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Key events
63 mins: Brisbane get a full set in attacking territory. Walsh almost jinks through the line, then Haas takes the line with him as he pumps his massive thighs after contact. The Broncos make nothing on the last but Storm are forced to attack from their own line and have to exert a power of energy just to get to halfway.
61 mins: Can Melbourne regroup? Remember, they were a Kamicamica grounding away from effectively sealing the premiership, now they’re four points behind! They try to build down the left and gain some momentum but Wishart spills in contact and Staggs can return the ball with interest.
60 mins: This is “I CAN’T SPAKE” Castleford v Wigan areas. We really do not deserve this season.
CONVERTED TRY! Melbourne 22-26 Brisbane (Shibasaki 57)
YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT! Brisbane only just control the restart kick. Then they grind for three tackles until Reece Walsh enters the fray, breaking the line down the right for Mariner. Then when play turns inside who’s there, Walsh of course, to drive at the Melbourne line then fling an absolute bullet of a cutout pass to his left centre. He crashes into contact and through the defensive line and over. This is fever dream rugby league.
From the left touchline Walsh curls over the conversion!
TRY! Melbourne 22-20 Brisbane (Mariner, 55)
Melbourne try to run out of defence but Warbrick spills possession in a massive collision with Mam! As Haas rumbles back onto the field for his second stint the Broncos are rampant. The drive reaches the 10m line as Paix almost slips Carrigan through the line. From the play the ball Hunt flings himself like a rugby union scrumhalf to get the pass away to Walsh. The fullback looks to his outside, nails the pass to Mariner, and the winger can run around the outside for his second try of the night! The Broncos are flying!
With Reynolds off the ground Walsh takes kicking duties, but he sprays his touchline conversion across the face of the posts. Melbourne retain a two-point lead, but they are caught in a serious rip in Sydney.
53 mins: Three tackles take Brisbane inside Melbourne’s 10m zone, then Walsh bounces around like a golden snitch threatening to break the game open. There’s a six again as Mam has a dart. Hetherington has yet another solid drive. Surely the opening is coming – and it does – Walsh, of course, flings a massive three-man cutout to the left wing, it’s gathered and Karapani has an open goal to run into… but it’s called forward! GAH! That was Hollywood footy from Walsh and just inches from a killer blow. Melbourne survive, but they are under the pump.
52 mins: Brisbane can load up from 20m. Hetherington is powerful, Walsh steps in as playmaker on the left. Melbourne scramble desperately. On the last Mam somehow holds onto a pass on his bootlaces and manages to execute a grubber that Papenhuyzen is forced to claim and concede a line dropout. Storm go short but Brisbane claim it.
50 mins: This match, this season… Both sides complete solid sets either side of halfway as they try to remain calm amongst the chaos. Walsh, then Mam, hit the line at speed trying to pierce the halfway line. On the last the bomb goes up and comes down off a Storm hand. Melbourne look to challenge but before they’re allowed play is recalled by the Bunker for a Grant trip behind play on Mam! While that’s being reviewed the lame Reynolds is being chaired around the field by the trainers.
48 mins: Meanwhile, MacDonald remains only 50/50 to return to the game tonight with Melbourne already without Howarth. AND REYNOLDS HAS GONE! The hammy’s pinged and the veteran halfback is done for the year… again!
TRY! Melbourne 22-16 Brisbane (Shibasaki, 46)
Brisbane get into their work and Melbourne gift them a set restart. From there it’s pretty routine catch and pass to the left, with Storm flat-footed, and Shibasaki just reaches out to score! In the space of two minutes there’s been a ten point swing! What were Melbourne doing?
Reynolds hooks his touchline conversion wide.
45 mins: Brisbane go down the other end and on the last hoist a massive bomb that Papenhuyzen climbs miles into the sky to contest with Walsh (who else?) – only to come down without the ball and land very awkwardly. Brisbane can load up from 10m.
43 mins: Melbourne load up down the left with Kamicamica busy. Grant and Munster are lively. The pressure is building again. This is ominous. Munster dabs a grubber, Kamicamica is first on it – and he crosses! A carbon copy of the Katoa try from earlier!
Or not… replays show the ball is lost before the grounding with Walsh pressuring the big prop, who was looking to touch down one-handed. Massive moment in this final.
42 mins: Melbourne’s forwards do the business from the restart, grinding to halfway before Hughes slices a bomb that bounces favourably for Storm forcing Karapani to retreat to the 10m line. The Broncos take no risks grinding to halfway, but then the normally imperious Reynolds skews his bomb and it goes out on the full! Advantage Storm early in this half.
41 mins: Can Melbourne Storm convert their half-time lead, or will the Brisbane Broncos provide yet another twist in this remarkable season?
“We’ve been here before,” Michael Maguire assures his troops, urging them to improve their discipline in the second half.
Payne Haas has been held to just four runs for 33 metres. Utoikamanu by contrast has 83 from eight. The Storm forward was outspoken during the week but he is backing up his words with actions in the Melbourne engine room.
Brisbane were far from their best, especially up forward, but Reece Walsh is having a night out. This is the game we will remember in years to come as the one he announced himself as not only a big-game player but a leader capable of putting his team on his back and carrying them through force of will. He has been everywhere in attack, threatening himself, setting up men on his outside – especially the right – and scoring that absolutely ludicrous try. As long as he is on the field (and he did get a little lucky to avoid 10 minutes in the bin for a high hit on Coates) the Broncos are alive.
I’ve watched a lot of Melbourne this year and that is the best they have attacked. The forwards are crossing the gainline, the halves are busy and connected, and the outside backs all have the bit between their teeth. The big question now is can they maintain it? We’ve seen some Storm fadeouts in 2025.
