Broncos to assess the Storm damage
THIS was billed as a clash of two NRL powerhouses.
In reality, there was only one powerhouse on the park – and it wasn’t Brisbane.
Brisbane’s finals hopes are in tatters after the Melbourne club that built their DNA on the Broncos’ glory years subjected Anthony Seibold’s troops to a 40-4 flogging at Suncorp Stadium last night.
The Storm’s seven-triesto-one carve-up was not only emphatic evidence they are the raging premiership favourites but a brutal reality check for a Broncos club that can forget about winning the title for another 12 months.
In fact, the bumbling Broncos will be lucky just to make the playoffs. The massacre means Brisbane will finish the weekend outside the top eight in ninth and their season could collapse if they crash to the Cowboys on Thursday in Townsville.
The Storm have rarely been so damaging, tearing Brisbane apart with 11 linebreaks as Cameron Smith, Cameron Munster, Justin Olam and two-try Kenny Bromwich extended Melbourne’s unbeaten streak at Suncorp to 11 years.
While the Storm were white hot, Brisbane bosses should be embarrassed.
The Broncos are the richest club in the league with unmatched resources and a monopoly in southeast Queensland yet they were made to look like part-time amateurs by a Storm club that is superior in every cultural and performance facet.
Not even the presence of the injured Matt Gillett and suspended Tevita Pangai Jr would have helped Brisbane against a Storm juggernaut powering towards yet another minor premiership.
With Smith operating as Melbourne’s Pied Piper, the Storm bolted to an 18-0 halftime lead before destroying Brisbane after the break in one of the most commanding performances in the club’s proud history.
Broncos halves Darius Boyd and Jake Turpin made just two runs between them and Brisbane’s defensive application was appalling as Melbourne repeatedly unlocked them in midfield.
From the opening seconds, when Brisbane centre Kotoni Staggs kicked out on the full, the Broncos were under siege.
The Broncos somehow sneaked into the top eight with last week’s thrashing of the Titans but Brisbane got a chilling view last night of the standards required to challenge the NRL’s best team of the past decade.
Stung by last week’s shock home loss to Manly, the Storm were simply superior across the park.