In a big blow for the Brisbane Broncos and their hopes of a top-four finish, the Melbourne Storm have taken over the number one spot on the NRL ladder.
The Storm’s 22-2 victory over the Broncos at AAMI Park on Thursday night was a strong display, but the real story was the shocking injury toll suffered by Brisbane.
Broncos coach Michael Maguire was left stunned after both his star halves, Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam, were knocked out of the game in the same play just 21 minutes in.
To make matters worse for the Brisbane faithful, winger Selwyn Cobbo also went off with a hamstring problem late in the match. All three players are now waiting for scan results that will determine the severity of their injuries, putting a massive hole in the Broncos’ side.
The injuries happened in a bizarre sequence as Reynolds and Mam chased down Storm winger, Xavier Coates after he intercepted a pass. While Cobbo made a brilliant try-saving tackle on Coates, the play proved costly for the Broncos. Mam suffered his injury in the tackle, while the experienced Reynolds pulled up clutching his leg moments later.
To their credit, the Broncos, with hooker, Ben Hunt and center, Kotoni Staggs filling in as a makeshift halves pairing, fought hard and kept the game close for a while.
But the Storm, a very strong team, were too good.
Tries from Tyran Wishart and Ryan Papenhuyzen gave Melbourne a 12-2 lead at half-time, and they finished the job in the second half with two more tries, including a penalty try.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy was very happy with his team’s performance, especially their strong defence, which kept the Broncos from scoring a single try.
This result continues a bad run for the Broncos at AAMI Park, where they have not won for nine years.
The Storm have now won 17 of their last 18 games against the Brisbane side.
For the many NRL fans across Papua New Guinea, this is a worrying sign for the Broncos, a team with a huge following in the country.
The loss of key players like Reynolds, Mam, and Cobbo could be a big problem for their premiership ambitions as the finals get closer. Everyone will be hoping for good news from the scans.
Source: Australian Associated Press
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