For the first time in five years the New Zealand Warriors have defeated Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium, keeping their top four hopes alive with a 26-6 NRL victory on Sunday.
Gerard Beale Photo: Photosport
A week after the Broncos looked to have locked up a finals spot, they are now precariously placed at eighth with a -26 point deficit after the Warriors snapped the hosts' three game winning run.
Eighth on the ladder going into the match against seventh-placed Brisbane, the Warriors ended their own worrying two-game losing slide with the five tries to one rout in front of 37,493 largely shellshocked fans.
Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett seemed poised to savour career victory No.500 on Sunday after the Broncos won five of their last six games and with the top four seemingly in their sights.
And the Warriors looked vulnerable at a venue where they had not won since 2013 after a 36-4 last round thumping from Penrith.
Yet Brisbane had no answer for the powerful Warriors with hulking prop Agnatius Paasi leading the way.
Halfback Shaun Johnson and hooker Issac Luke ran amok as nuggety centre Solomone Kata crossed for a double in a nightmare afternoon for Brisbane winger Jamayne Isaako.
Remarkably the Warriors now have the best away record in the competition, winning seven from nine.
Johnson had a hand in tries to Kata in the seventh minute and winger Gerard Beale in the 26th before Luke did it all himself with a solo dummy half effort in the 36th as the visitors grabbed a 16-0 halftime buffer.
Kata bagged his second 10 minutes into the second spell before Paasi bulldozed his way over five minutes later to put the result beyond doubt.
Brisbane's only points came from a try to hooker Andrew McCullough in the final five minutes.
-AAP