Half-time: Melbourne 22-12 Brisbane
Wow! That was a thrilling half of rugby league. This is the grand final this season promised.
39 mins: Brisbane again rely on Reynolds to turn a mediocre set into territory but Papenhuyzen and Coates smell blood and try to run the ball back at pace. Papenhuyzen is again involved on tackle three as he takes his side beyond halfway. Hughes bombs on the last but Walsh does well under pressure from Blore – and then he hurls a pass across his try line to Mam – who spills it! Fortunately it goes backwards and the Broncos breathe a sigh of relief.
37 mins: Kamicamica begins the restart set with a barnstorming run. Blore backs it up, then Katoa offloads as he falls wide out to Warbrick to cross halfway. Munster has an age to kick so he goes high and long and Mariner has to mark close to his line. Superb footy from Craig Bellamy’s team.
CONVERTED TRY! Melbourne 22-12 Brisbane (Hughes, 35)
Melbourne load up from 10m. Katoa has a dart, then Loiero, Grant shapes to go left then spins and passes to Hughes on his right. The No 7 steps off his right, wrongfoots Carrigan, wrongfoots Hetherington, wrongfoots Walsh, and dives under the dot. The Storm have not looked this sharp in attack all season. Just breathtaking rugby league from both sides.
Meaney clips over the simple conversion.
33 mins: The momentum is all with Brisbane now so Hunt goes for the 40/20 on tackle four of the restart set – but for the second time the chase is too eager and a high tackle gifts Melbourne an escape. Storm drive downfield before Munster kicks high to Coates on the left. The ball comes off Mariner in the air and bobbles into touch.
Meanwhile Piakura is off for an HIA (cat 2) and MacDonald is off with an elbow injury. A reminder Howarth is already ruled out with a groin strain.
CONVERTED TRY! Melbourne 16-12 Brisbane (Walsh, 31)
Storm only make it 30m but a hefty Munster kick forces Brisbane to start their set in their own half. No to worry, on tackle four Hetherington makes a superb run that allows a quick play the ball, from which Reece Walsh justifies all the hype. WOW! With no marker Walsh just sprints through Melbourne like a white comet carving across the night sky. Too quick for Loiero and Blore, too strong for Papenhuyzen, and over the line like an unstoppable force of nature. One of the all-time great grand final tries. That was ego, execution and brute strength. Absolutely magnificent.
Reynolds can’t miss with the kick to reduce the arrears to four.
29 mins: Melbourne steady themselves with a straightforward set but the kick on the last tackle bounces and bobbles and runs out of play! With seven tackles Brisbane drive to halfway then get gifted a penalty when Hughes goes high. The Broncos get another good look at the red zone but make little ground for five tackles with Walsh lacking cohesion in the line and Storm’s defence reading the play superbly, Munster especially. On the last Reynolds dabs a grubber through but it’s defended well by Melbourne on the line. Atkins initially awards Brisbane an accidental offside but Melbourne challenge successfully and can run the ball out from their own 10m line.
27 mins: Storm go long with the dropout but Brisbane run it back with intent. Haas is busy, then Reynolds finds Walsh again on the right, and he stands up Staggs to burst through the line and get hauled down just inches from the corner. Melbourne concede a six again – then a second – as the white wave begins to crest in Melbourne’s red zone. Walsh is slippery, and he almost wriggles through, then nearly sends Mariner over in the corner. Still the Broncos push – until an ambitious Reynolds grubber is mopped up by Warbrick close to his line. That was a big passage for the Storm to resist.
25 mins: After pounding the Broncos for 20 minutes Melbourne make an error – and it’s the impressive Utoikamanu who drops the ball in contact. From the scrum Brisbane try to execute the trick play on tackle one with Reynolds kicking to the right corner with Papenhuyzen coming up into the defensive line. The Storm fullback retreats speedily and knocks the ball behind for a line dropout.
TRY! Melbourne 16-6 Brisbane (Warbrick, 23)
Utoikamanu has been superb early and again he punches a dent in the Brisbane line to set up his halves to scheme at pace behind him. Quick play-the-ball after quick play-the-ball runs the Broncos ragged. Hughes and Munster are having a day out, so much so the former is happy to allow Katoa to play like a second five-eighth on the right and ping an absolutely majestic cutout pass to Warbrick on the whitewash. The big Kiwi takes a step infield and barges his way over the line despite the attention of three defenders. Blistering attacking footy.
Meaney narrowly fails with the touchline conversion attempt.
21 mins: The Broncos grind to halfway and almost find a linebreak through Walsh and Shibasaki on the left. Another superb Reynolds kick on the last keeps Brisbane on the front foot. For three tackles they remain there but a couple of offloads release the dashing Hughes and as he’s hauled down on the defensive 40m line there’s a six-again for holding down. Melbourne are in the groove now and Warbrick carves through the line, then Coates makes a dash – only for Walsh to catch him high with a shoulder! Is that a sin-binning? No, according to Atkins, because Coates was buckling and dropped low. Walsh is on report nonetheless and Melbourne resume their onslaught.
19 mins: Munster is busy as Melbourne rumble at speed down to their attacking 30m line. Down the right channel Hughes goes to the air, Katoa is up at speed, but in the marking contest the second-rower knocks on and Brisbane finally get a breather.
18 mins: Melbourne execute a textbook restart set and put plenty of pressure on Mariner with the last tackle kick. Again the Broncos get nowhere near halfway in reply and Reynolds is forced to kick long to keep his team in touch.
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