Amidst the euphoria of a stunning second-half comeback to dethrone the reigning NRL premiers, one Brisbane Broncos star will no doubt be feeling somewhat anxious tonight.
In the 28th minute of the 16-14 victory over the Panthers, hulking interchange forward Xavier Willison was penalised and placed on report for making dangerous late contact to the legs of Luke Garner.
Having only just returned after breaking his arm against the Dolphins in Round 24, any ban would see Willison rubbed out of next Sunday’s grand final at Accor Stadium.
On replay the tackle on Garner appeared both late and, at best, unnecessary—however a very recent precedent could help Willison escape with a fine despite similar ‘third man’ in tackles drawing suspensions for much of the 2025 NRL season.
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Just seven days ago, Penrith’s Brad Schneider was placed on report for a similar cannonball tackle on Canterbury forward Sitili Tupouniua only to receive a $1,000 fine.
Michael Maguire and the Broncos will be hoping for similar treatment from the NRL Match Review Committee, particularly given Willison’s starring role off the bench in Brisbane’s come-from-behind victory to eliminate the Panthers.
In 43 minutes of action, the 23-year-old scored a crucial second-half try and ran for an impressive 137 metres with one tackle bust, one line break and making 18 tackles.
Not bad for someone playing his first game in seven weeks.