Snapshot of Brisbane’s qualifying final defeat of Storm

Murray Wenzel | September 8, 2023

SNAPSHOT OF THE FIRST NRL QUALIFYING FINAL:

* Result: Brisbane beat Melbourne 26-0 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane in front of 50,197 fans.

* Key moment: Adam Reynolds’ brilliant drop-out caught the Storm napping. The Broncos halfback drilled his kick over the head of an unaware Cameron Munster, landing it on a dime just inside the sideline before it bounced over and earned the hosts possession 50 metres out in a tone-setting play that left Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy with his head in his hands.

* Key stat: Brisbane’s victory ended a 5285-day losing drought against Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium.

* Quote: “Dogs**t. Our spine … it was disconnected tonight and it showed on the footy field. It’s pretty poor for our fans and we have to go back to the drawing board,” Cameron Munster.

* Injuries/suspensions: Xavier Coates (ankle), Ryan Papenhuyzen (ankle).

* What’s next? Melbourne will play the winner of the Sydney Roosters and Cronulla in a knock-out semi-final, while Brisbane have a week off before hosting a preliminary final.