In round one the Brisbane Broncos put on a classy performance against their arch rivals the North Queensland Cowboys at the Cowboys’ new home ground.

As was the case for the majority of 2019, the Broncos really won this one in the middle of the field with standout performances from the young forward pack

David Fifita made 31 tackles and notched up 150 running metres, while last season’s Dally M Prop of the Year Payne Haas made 33 tackles, gaining 213 metres and Tevita Pangai Junior made 27 tackles and gained 126 metres.

Brodie Croft’s performance was also immaculate with the former Storm player displaying he is capable of controlling a team in attack.

While the performance last Friday night was impressive with the Broncos looking dominant, they were up against the side in the Cowboys who are still finding their feet after a 14th placed finish in 2019. However, tonight’s game against the South Sydney Rabbitohs should prove the true litmus test for Brisbane.

The Bunnies have finished in the top four over the past two seasons, making the preliminary final in both campaigns and boast one of the most formidable lineups in the competition with multiple current and former representative players in their ranks such as captain Adam Reynolds, Damien Cook, Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Murray to name a few.

South Sydney will also be looking to bounce back from what a disappointing performance against the Sharks.The Rabbitohs may have gotten the 22-18 win however were poor in the last 25 minutes allowing the momentum shift to Cronulla which nearly cause them to lose the game.

With that in mind it’s likely the Bunnies will be looking to blow their next opponents out of the water with a decisive victory.

If the Brisbane Broncos can overcome the South Sydney Rabbitohs this weekend many punters may have to reassess their premiership chances.