Broncos v Dragons preview

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Irresistible force meets underwhelming, slow object.

On face value this contest is a no-brainer. Up front I'll tell you: it's foolish to tip anyone but Brisbane and if you scroll to the bottom of this preview, that's exactly who I'm tipping.

On the field - as we know in rugby league - anything can happen. The Broncos are a force to be reckoned with in the second year of Wayne Bennett's return to the Sunshine State. They exacted revenge on their Grand Final heartbreak by pipping the Cowboys in golden point a fortnight ago, and then grinded out a well-earned victory over the Titans last Friday to sit pretty at the top of competition after five weeks. Everything seems to be clicking from the electric Anthony Milford to the now less-fumbling Ben Hunt... and Darius Boyd seems to be hitting a purple patch as he enters the twilight of his career.

St. George Illawarra are a stark contrast. Coming into last Saturday's clash with the Cowboys they were two from four and in line for three straight wins - but had only racked up some 40 points across the four rounds and built their victories around tough and desperate defence. That fell to pieces against one of the premiership heavyweights and they let in 36 points in one of their worst performances under Paul McGregor. So on leg two of their 3 week trip around Queensland, they're at long odds to challenge a Brisbane outfit keen to make amends for falling at the final hurdle last season.

Last meeting: Round 23 2015 - Broncos 32 Dragons 6

The Dragons limped into the finals as Brisbane were cruising toward a top four finish - and it showed in this contest. Overall the ledger sits in the Broncos' favour 20 to 14 out of 34 meetings since the Dragons' joint venture arrangement began in 1999, but the ugly stat is that since 2010, the Dragons have won just ONE clash - a year ago at Kogarah. The Red V will need to rip up the history books if they're to get a result on Thursday night.

Who to watch: Corey Oates is only recently back from injury but already he's soaring back to his best. After tearing it up for the Broncos in the opening fortnight of the competition, Oates succumbed to a shoulder injury in his side's 25-10 win over the Warriors in Round 2. His pace on the edges is something to admire and if the floodgates do open in this one, expect Oates to appear on the scoresheet.

One diamond in the rough for the Dragons is back-rower Tyson Frizell. Outstanding last year in an average pack, he's continued his form this season in spite of the Dragons' patchy form. He's a toiler in defence, alongside lock Jack de Belin in topping the club's tackle count this season, and his offload ability creates opportunities his teammates would do well to get on the back of. If the Saints can spring an upset here, expect big things from Frizell.

The favourite: The Dragons are completely friendless on this one - as such Brisbane are very short-priced favourites with the bookmakers.

My tip: Impossible to tip against Brisbane here. They'll win the contest but perhaps not as dominantly as many might expect. If the Dragons avoid hemorrhaging points then they'll be in it up to their eyeballs, but the competition leaders should comfortably extend their stay at the top of the premiership table. Broncos by 12.

1. Darius Boyd 2. Corey Oates 3. Jack Reed 4. James Roberts 5. Jordan Kahu 6. Anthony Milford 7. Ben Hunt 8. Josh McGuire 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Adam Blair 11. Alex Glenn 12. Matt Gillett 13. Corey Parker
Interchange: 14. Jarrod Wallace 15. Sam Thaiday 16. Jo Ofanhengaue 17. Kodi Nikorima

1. Josh Dugan 2. Peter Mata'utia 3. Euan Aitken 4. Timoteo Lafai 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Gareth Widdop 18. Josh McCrone 8. Leeson Ah Mau 9. Mitch Rein 10. Russell Packer 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Joel Thompson 13. Jack de Belin
Interchange: 14. Michael Cooper 15. Will Matthews 21. Dunamis Lui 17. Jake Marketo

Referees: Gerard Sutton, Dave Munro; Sideline Officials: Brett Suttor, Belinda Sleeman; Video Referees: Ben Galea, Jason Robinson, Bernard Sutton;