Worst Losses

[Big Pete]

The topic was raised on Twitter so just to breathe some levity into an otherwise frustrating situation I thought we'd reminisce about some of the worst Broncos losses.

Usually the best source for Broncos losses came during 'slumps' so my first nominee would be...

Round 26 2003 vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Brisbane were on their sixth consecutive loss but had their full contingent back against a borderline reserve grade St. George Illawarra side who were going to finish well outside the 8. Surely we could find a win, right, right?

Wrong.

Dragons race to an early lead, Brisbane fight their way back in thanks largely to Lockyer who is basically carrying the side by this point and despite producing what should have been the match winner, the video referee deems Frawley made the meal of the put-down and not much later, the Dragons receive an innocuous penalty near half-way and the unlikely hero Mark Riddell bangs it over in one of the most demoralising losses of the year.

There were some pretty dire losses that year against Wests and Cronulla but that game against the Dragons really took the cake. Soft tries from dummy half and a really dumb lasso try from Webby just about summed the night up.

Another late minute loss, this time in recent memory...

Round 2 2012 vs Cowboys
After a tight opening, the Cowboys score back to back tries late in the first half to take a commanding 10 point lead into Half-Time. However, not long after that the Broncos fight back, only for JT and Bowen to weave their magic and regain the lead for the Cowboys with little left to play. Then virtually out of nothing, underrated edge forward Te'o makes a great break down the right fringe and off the back of it ends up scoring what should have been the match winning try.

Instead, in a play that was eerily reminiscent of tonight, a desperate JT cross-field kick was put up for Gerard Beale. Beale, who at this point in time was known for being pretty hopeless under the high ball had one job and absolutely stuffed it up under the pressure put on him by Tate.

Cowboys had a scrum 30m or so out from the Broncos line and a try felt imminent but nobody expected it to be so soft. Bowen receives the ball, spots a massive gap between the scrum and the first receiver and jots over easy as you like.

Then one that gets a mention from time to time...

Round 14 1996 vs Roosters
Monday Night Football was back and a massive crowd of 35K packed out the SFS to witness the resurgent Roosters under master coach Gus Gould take on the Brisbane juggernaut in a big heavyweight contest.

In one of the game's of the season, the Roosters had thrown just about everything at the Broncos but somehow the Broncos managed to hang in there despite an 8-0 penalty count, unfortunately, the 9th proved to be fatal as the referees pinged Andrew Gee for an inappropriate 20m restart. Normally these mistakes result in a simple do-over, but on this fateful evening the referee decided to ping the Broncos on it allowing Ivan Cleary to take a penalty shot right infront 20m out and he made no mistake spelling one of the most controversial losses in Broncos history.

 

[ningnangnong]

Round 21 2012 vs Parramatta Eels

Sorry Pete, I can't recall the minute details of games from three trillion years ago like yourself, but I remember this was a fucking dogshit performance!

Not dissimilar to last night, in that the Eels were by far the worst team in the comp.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Against Parra a few years back on a Monday night. Don't remember dates but they just smashed us. I threw my Broncos beanie away in disgust. I went to the game with Parra scum as well which made it worse.

 

[Nashy]

When the Raiders beat up by about 50 points one night.

And last night.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

The topic was raised on Twitter so just to breathe some levity into an otherwise frustrating situation I thought we'd reminisce about some of the worst Broncos losses.

Usually the best source for Broncos losses came during 'slumps' so my first nominee would be...

Round 26 2003 vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Brisbane were on their sixth consecutive loss but had their full contingent back against a borderline reserve grade St. George Illawarra side who were going to finish well outside the 8. Surely we could find a win, right, right?

Wrong.

Dragons race to an early lead, Brisbane fight their way back in thanks largely to Lockyer who is basically carrying the side by this point and despite producing what should have been the match winner, the video referee deems Frawley made the meal of the put-down and not much later, the Dragons receive an innocuous penalty near half-way and the unlikely hero Mark Riddell bangs it over in one of the most demoralising losses of the year.

There were some pretty dire losses that year against Wests and Cronulla but that game against the Dragons really took the cake. Soft tries from dummy half and a really dumb lasso try from Webby just about summed the night up.

Another late minute loss, this time in recent memory...

Round 2 2012 vs Cowboys
After a tight opening, the Cowboys score back to back tries late in the first half to take a commanding 10 point lead into Half-Time. However, not long after that the Broncos fight back, only for JT and Bowen to weave their magic and regain the lead for the Cowboys with little left to play. Then virtually out of nothing, underrated edge forward Te'o makes a great break down the right fringe and off the back of it ends up scoring what should have been the match winning try.

Instead, in a play that was eerily reminiscent of tonight, a desperate JT cross-field kick was put up for Gerard Beale. Beale, who at this point in time was known for being pretty hopeless under the high ball had one job and absolutely stuffed it up under the pressure put on him by Tate.

