, it’s becoming a hoodoo to compare with the early years of Origin.

Things started poorly for the visitors when they lost prop Corey Jensen to concussion in the opening minute after a collision with Sauaso Sue.

Mistakes at the back dogged Brisbane in the first half, with Katoni Staggs’ fumble putting Tyrone May in position to pilot a kick - which looked like it might have hit the ground before his foot - for Tom Amone on debut to scored after five minutes.

It was Reece Walsh’s turn to put one down before man of the match Jez Litten sent captain Elliot Minchella hurtling over next to the posts in the 12th minute and then the colourful Joe Burgess trailed Litten’s kick into the in-goal a quarter way through the match, this festive gathering began to believe.

Josiah Karapini’s aerial manœuvre to give Gehamat Shibasaki his 28th-minute score after fullback Walsh’s cross field kick was otherworldly and at 18-4 Peters told a TV interviewer as the players returned to the field for the second half that he was wary of Brisbane’s love of performing miracles.

Initially, his fears seemed groundless. Mikey Lewis’ bomb was gathered in by winger Burgess, who found Rhyse Martin who in turn put centre Oliver Gildart over nine minutes into the second half, then centre Peta Hiku capitalised on May’s kick for that gargantuan 26 point lead.

Then, however, the Broncos tried their luck once more at doing the impossible, with consecutive tries captain Patrick Carrigan (60th minute), Mariner (62), Shibasaki (65) and Staggs (76).

At one stage the Robins were awarded a reliving penalty only for Lewis to fail to find touch.

James Batchelor and Peta Hiku said a few times 'just take three deep breaths' behind the sticks. It ended up being about 12 deep breaths, they scored that many quick tries.

Joe Burgess

That awful feeling in the pit of nine out of 10 stomachs at the MKM only abated with 20 or so seconds on the clock. Minchella described his team’s second half performances as being, “as ugly as me”.

Rovers head to Vegas without goal kicking fullback Arthur Mourgue (pectoral muscle) and back rower Dean Hadley, who is thought to have played the final quarter with a fractured eye socket.

Meanwhile, it was an eye-opening experience for many in the Broncos squad despite the defeat.

“Just being able to stand out there and sing the national anthem - that’s dreams I had as a young fella,” said forward Ben Talty.