The pinnacle of the Australian sporting calendar, the Grand
Final, pitched Melbourne Storm against the Brisbane Broncos as two of the game’s
powerhouses met at a packed Accor Stadium in Sydney.
The sides have met twice on 2025, honours shared with Storm
winning in August by 22-2, and the Broncos in September by 30-14.
Melbourne were slight favourites with the bookies and had
been handicapped by two points on the coupon, they were looking to draw level
with Penrith on five Grand Final wins, Brisbane looking for their first win
since 2006.
It took just two minutes for the Broncos to open their
account, a miss-out pass and a long ball wide right allowed Deine Mariner to take
advantage of an overlap and confusion in the Melbourne defence to go over and
improve the angle for Adam Reynolds to add the conversion.
Melbourne struck back on seven after a scintillating run by Nick
Meaney, scything through the defensive line and grounding from twenty metres
out. Meaney converted his own try, and the sides were back on level terms.
It had been a high octane start from both sides.
Brisbane were caught offside on their own line from a kick
on twelve, and after two set restarts a delightful grubber from Jahrome Hughes
was dived on by Eliesa Katoa to score and give his side a lead. Meaney was on
target again, for 12-6, the Storm getting the upper hand after Brisbane’s
strong opening.
A high tackle from Reece Walsh saw the Brisbane man lucky to
go on report rather than see a card.
Melbourne showed their dominance on twenty-two with the ball
moved quickly to the right wing with Will Warbrick ducking under the Broncos
tacklers to ground by the corner flag. Meany was unable to add the conversion
this time, the Storm ten points ahead, the Broncos needing to score next to
prevent the game from getting away from them.
And they did score next, Walsh blasting his way through the
heart of the Storm defence and brushing off five tacklers to ground under the
sticks. Reynolds kicked a simple conversion and after treading water for twenty
minutes the Broncos were back in the game.
It took just a few minutes for Melbourne to re-establish
their lead, Jahrome Hughes stepping off his left foot twice to wrongfoot the defence
from ten metres and again ground under the sticks to give Meaney another goal.
Three minutes after the restart a Cameron Munster kick was taken
by Tui Kamikamica but the big forward dropped the ball in the act of scoring,
it would have been game over, but the Broncos breathed again.
Brisbane made Melbourne pay the price as they marched
downfield with a near perfect set of six, Gehamat Shibasaki the man on hand to
drop his shoulder and go over from ten metres. Reynolds was wide with the
conversion attempt, the difference a converted try.
The try for the Broncos breathed new life. On fifty-seven a
superb pass from Walsh put Mariner through a gap to slightly improve the angle,
Walsh was wide with the conversion attempt, his side still two adrift.
Within two minutes the Broncos grabbed the lead, Walsh again
the provider and Shibasaki again the scorer as he bust through the line. Reynolds
added the goal and the goal and the Broncos were seemingly in control of the
game after a sensational fightback.
After losing two playmakers in Hunt and Reynolds inside the
last ten minutes the Broncos dug deep. Trent Loiero was sin binned for a high
tackle with two minutes remaining, the twelve men now with an impossible task
as they got the ball ten from their own line with sixty seconds remaining, a
sensational Walsh tackle on Papenhuyzen stopping what looked like a certain try
and the final hooter sounded with Melbourne in possession.
The grand final was nothing short of sensational and
befitted a stunning season for the competition. In the proverbial game of two
halves with Melbourne bossing the first half and Brisbane redoubling their
effort in the second to snatch the win in a breathless second half. Brisbane
win their fourth crown of the modern era and the celebrations will continue
long into the night.
Melbourne Storm: Papenhuyzen, Warbrick (T), Howarth, Meaney
(T, G 3/4), Coates, Munster, Hughes (T), Utoikamanu, Grant, King, Blore, Katoa
(T), Loiero. Subs: Wishart, Lisati, Kamikamica, MacDonald. 18th Man:
Chan.
Brisbane Broncos: Walsh (T), Karapani, Staggs, Shibasaki (2T),
Mariner (2T), Hunt, Reynolds (G 3/5), Jensen, Paix, Haas, Piakura, Riki, Carrigan.
Subs: Mam, Hetherington, Willison, Smoothy. 18th Man: Arthars.
Half-Time: 22-12.
Full-Time: 22-26.
Score Progression:0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 10-6, 12-6, 16-6,
16-10, 16-12, 20-12, 22-12 : HT: 22-16, 22-20,
22-24, 22-26 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Brisbane – Square – Melbourne - Brisbane.
Referee: Grant Atkins.
Attendance: 80, 223.
