VENUE & TIME: Suncorp Stadium - Saturday, September 17, 6.45pm (AEST), 8.45pm (NZT)
COVERAGE: Channel 9/Sky Sport
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 26 – Broncos 13, Dragons 13
LAST TIME: Round 15, 2011 – Broncos 21-14
WALKING WOUNDED:
No fresh injury dramas for the Broncos with coach Anthony Griffin able to name the same side that crushed the Warriors last weekend. Captain-in-waiting Sam Thaiday will serve the second game of his two-match ban, with Ben Te'o again deputising in the back-row.
Dragons boss Wayne Bennett has kept faith with the same side that went down to the Wests Tigers in week one of the finals. Youngster Mitch Rein has again been named 18th man but if the last three weeks are anything to go by, he will start the match with Nathan Fien dropping back to the bench. With the season on the line you wouldn't put anything past Bennett changing things up dramatically.
FORM:
The young Broncos showed they wouldn't be overawed in the finals with a clinical demolition of a sorry Warriors outfit to make it seven wins on the bounce. They won the arm-wrestle in the early stages before their class and consistency shone through in the 40-10 romp. Brisbane have beaten the Dragons in their last two encounters, including a tight 21-14 success earlier this season.
Just when the Dragons faithful thought their side were going to mount a fully-fledged title defence, they were brought back down to earth by the red-hot Wests Tigers last weekend. Things were looking good in the first half with a 12-6 lead at the break but that's where the good times ended, with the Tigers surging home for a 21-12 victory. The Broncos may have won only two finals on their home turf but one of those was knocking the Dragons out in 2009 and they will take great delight in doing that again on Saturday night.
WHO'S HOT:
Alex Glenn continues to go from strength-to-strength for the Broncos and produced another dominant performance against the giant Warriors pack. The Kiwi back-rower might only be 23 years old but he is held in high regard at Red Hill and was even handed the captaincy this season while the rep stars were absent. Equally comfortable in the centres as he is in the second-row, Glenn tormented the Warriors right-hand defence all match last Saturday, crossing for a try, making 30 tackles and amassing eight tackle breaks. Jack Reed again showed why he's considered the best red-head in the game with another powerful effort in the centres and won't be fazed by coming up against Dragons superstar Mark Gasnier.
Jamie Soward has copped the brunt of the criticism for St George Illawarra's poor second half of the season but the head-geared five-eighth showed against the Tigers that if he was in a form slump, it's well behind him now. He set up a try with a trademark run and his kicking game in general play had the Tigers on the back foot for most of the night. Soward now needs the rest of his team-mates to lift their games around him if the defending premiers are to keep their season alive for another week. Ben Creagh again showed his running game is returning slowly and he will be looking to give Broncos legend Darren Lockyer plenty of defensive work to