POST GAME [PREMIERS, 2025] Broncos vs Storm

Not sure if it would have come across on telly, but in the ground you could see the Storm had nothing from roughly 60 minutes onwards.

They were absolutely spent. Their line was all over the place, and no one was wanting to take a run. They did have a couple of minutes towards the end where they got that second wind with good field position, but again, they just had nothing left to give.

Our boys were knackered too, but they kept turning up. It was such a different feeling watching the attitude from the lads out there in the dying moments of the game, compared to 2023 when we pretty much capitulated.

Madge has done a truly incredible job, not just on the fitness and conditioning of the squad, but the mentality too. The concentration levels (which have always been a concern of mine) were sublime in that second half. Those boys weren't going to lose another one.
 
_wwong said:
It all comes down to how much the players want to go back to back. History shows it’s a very difficult thing to do. Our last month of football was so supercharged emotionally, it’d be hard to back up from that.
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And that's what makes yesterday so special . You have to realise how EPIC these final series wins are. Minor Premiers Canberra in Canberra ,then the 4 peat Penrith Panthers ,the benchmark for years and then Melbourne ,not exactly a team of plodders. Correct me but did we just keep them all scoreless in the 2nd half of those games, boy because that is a complete turnaround, I still can't get my head around that alone ,considering the absolute shit we were dishing up , only months ago. MM has somehow flicked the switch ,our defensive attitude totally adjusted. This team absolutely deserves reward for effort. I mean I'd like to see an NRL team do better than what WE JUST DID. I feel Like I'm on a new drug today ,an euphoric one and it's called.... V I C T O R Y. I don't know what's in the water over there in Red Hill, but I think, I know where it comes from!! LET'S GO BRONCOS. Oh and **** you Grant Atkins.
 
Shout out to the Tigers!

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ningnangnong said:
Not sure if it would have come across on telly, but in the ground you could see the Storm had nothing from roughly 60 minutes onwards.

They were absolutely spent. Their line was all over the place, and no one was wanting to take a run. They did have a couple of minutes towards the end where they got that second wind with good field position, but again, they just had nothing left to give.

Our boys were knackered too, but they kept turning up. It was such a different feeling watching the attitude from the lads out there in the dying moments of the game, compared to 2023 when we pretty much capitulated.

Madge has done a truly incredible job, not just on the fitness and conditioning of the squad, but the mentality too. The concentration levels (which have always been a concern of mine) were sublime in that second half. Those boys weren't going to lose another one.
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Oh I definitely felt that on telly. At about 15 minutes left I look at my brother and tell him they're ****ing done, they have no energy.

We ran Penrith and Storm ragged two weeks in a row. Absolutely incredible, the boys fitness is next level. Grant and Munster had nothing. Paps was the only one with energy in the last 15.

The absolute last play of the game, they were hands on hips for the most part, they literally had no more to give. We didn't just win in a lucky one, we took them to their end and finished them.

Tyson Smoothy premiership winning 7.
 
Well that was, to put it mildly, getting it done the hard way. Or, as the Duke of Wellington once put it "That was a damn close run thing".

On reflection, last night - and indeed through the finals series - the train could have derailed at any number of points:

- Mariner's eventual putdown after that "hello boys" schtick with the dead ball line (I recall something like this actually happening in an Aus-England Test at Lang Park back in the early 70's when the English winger (Atkinson I think) did this sort of footsie with the in-goal touchline and smeared a certain try)

- at 6-0 up, Brisbane get a bit expansive in their own half but Storm (Warbrick?) rush up, force the issue, get a turnover and momentum change that led to their next three tries with ominous efficency

- after the second Walsh try, Storm again respond, this time through Hughes stepping inside not one, not two, but three defenders who all went to their left with no-one thinking to cover the inside: an infuriatingly embarrassing foul-up in defence

- and the Kamikamica near-score just after halftime, just a little finger width in it that could easily have helped Melbourne back into their groove

Still though, just as in those lead-up finals, the mindset and application to shake off things like that and focus on the most important play (the next one) was five-star stuff, something that's been sorely lacking from this outfit for far too long. For that reason this title has a place distinct from the previous six (although for mine the '98 outfit it still the most complete top-to-bottom unit the Broncs have put on the field).

Now we get to see how they'll follow up next year (e.g. if Walsh can keep his head screwed on properly).
 
bert_lifts said:
Oh, another highlight is Ezra owning that flog warbrick all night. Destroyed him.

He was absolutely feeding him too everytime haha.
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When the ball went through Warbirck's hands, he was 100% shitting bricks about the incoming hit from Ezra, he had him completely rattled and it was beautiful.

We've also given every other team the blueprint to shutting down Coates. Rattle him a few times early and the guy goes completely missing.

I think we've broken the Storm and they miss the 8 next year.
 
Robbo said:
Now that I've watched the key highlights, what was Hughes thinking wasting 10 seconds trying to milk a penalty right at the end, 20 meters out? At best ref blows the whistle, they have one last crack but we would have our defensive line all set by then.

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That was so good. For all the ****ing world to see. The dickhead flopped around on Patty and when he didn't get the penalty, grabbed at his ****ing calf. That's what happens when you play for penalties and not the game.
 
Robbo said:
Now that I've watched the key highlights, what was Hughes thinking wasting 10 seconds trying to milk a penalty right at the end, 20 meters out? At best ref blows the whistle, they have one last crack but we would have our defensive line all set by then.

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I was thinking, yes please take your time! What an idiot. lol Their decision making in that last 20 minutes was terrible. They couldn’t handle the pressure and intensity that the boys were giving and they made some odd choices.

Even when Hunt got sent for the HIA and they forgot it was 5th tackle. lol No communication whatsoever.
 
Kimlo said:
Oh I definitely felt that on telly. At about 15 minutes left I look at my brother and tell him they're ****ing done, they have no energy.

We ran Penrith and Storm ragged two weeks in a row. Absolutely incredible, the boys fitness is next level. Grant and Munster had nothing. Paps was the only one with energy in the last 15.
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And that's even more incredible given the run in. We didn't rest anyone pre-finals. Sure we got the week off after the Canberra miracle but so did Storm after wiping the Dogs easily.

Penrith had the extra game but let's be honest, they coasted in their two games. For us to get over them was remarkable.

And then Storm, after Dogs they had the Sharks and looked in cruise control in that game too. Then the extra 2 days rest. We had no right to have more in the tank the way this finals series has played out.

Not only is it a drought-breaker, but the way this team got there and did it makes this a very, very special premiership.
 
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