Broncos hold off Tigers

The Brisbane Broncos have held off a spirited Wests Tigers outfit to prevail 20-18 in an exciting Friday night match at Campbelltown Stadium.

The Tigers - without captain Robbie Farah - threw everything at the Broncos but the visitors displayed the kind of defence which now sees them alone atop the NRL ladder.

Karmichael Hunt was superb for Brisbane - safe as a bank - on a night where fullbacks are made and broken.

Nick Kenny played great wet weather footy and Ben Te'o had his best game as a Bronco, firing up and ripping into his former team.

The Broncos jumped out to an early lead before torrential rain set in and slowed the match.

The Tigers got back into the match which see-sawed for the remainder, but their momentum was stymied when Benji Marshall was sin-binned at a crucial time in the second half.

Wests suffered their second heart-breaker in two weeks but there was plenty of positives for Sheens' men.

Outside backs Peni Tagive and Blake Ayshford were encouraging and Dane Laurie was explosive when he took to the field.

Brisbane hit the ground running after a slow start last week and caught the hosts napping.

With the Tigers prepared for an Israel Folau air assault, the Broncos went to the opposite flank early with a pet-play to open the scoring.

Wallace caught the ball at first receiver, went second-man to Hunt who threw the cut-out ball for rookie winger Antonio Winterstein to score his ninth try of the year.

Just minutes later the Broncos were on the attack again, and this time it was a Wallace grubber that sat up nicely for Hunt to score and hand his team an 8-0 lead after just 14 minutes.

The match looked a no-contest but the Tigers fought back, quick hands in the middle of the park put Tim Moltzen into a gap, and he found Tagive who beat two and carried Darren Lockyer over the line for a four-pointer.

John Skandalis spilt the ball from the restart but made amends just minutes later when Tuiaki scored after the Tigers pounced on a ball that came loose under a heavy shot from the front-rower.

With two minutes until oranges, and on the back of two penalties, the home side scored its third try and took the lead.

A John Morris cross-field grubber went between the uprights, and between three clutching Broncos, with Marshall getting to the ball just inside the dead-ball line.

Marshall kicked the first conversion of the match and Wests led 14-8 at half-time.

The rain cleared for the second half and the Broncos drew level through a short-side play, a rampaging Te'o smashed his way over the line on the end of a deft pass from Lockyer.

The Tigers then had extended possession with Hunt the Broncos' only saviour, but when Laurie popped a ball for a flying Ayshford to score, the Tigers were back in front.

But Lockyer hit straight back for the visitors. After Morris fumbled a kick, the Broncos captain was there to clean up and score before Parker's second conversion put Brisbane ahead 20-18.

The Tigers were penalised repeatedly for infringing in the ruck, on the fifth in succession Marshall was sent to the sin-bin sparking the Campbelltown crowd to life.

With Marshall off the field the Tigers lifted and forced three repeat sets, but without their maestro couldn't come up with the big play to get over the line.

Brisbane Broncos 20
Tries: Lockyer, Winterstein, Hunt, Te'o
Goals: Parker 2

Wests Tigers 18
Tries: Tagive, Tuiaki, Marshall, Ayshford
Goals: Marshall