Brisbane have slumped to their sixth straight loss after relinquishing a half-time lead to the tenacious Warriors, who prevailed 26-16 at Central Coast Stadium on Saturday night.
A first-half double to winger Xavier Coates had the Broncos ahead 10-0 after 27 minutes but a lack of execution and the Warriors' pure determination sealed the result.
It marks Warriors interim mentor Todd Payten's first NRL coaching victory after he took over from the sacked Stephen Kearney last round. The blowtorch is now turned right up on Broncos coach Anthony Seibold.
The New Zealand club remains unbeaten at Gosford this season, recording their third win at the venue.
Brisbane sit 14th - equal with the 15th-placed Titans on points differential - and will slide lower if Canterbury beat South Sydney on Sunday.
Standing in as captain for the suspended Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Warriors halfback Blake Green led the fightback with his superb kicking game. Winger Ken Maumalo ran for 291 metres and scored two tries.
Green's composed showing came after Warriors owner Mark Robinson said during the week that his club wouldn't be keeping the 33-year-old past 2020.
The Warriors copped a blow five minutes in as five-eighth Kodi Nikorima's night was ended by a head knock having been steamrolled by Tevita Pangai jnr. Chanel Harris-Tavita stepped into the halves off the bench.
Match: Warriors v Broncos
Round 8 -
home Team
Warriors
12th Position
away Team
Broncos
14th Position
Venue: Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
Brisbane went on the charge after back-to-back six-again calls before halfback Brodie Croft earned another set with a well-placed grubber.
The pressure told as the Broncos broke through in the seventh minute. They launched a last-tackle short-side raid and fullback Tesi Niu smartly put right winger Coates over for his fourth try of the year.
The Warriors had the chance to strike back after Jamayne Isaako was bundled into touch 35 metres out from his own line, but the hosts spoiled the momentum with an error.
Brisbane then enjoyed more success running the ball on the last, with Niu narrowly denied his team's second try by the desperate cover defence, including prop Adam Blair, in the left corner.
An Isaako error gave the Warriors another chance to attack, but again they left without points as Coates brilliantly gathered a kick in-goal before dashing up the sideline to halfway.
No one could catch the flying Coates a few moments later when he intercepted a Karl Lawton pass and glided 90 metres to secure his first NRL double. Isaako's conversion made it 10-0 after 28 minutes.
The Warriors bombed a certain try in the shadows of the break as Maumalo fumbled a low Harris-Tavita offload with the line wide open.
But the hulking winger atoned for the blunder in the 39th minute, powering over Niu to touch down after lovely hands from Gerard Beale.
Maumalo gets the Warriors back in it
The try capped off a strong stanza for Maumalo, who ran for 154 metres.
Harris-Tavita slotted the goal to make it a four-point ball-game as the teams went into the sheds; a solid result for the Warriors after having 46 percent of possession.
The Broncos lost hooker Issac Luke to a HIA – which he passed and returned from after 15 minutes - early in the second term when his head slammed into the turf.
Prop Jack Hetherington, on loan to the Warriors from Penrith, created an impact for his new club. It was on the back of his quick play-the-ball that Agnatius Paasi was able to crash across for a converted try that edged the home team ahead.
Anthony Milford stepped up to snatch the lead back. The five-eighth's towering spiral bomb was allowed to bounce between fill-in fullback Peta Hiku and Maumalo before Brisbane's Herbie Farnworth pounced.
Coates intercepts a Lawton offload
Hiku had dropped a similar Milford bomb in the first half.
Just as it seemed Brisbane would pull away, Green produced a booming 40/20 and David Fusitu'a looked to have marked his 100th game with a try in the ensuing set.
But a successful Broncos captain's challenge meant the points were stripped after the Bunker controversially deemed that Milford had been obstructed as he slipped.
The Warriors maintained possession, with the first infringement against an offside Darius Boyd, but they coughed up the Steeden and Brisbane escaped.
Still, the Warriors weren't done with. Green's pinpoint kicking forced a dropout before hooker Wayde Egan struggled tooth and nail to slam the ball down and reclaim the advantage.
Maumalo bagged his second to put victory within sight for the Warriors as they pushed their lead to six points.
Fittingly, Green set up the final try for Isaiah Papali'I to secure an important result.