Cowboys had a scrum 30m or so out from the Broncos line and a try felt imminent but nobody expected it to be so soft. Bowen receives the ball, spots a massive gap between the scrum and the first receiver and jots over easy as you like.

Then one that gets a mention from time to time...

Round 14 1996 vs Roosters
Monday Night Football was back and a massive crowd of 35K packed out the SFS to witness the resurgent Roosters under master coach Gus Gould take on the Brisbane juggernaut in a big heavyweight contest.

In one of the game's of the season, the Roosters had thrown just about everything at the Broncos but somehow the Broncos managed to hang in there despite an 8-0 penalty count, unfortunately, the 9th proved to be fatal as the referees pinged Andrew Gee for an inappropriate 20m restart. Normally these mistakes result in a simple do-over, but on this fateful evening the referee decided to ping the Broncos on it allowing Ivan Cleary to take a penalty shot right infront 20m out and he made no mistake spelling one of the most controversial losses in Broncos history.

Damn, I was at every one of these games! The Roosters one was the worst because my Fittler loving brother-in-law absolutely gave it to me until I could get out of Sydney!

 

[Brett]

When the Raiders beat up by about 50 points one night.

And last night.

The "Steve Michaels" game? Fucken hell, I still think about that game.

 

[Huge]

The worst loss ever was that game in 1996 against the Roosters. It was not because we were bad, we were great that night. I have never seen a more blatant rort from a referee who was clearly paid to destroy the Broncos. If ever there was a game to investigate, that was the one. The fact that we never received a single penalty for the entire match was barely mentioned although if you look at matches historically it was an extremely rare event. Sure you'd understand if the other team received only one or two penalties, even three but fucking nine without reply !!!!! That game still makes my blood boil. The referee was a fucking cheat who was on the take.

 

[Foordy]

Eels 68 bt Broncos 22

Raiders 56 bt Broncos 0


The most heart breaking loss was the semi against the Storm in 2008 when Sims dropped the ball and Inglis dived over to win the match in the last minute ... I reckon i sat in my chair stunned for about an hour, half drunken beer still in my hand...

 

[Broncoman]

The 50-4 destruction against the Storm in 2005 still sticks in my mind and after the game a fan went up to Wayne Bennett and said that was disgraceful.

56-0 against the Raiders in 2009 was pretty shit and was embarrassing but it did a lot of good for us long term that year. It gave us a good kick up the pants and we responded superbly winning 7 straight games before being flogged by the Storm in the preliminary final.

The 2008 semi-final against the Storm was simply heartbreaking. To play so hard and passionately after a week of turmoil and to have the game snatched away in the dying seconds was heartbreaking.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Storm 2008, Canberra 2010 and last night are far and away the worst losses we have ever had. I can't remember the 1996 one.

 

[Porthoz]

Eels 68 bt Broncos 22

Raiders 56 bt Broncos 0


The most heart breaking loss was the semi against the Storm in 2008 when Sims dropped the ball and Inglis dived over to win the match in the last minute ... I reckon i sat in my chair stunned for about an hour, half drunken beer still in my hand...

NO NO NO NO NO.

Mentioning that game on BHQ should equal a week's ban!

Now I'm gonna sulk in the foetal position for an hour...

 

[Foordy]

NO NO NO NO NO.

Mentioning that game on BHQ should equal a week's ban!

Now I'm gonna sulk in the foetal position for an hour...

yeah sorry ... i made myself sad after typing that :Cry:

 

[xratedrattice]

Eels 68 bt Broncos 22

Raiders 56 bt Broncos 0


The most heart breaking loss was the semi against the Storm in 2008 when Sims dropped the ball and Inglis dived over to win the match in the last minute ... I reckon i sat in my chair stunned for about an hour, half drunken beer still in my hand...

i was at suncorp for that 2008 semi final,, ive never heard a crowd go so silent, i didnt say a word the entire drive home. terrible times

 

[jarro65]

Last nights loss.

Seriously, to be up 22 - 0 against a struggling Sharks outfit that had scored ZERO POINTS in three previous games, and be run down and not score a point in the second half, would have to rate at the top of my disappointing Bronco losses.

 

[Alec]

The "Voldermort" one is the worst for me by far. Reckon we would have won with Civo.

 

[Charmamba]

I don't cry over loses, I just look down at the 6 imaginary rings on my fingers and remind myself that it's ok we will be ok.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

I don't cry over loses, I just look down at the 6 imaginary rings on my fingers and remind myself that it's ok we will be ok.

True, imagine being a Sharks supporter. Last night was about the closest they'll ever get to experiencing what premiership victory feels like.

 

[1910]

An 18 point lead to Newcastle in 2000 was the Broncos worst before Friday. Up 22-4 and lost 26-22.