In August 2006, the NRL season was drawing to a close and the ladder-topping Melbourne Storm looked set to win the competition.
The Bulldogs had second place within their grasp and the rest of the competition seemed to be really struggling, with only Manly and St George Illawarra looking likely.
Enter the Broncos, who from round 19 to Round 23 could not win a game. They had injuries galore and all seemed lost.
They could be fighting for their spot in the eight if they kept losing.
People forgot they had a roster chock full of talent. Brad Thorn, Tonie Carroll, Darren Lockyer – and some current players Ben Hannant, Petero Civoniceva and Sam Thaiday – were all playing well.
Darius Boyd was on the wing, Justin Hodges played fullback.
Basically it was one of the classier sides the Broncos have assembled.
They starting looking good just before the finals, with about four weeks remaining.
They cruised home to finish on 32 competition points.
In their first semi final, the sixth place Dragons demolished the Broncos 20-4 up in Brisbane and it was only through a bit of good fortune and the McIntyre system that the Broncos survived to week two of the finals.
The Broncos came out and thumped the Knights 50-4. All of a sudden, the team the pundits had all but written-off was only one game away from the grand final.
The Broncos then pulled off an amazing win against the Bulldogs in what is in my opinion, one of the best semi-finals in recent history. Down 20-6 at half time, it seemed we were destined for a Bulldogs v Storm grand final.
But the Broncos staged a massive turnaround by piling on 31 unanswered points to win the game with ease.
So within the space of a few weeks, the Broncos, who couldn’t win a game late in the regular season, had come storming into the grand final against the irresistible Storm.
Although coming up against a team featuring a backline with Inglis, Falou, Slater, Cronk and Matt King – the experience of the Broncos shone through, with unlikely players like Berrigan proving the difference.
The Broncos won the premiership in a 15-8 grinding grand final.
It was also the farewell game for Shane Webcke, who had been the most dominant prop in the game over the past decade and a loyal servant to the Broncos.
Fast forward a half-a-dozen years and I see some big similarities between the 2012 and 2006 season.
The Broncos, despite boasting a great squad, are struggling late in the season. The Storm and Bulldogs are the teams to beat. And the Broncos are providing a send off to a club legend in Petero.
The final similarity I see is a Broncos team capable of winning the grand final.
Despite recent losses, the Broncos still have all makings of premiership winning team. A great pack, great coach, classy outside backs and a good mix of youth and experience.
Players such as Andrew McCullough, Corey Norman, Jack Reed and Josh McGuire are now top class first-grade footballers. They have some real impact players with Te’o, Glenn and Gillett providing a lot of punch and then of course, there is the experienced representative cohort of Thaiday, Hannant, Petero, Parker and Hodges.
Their remaining four games are tough, with the Broncos facing Bulldogs (A), Storm (H), Manly (A) and Panthers (H).
Although they may lose to the Bulldogs – I think they will be a really good chance in their final three. This means a top four finish is not out of the question.
So in summary, the Broncos may be written off by the bookies and pundits, but I can see eerie similarities with 2006.
I think a Broncos premiership in 2012 is still very much a possibility.
Disclaimer: I predicted the Broncos to win the Premiership in 2012 before the season started. At this stage, with only four weeks to go, I think my prediction is still intact.
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Outrageous from the Broncos skipper on 'a wooden leg!'
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