They were on the verge of missing their first finals series in nineteen years just ten weeks ago, but the Brisbane Broncos now find themselves just one win away from playing in this years NRL Grand Final after producing their best performance of the season to end the lofty premiership aspirations of the Dragons.

In front of over 50,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium, the Broncos signalled an immense warning to the remaining three sides in the competition after disposing a very disappointing Dragons side that now possess the tag as the worst performed minor premiers in a finals series since the inception of the McIntyre system in 1999.

The Dragons looked nothing like the side that just seven weeks ago, was the envy of many teams during the regular season both in defence and attack.

Over the past month, Wayne Bennett’s men have steadily fallen into an abyss that will no doubt rival the Dragons finals failure in 2005 and 2006.

At least on those occasions, the Nathan Brown coached Dragons made it to the preliminary final where they fell against the Tigers and the Storm respectively.

Despite winning the minor premiership this season, many Dragons fans will feel the need to mark a big red F next to their NRL report cards in 2009.

Playing in a sudden death semi-final against the Broncos should have brought out the best in a Dragons side that had dominated all before them this season.

It seemed that the red V had turned a significant corner in the opening eight minutes against the Broncos, as they successfully defended their try line amidst some good attacking pressure from the home side.

However, some poor handling errors gifted Brisbane easy possession and it was only a matter of time before the club from Red Hill imposed their authority on the scoreboard.

Two quick tries to fullback Karmichael Hunt gave the Broncos a twelve nil lead and a foot into next week’s preliminary final against the Melbourne Storm.

Although Dragons winger Brett Morris hit back with a neat try in the corner, the Dragons never played the football necessary to worry their opponents on the scoreboard.

Indeed the Broncos were nothing like the side that had let in over 50 points against the Raiders ten or so week ago.

Against the minor premiers, Ivan Henjak’s men had everything covered in defence, as the Dragons constantly moved sideways with the football without establishing a good platform up the middle of the field.

Key Dragons forwards Michael Weyman, Justin Poore and Ben Creagh were overshadowed by the career best performances of Broncos big men Ashtom Sims, Nick Kenny, David Taylor and Sam Thaiday.

Poore and Creagh in particular found themselves on the end of some ferocious Brisbane defence that was hell-bent on rectifying last season’s heartbreaking semi-final loss to the Storm last year.

Thankfully for Broncos fans, there was to be no repeat of such torment as Brisbane winger Jharal Yow Yei and replacement forward Lagi Setu scored two early second half tries to push the scoreboard out to 24-6.

Although there was still over twenty minutes remaining on the clock at that point, the Dragons never displayed the necessary urgency with the football in hand to trouble a Broncos defence that had reached its prime.

Such was Brisbane’s dominance without the football, the Dragons often played out their sets of six with constant hit-ups from their forwards, followed by the hopeful Jamie Soward cross field bomb.

No matter how accurate Soward’s kicks were however, Broncos wingers Israel Folau and Antonio Winterstein were always on hand to defuse any potential threats from their lacklustre opposition.

Such was the magnitude in class between the two sides; one with a limited knowledge of the NRL could have been forgiven to think that the Broncos were the minor premiers in season 2009.

Although they missed out on that honour by a significant margin, the Broncos hopes for a seventh premiership are well and truly alive.

Ivan Henjak’s men will now head to Melbourne to face a Storm side who find themselves in a prime position to make their fourth successive grand final.

The championship qualities of this Broncos side however will have a definite say as to whether or not Melbourne will continue their remarkable finals record.

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