Reece Walsh, Ben Hunt lead Broncos’ 24-0 comeback to stun the Dolphins in Battle of Brisbane

In a pulsating Battle of Brisbane before 44,350 fans, Walsh and Hunt hauled their side out of the fire, overturning a 28-14 deficit to shock the Dolphins and virtually seal the Broncos’ finals appearance.

Plucky Redcliffe looked to be on the cusp of another derby boilover when Trai Fuller and Jeremy Marshall-King crossed in the second half to give the injury-ravaged Dolphins an epic 28-14 lead after 49 minutes.

But one split-second act of magic from Walsh turned the Battle of Brisbane on its head.

In the absence of injured Broncos halves Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam, Walsh blasted a 40-20 kick in the 52nd minute, igniting a Brisbane blitzkrieg with four tries in 15 minutes to break the Dolphins’ spirit.

Hunt was equally superb, conjuring three try assists in the No.7 jumper to ensure the Broncos will finish the weekend in sixth spot with 30 competition points.

Brisbane are all-but finals bound, while the Dolphins (26) will need a miracle to play finals football after slumping to ninth and blowing a handy 14-point lead with the Broncos on life support.

RED-HOT REECE

This was one of the greatest performances of Walsh’s career.

Missing Reynolds and Mam, Walsh stepped up. He created Kotoni Staggs’ 20th-minute try with a clever short-side rush before crossing himself after releasing Gehamat Shibasaki in the 37th minute and backing up to level scores 14-all at the break.

Walsh looked slick and sharp and the best evidence was the absence of the heavy black knee strapping that has protected his damaged posterior cruciate ligament for the past two months.

Walsh was simply magnificent. There was one blemish when he put a kick restart out on the full, but his booming 40-20 kick in the 52nd minute was a monster play that breathed life into the Broncos. He finished with 170 metres and 10 tackle busts.

FLYING FULLER

Fill-in fullback Fuller personified the heart of the gutsy Dolphins with one of the solo tries of the season.

With scores level 14-all at half-time, the second half exploded when Fuller scored seconds after the restart, the diminutive Dolphins fullback spearing through the line and dummying past rival Walsh to finish off a stunning 70-metre movement.

Is there a braver player in the NRL? Wearing jumper No.20, the 170cm Fuller ran with intent and went blow for blow with Walsh with his fearless line running.

SIXES AND SEVENS

Makeshift Broncos halves Billy Walters and Hunt were quiet in the first half but when it mattered, the dynamic duo stepped up.

Hunt held his nerve nicely on a rapid-fire right shift to shovel the ball for Deine Mariner to cross in the 53rd minute, giving the besieged Broncos hope at 28-20.

Walters then showed remarkable vision two minutes later, kicking superbly across field for an unmarked Karapani to catch on the fly and leave the Dolphins under siege at 28-26.

Smelling blood, Hunt went for the jugular, slotting a deft grubber kick for prop Ben Talty to crash over and send Broncos fans into delirium on the hour.

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CENTRES OF ATTENTION

The threequarter battle between Broncos pair Staggs and Shibasaki and Dolphins centres Jake Averillo and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was worth the price of admission.

The quartet all had their moments in a cracking derby, but Staggs’ 68th minute try - soaring high for a Hunt bomb - ensured the Battle of Brisbane specialist laughed last and loudest.