2007 Brisbane Broncos season

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.

Pre-season

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

World Club Challenge
Main article: 2007 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
St. Helens 18–14 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
Further information: 2007 NRL season

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, 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
Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Melbourne 2421031627277+35044
2 Manly-Warringah 2418061597377+22038
3 North Queensland 2415091547618−7132
4 Warriors 24131101593434+15929
5 Parramatta 24130111573481+9228
6 Bulldogs 24120121575528+4726
7 South Sydney 24120121408399+926
8 Brisbane Broncos 24110131511476+3524
9 Wests Tigers 24110131541561−2024
10 Sydney 24101131445610−16523
11 Cronulla-Sutherland 24100141463403+6022
12 Gold Coast 24100141409559−15022
13 St George Illawarra 2490151431509−7820
14 Canberra 2490151522650−12820
15 Newcastle 2490151418708−29020
16 Penrith 2480161539607−6818

Scorers (After Round 25)

For NRL first-grade matches only.

PlayerTriesGoalsField GoalsPoints
Corey Parker445/540106
Darren Lockyer223/33357
Justin Hodges120048
Steve Michaels100040
Karmichael Hunt80032
Tonie Carroll70028
Darius Boyd60024
Brent Tate50020
Greg Eastwood50020
Michael Ennis17/8018
Shaun Berrigan40016
Dane Carlaw30012
Dave Taylor30012
David Stagg2008
Petero Civoniceva2008
Ben Hannant2008
Craig Frawley2008
Joel Moon20/108
Shane Perry2008
Brad Thorn2008
Sam Thaiday11/206
Denan Kemp1004
Nick Emmett1004
TOTAL8977/993511

2007 match results
^ Not a Broncos Home Game
* Game following a Test match
** Game following a State of Origin Match
RoundOpponentResultBrisbaneOpponentDateVenueCrowdPosition
BOCCCeltic CrusadersWin32 615 FebBrewery Field 2,000+
WCCSt. HelensLoss141823 FebReebok Stadium23,207
Trial MatchCanberra RaidersWin181224 FebDolphin Oval
Trial MatchMelbourne StormLoss0463 MarPrinces Park8,273
1North Queensland CowboysLoss162316 MarSuncorp Stadium50,41612/16
2New Zealand WarriorsLoss142425 MarMt Smart Stadium16,73812/16
3Penrith PanthersLoss282930 MarSuncorp Stadium24,58215/16
4Sydney RoostersWin32106 AprAussie Stadium11,47612/16
5 ^Gold Coast TitansLoss162813 AprSuncorp Stadium47,68613/16
6 *Newcastle KnightsWin201622 AprEnergyAustralia Stadium25,52411/16
7Melbourne StormLoss182827 AprSuncorp Stadium33,75013/16
8South Sydney RabbitohsWin844 MaySuncorp Stadium27,38712/16
9Cronulla SharksLoss81611 MayToyota Park12,26213/16
10Manly Sea EaglesLoss61821 MayBrookvale Oval13,49314/16
11 **Newcastle KnightsWin71627 MaySuncorp Stadium27,43312/16
12St George Illawarra DragonsLoss4111 JunOki Jubilee Stadium10,30215/16
13BYE12/16
14 **Canterbury BulldogsWin191215 JunTelstra Stadium10,12110/16
15Wests TigersWin481825 JunSuncorp Stadium29,3649/16
16Penrith PanthersWin241630 JunCUA Stadium8,5537/16
17 **Gold Coast TitansWin19186 JulSuncorp Stadium48,6216/16
18North Queensland CowboysWin241613 JulDairy Farmers Stadium25,1265/16
19Parramatta EelsLoss162023 JulSuncorp Stadium25,7025/16
20Cronulla SharksWin301629 JulSuncorp Stadium24,5635/16
21Manly Sea EaglesLoss8215 AugSuncorp Stadium35,7846/16
22Melbourne StormLoss61412 AugOlympic Park7/16
23Canterbury BulldogsLoss242517 AugSuncorp Stadium35,1999/16
24Canberra RaidersWin301926 AugSuncorp Stadium31,6148/16
25Parramatta EelsLoss22682 SepParramatta Stadium17,1128/16
QFMelbourne StormLoss0409 SepOlympic Park15,552

Honours

League
  • Nil

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 WallacePenrith PanthersContract until the end of 2009, will come in 2008.
Joel ClintonPenrith PanthersContract until the end of 2010, will come in 2008.
Ashton SimsSt. George Illawarra DragonsContract until the end of 2010, will come in 2008.
Tom HewittSt. George Illawarra DragonsContract until the end of unknown, will come in 2008.
PJ MarshParramatta EelsContract until the end of 2010, will come in 2008.

Losses
NameTo clubContract Details
Tame TupouBradford BullsContract until end of 2008, will go there mid-2007.
Brent TateNew Zealand WarriorsContract until end of 2010, will go there in 2008.
Shaun BerriganHullContract until end of 2011, will go there in 2008.
Petero CivonicevaPenrith PanthersContract until end of 2009, will go there in 2008.
Dane CarlawCatalans DragonsContract until end of 2010, will go there in 2008.
Brad ThornCanterbury CrusadersContract until end of 2008, will go there in 2008.

Re-signings
NameContract Details
Sam ThaidayContract until end of 2009.
Joel MoonContract until end of 2009.
Stephen MichaelsContract until end of 2009.
Darius BoydContract until end of 2009.
Denan KempContract until end of 2008.
Greg EastwoodContract until end of 2009.
Michael EnnisContract until end of 2010.
Justin HodgesContract until end of 2011.

Off Contract at end of 2007
NameContract DetailsOther
Shane PerryContract 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.
  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.

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