Brisbane has torched Wests Tigers 46-12 to give the Kevin Walters-coached side their best start to an NRL season since 1998.

In Saturday's other matches, St George Illawarra returned to the winners' circle with a 38-12 thrashing of the Dolphins, while Manly and Newcastle played out a thrilling 32-32 draw.

The unbeaten Broncos have won five matches in a row to start the year, just as the club's premiership-winning side did 25 years ago.

The powerhouse pack, led by dynamic duo Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan, terrorised the Tigers up front in front of 27,553 spectators at Lang Park.

That grunt was complemented by the brilliance of the Broncos' backline, with captain Adam Reynolds and outside backs Selwyn Cobbo, Reece Walsh and Kotoni Staggs dazzling.

Fullback Walsh, who suffered from cramp in the second half, was unstoppable once the match opened up and his three try-assists showcased his ability to set up his teammates with aplomb.

The hapless Tigers had no answers and have now lost their opening five matches.

Broncos back rower Jordan Riki had a groin complaint during the week but showed no side effects in a 25-metre charge to the line to open the scoring in his 50th NRL match.

The floodgates then opened.

Kurt Capewell chased a sublime short kick by five-eighth Ezra Mam, Haas swatted three Tigers away from dummy half and Cobbo raced 85 metres after a bumbling Tigers error.

Riki added his second before the break when he chased a deft Reece Walsh kick to take the hosts to a 28-0 lead.

The Tigers were powerless in the face of the onslaught.

They were too slow, disorganised and made elementary errors that did not help their cause.

Staggs scored a double in the second half but errors crept into the Broncos' game and the Tigers rallied.

Dragons hammer Dolphins

St George Illawarra delivered a pressure-relieving win for under-fire coach Anthony Griffin, ending a nightmare fortnight with its thrashing of the Dolphins in Wollongong.

With Griffin fighting for his future and coming off back-to-back defeats, the Dragons put in their most complete performance of the season.

Jacob Liddle starred in his first match as starting hooker for the Red V, while Ben Hunt scored a try and set up another in the crucial win.

But the match was not without concern for the Dragons, with Jaydn Su'A sustaining a calf injury.

Su'A, Mikaele Ravalawa and Jack de Belin also finished the match on report.

The Dolphins also have more injury concerns after Anthony Milford limped from the field early with a hamstring injury.

Already without halfback Sean O'Sullivan, Wayne Bennett is likely to have to throw Kodi Nikorima into the halves against North Queensland on Friday if fit after a concussion.

The effect of those injuries is now beginning to show after a second straight loss following a hot start to the season.

They scored the first try through Jamayne Isaako but were poor defensively after that as the Dragons broke their line nine times and were beaten through the middle.

The Dragons, at least for now, have fewer issues.

They will be relieved to finish Saturday in the top eight after senior player Moses Mbye admitted the Dragons' year was already at a crossroads this week.

With Griffin told the Dragons are considering their options for next year, he will have the chance to push his cause against Gold Coast, Canberra, the Sydney Roosters, Canterbury and Wests Tigers in the next five weeks.

After Liddle was moved to starting hooker, the former Tiger got the Dragons their first points when he darted over from dummy half.

He was instrumental again in their next try, getting out of dummy half and firing a ball for Blake Lawrie to barge over.

After the Dragons went to the break 12-8 up, it was the Ben Hunt show in the 25 minutes after half-time.

The fierce Griffin defender did it all himself when he charged over from close distance, running between Connelly Lemuelu and Ray Stone.

The halfback laid on another try when he fired a long pass for Mikaele Ravalawa to cross and put the result beyond doubt.

It was the first of two tries to Ravalawa, who finished off another effort on the right wing, while Zac Lomax and Tyrell Sloan also both bagged four-pointers.

Sea Eagles, Knights draw in Mudgee

Manly and Newcastle could not be separated after two periods of golden-point extra time in a helter-skelter match that saw five lead changes in Mudgee.

Jackson Hastings's 50-metre drop goal attempt at the end of the second golden-point period agonisingly drifted just right of the posts, as players fell to the ground following 90 minutes of end-to-end action.

Hastings had two prior attempts in the final five minutes, both of which were charged down, with Daly Cherry-Evans also unable to seal a win off the boot for Manly.

It was a deserved result after Manly had fought back when trailing 28-16 mid-way through the second half while Newcastle battled hard after overcoming a 10-0 deficit early in the contest.

When Dominic Young soared for his fourth try of the match two minutes from time it gave fullback Lachlan Miller the chance to kick the Knights home, but his conversion dragged left.

Young scored the pick of Saturday's 12 tries earlier in the second half when he skipped down the right edge inside his half and after passes between Miller, Hastings and Tyson Frizell, the rangy winger crossed for his third.

But Manly responded with conviction, first through Kelma Tuilagi then Kaeo Weekes before Reuben Garrick's diving finish put the Sea Eagles up four with 10 minutes remaining.

Tom Trbojevic topped Manly's run metres with 232 and two try assists, while Miller had two assists of his own as he too cracked 200 metres for the Knights along with Young.

The Sea Eagles were the quicker team out of the blocks in an opening half that featured seven tries.

The hosts had two in the opening 10 minutes to Haumole Olakau'atu and Christian Tuipulotu.

Olakau'atu broke two tackles on halfway and streaked to the line to score untouched.

When Tuipulotu had their second momentum was fully with the Sea Eagles, but Olakau'atu was sin-binned for a professional foul shortly thereafter and Greg Marzhew and Jack Johns crossed within five minutes of each other.

The Knights had their third when Young scored the first of his two opening-half tries in a smooth right-edge attacking play, before the Sea Eagles did the same on a short-side blitz for Brad Parker to dot down.

At 16-16, the Knights swept down the right edge and with field position, executed a brilliant blindside play with quick hands for Young to cross again and take a 22-16 lead into the sheds.

Manly's undefeated record in Mudgee remains intact with the draw, while the Knights are also undefeated from their two matches in the regional NSW town.

ABC/AAP