WATCH: ‘From the clouds’ Broncos complete ‘unbelievable’ comeback to blow away Bulldogs; Broncos pull off ‘great escape’ as Dogs rocked in 13-min ‘self-destruction’…
The Brisbane Broncos pulled off one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the 2025 NRL season on July 4, 2025, recovering from an 18‑0 first-half deficit to defeat the Canterbury‑Bankstown Bulldogs 22–18 at Accor Stadium .
First Half: Bulldogs in control
Canterbury dominated early—Marcelo Montoya opened the scoring, quickly followed by tries from Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau—and by halftime the Broncos were staring down a daunting 16‑0 scoreline, extended to 18‑0 after a successful penalty goal on 45 minutes .
Second Half: Momentum shifts
Brisbane’s resurgence began just after the hour mark, sparked by a try from Jordan Karapani who powered through the Bulldogs’ defence . That effort ignited the fightback: Delouise Hoeter added another 10 minutes later, capitalising on a sharp pass from Ezra Mam
From there, Brisbane’s confidence soared—Billy Walters grounded the ball after strong inside work, narrowing the gap to just two points . With under five minutes remaining, prop Brendan Piakura forced his way over, and Adam Reynolds calmly converted, sealing an incredible 22‑18 comeback
Impact & reaction
The loss dealt a blow to the Bulldogs, who had been among the frontrunners this season . For the Broncos, this marked back-to-back comebacks—from a 16‑point deficit two weeks prior and now this one—signalling growing resilience and belief within the squad hole into a 22‑18 win in 20 electrifying minutes, with heroics from Mam, Walters, Piakura, and Reynolds producing an unforgettable collapse by the Bulldogs.
