The Brisbane Broncos have missed a chance to secure a first NRL minor premiership in 23 years as bogey-team the Melbourne Storm surge to a 32-22 victory at Lang Park.
Debutant fullback Sua Fa’alogo shone for the Storm with two tries as both teams rested a combined 21 players ahead of next week’s finals.
Grant Anderson scored twice, with Ryan Papenhuizen and Reimis Smith also crossing for the Storm, who have not lost against the Broncos in their last 14 matches.
Tom Flegler, playing his last regular season game for the Broncos, two Jordan Pereira tries and a perfect five-from-five off the tee by 27-year-old debutant Josh Rogers was not enough for the Broncos, who now must rely on other results to claim the JJ Giltinan Shield for the first time since 2000.
The Broncos can still claim the minor premiership if North Queensland beats Penrith on Saturday, while Melbourne can stay third if the Warriors fail to beat the Dolphins on Saturday.
If Penrith wins and the Warriors do not, the Storm will return to Lang Park in week one of the finals, where they have not lost against the Broncos since 2009.
“It was there for us [the minor premiership], the opportunity was there for us tonight to make that happen. We just weren’t good enough tonight,” Broncos coach Kevin Walters said post-match.
Walters said missing out on the minor premiership was “bitterly disappointing,” he had full faith the Broncos were in a strong position overall.
“We’re in a really strong position,” he said.
“Whilst it’s bitterly disappointing tonight, if you look at the bigger picture, we’re in a really good place to move really well in the finals.
“We still could still finish first … I’m going with that, because I’m always a glass-half-full [person].”
Walters will need more than optimism if the Broncos are to win a premiership though, with the hoodoo the Storm hold over Brisbane continuing even with the reserves on the field.
With 21 players missing across the two teams, there was a potential that a blockbuster match on paper could have fizzed at the box office.
However, despite the enormous number of first choice players sitting out, the second-string more than stood up, with two young fullbacks in particular making waves with their performances.
Tristan Sailor had two try assists and a line break from 14 carries, but even he took a back seat to Fa’alogo, who made 108 metres from 10 carries in 47 minutes of game time, scoring two tries on a magnificent debut performance.
“There were lots of times during the year where we wanted to give him a start,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy said of his 20-year-old star.
“We all see the potential that he’s got and I’m sure he’s going to be a regular first grader in the not too distant future.”
Papenhuyzen also impressed, making his first start since fracturing his knee cap in round 18 last year, taking kicking duties in attack, while running for 135 metres and setting up a try, while ably diffusing Broncos attacks in defence.
The Broncos started strongly, handing departing prop Flegler the simplest of scores to cap his maiden appearance as captain of the side — bundling himself over as first receiver thanks to some non-existent tackling from Bronson Garlick and Papenhuyzen.
Periera stumbled over the line to extend the lead thanks to a wonderful cut out pass from young fullback Sailor to expose a cavernous gap on the Storm’s right side.
That Periera was able to stagger, stumble to the ground and still cross said everything about how big a defensive misread it was from the Storm team that had 11 changes from last week.
Misfiring defence aside, the Storm hit back in attack when Jayden Nikorima saw Sailor out of position and grubbered through perfectly for Anderson to dot down.
Anderson should have made it a double a matter of minutes later but the 23-year-old West Australian put a foot on the line when diving for the line.
He atoned later in the half though, intercepting Jock Madden’s pass when the Broncos tried to work a three-on-two overlap down the right side to race 80 metres to score.
With the two sides evenly matched approaching half-time, Fa’alogo introduced himself to the Lang Park crowd in the best possible way, claiming an Anderson offload on the Storm 30 before showing extraordinary dexterity and pace to leap through the line.
After feeding Papenhuyzen, he stayed alive in the play to finish off a remarkable try in the corner to give Melbourne a 14-12 lead at the break.
The 20-year-old has 13 tries in 18 matches for the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Q-Cup — six coming in his last four matches. On this evidence there will be plenty more to come at NRL level as well.
After half-time the Broncos scored almost straight away, Sailor leaping over Anderson before flicking a pass out the back of the hand to send Periera over for his second.
Sailor earned a penalty the next set when chasing another Maddon kick to earn Josh Rogers a shot at goal to push the lead out to six.
Papenhuizen’s first try since his injury restored parity after Tyran Wishart’s dummy took Tyson Smoothy out the line.
Sailor was not done though, lighting up Lang Park with another sparkling break from inside his own ten, bumping off Papenhuizen and racing up field before being scragged by Reimis Smith, whose second tug on the young fullback earned him 10 in the bin and the Broncos a penalty that Rogers slotted to regain the lead.
Smith had the last laugh though, barging over in the corner to finish off a spell of Storm pressure and give Melbourne the lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Sailor had been brilliant all night and tried to spark another attack from deep, but instead allowed himself to be taken out on the sideline to give the Storm excellent field position.
Fa’alogo didn’t need a second invitation, scooting over to grab a second on debut and make the game safe for Melbourne — although Bellamy does not think this result will have much bearing should the two teams meet in finals.
“I don’t know whether tonight is going to make much difference to be honest,” Bellamy said.
“Both teams are going to be different next week … it probably opens up a bit now, depending on other results.
“We could end up back up here but we could end up in Penrith as well.”
Brisbane back row Brendan Piakura was placed on report three times in the match and will sweat on being available for the first week of the finals.
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