The notion of the Melbourne Storm losing consecutive matches is a weird one. For Craig Bellamy, it is heart attack material.
Even the master coach can manage to stomach the odd unexpected loss, particularly when his exceptionally talented team has an off week during the representative season or when they feel the pressures of unavailability due to injury.
However, following an 11-10 loss to the Sea Eagles at AAMI Park, Bellamy’s men did the business against Anthony Seibold’s Broncos on Friday night, dumping Brisbane from the eight while temporarily moving three games clear at the top of the NRL ladder.
The Broncos came into the match with seven wins and a draw from their last 11 and many believed that the tide had turned for at least one team from the Sunshine state.
Bellamy’s men slapped the home side across the face instantly and awoke them to the harsh reality that they are still well off the pace when it comes to being a realistic premiership contender in 2019.
Despite the home side starting well, the Storm’s three first-half tries and a Cameron Smith penalty goal sent them to the sheds with an 18-0 lead.
The silent Suncorp crowd eerily expressed fans’ fears for the second half and those fears were confirmed after the break, as the Storm stayed in the groove and ground the Broncos into the dust.
An early second-half try to Jahrome Hughes and a subsequent penalty goal to Smith sent the Storm out to a 26-0 lead with 30 minutes still on the clock.
What followed was a little embarrassing for the Broncos, with Kenny Bromwich’s second try and Smith’s 61st minute four-pointer stretching the Melbourne lead to 36, with the home side yet to open their account.
There was more to come and the final 40-4 scoreline will be an utter embarrassment to a Brisbane side that appeared to be gathering momentum in recent weeks.
Questions must be raised around Seibold’s effectiveness. After a period of calm as he implemented his systems and structures into the Broncos culture, things appeared to have turned for the better.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
However, Craig Bellamy’s men have now exposed that illusion and called into question both the current performance and future direction of the Brisbane Broncos under Seibold’s leadership.
In early Friday night action, the Raiders put the Warriors to the sword at Mt Smart Stadium and effectively killed the home side’s chances of featuring in semi-final action.
Two clear facts emerged from the game. Firstly, Ricky Stuart has a team ready for a serious tilt at the premiership in 2019, and secondly, Stephen Kearney can no longer remain as the coach of the Warriors.
After 68 games at the helm and a winning rate of just 42 per cent, the 47-year-old has failed to reinvigorate the Warriors since he took over in 2017, nor mould them into the force that they should be.
Despite a mountain of huffing and puffing and a host of breathing exercises that look fantastic on the rare occasion that the Warriors put their foot to the floor, Kearney is obviously not the answer to the never-ending riddle that is the New Zealand Warriors.
(AAP Image/Robb Cox)
Stuart’s ever-impressive outfit produced an eight-try-to-two demolition that ended in 46-12. The result lifted the Green Machine to second place on the NRL ladder – at least temporarily – and left the home side three points outside the eight and languishing in 12th position.
Unlocking the secret to a consistent and competitive Warriors side might be the most challenging gig in the NRL, however it is becoming increasingly clear that Kearney is not the man for the job. Finding the person capable of reversing the club’s fortunes must be the No.1 item on the board’s agenda.
Whether they have the courage to make the toughest of calls and seek out a new coach is anyone’s guess.
At the other end of the ladder, though, there is no doubt at all about the premiership credentials of the Storm.
They are ready, willing, able and hungry. Good luck to their challengers, they will need it.
Old Greybeard
Roar Rookie
Few coaches come in and hit the top straight away (Freddy did at Roosters, but it went to hell thereafter). The Broncos were old and over the hill and that does not come good in a season. The Storm can flog any team, especially after a bad game last time. Sometimes is is not the coach. Clubs do bad things, for example the Titans sacked a good coach basically over Hayne, who then cleared off to the Eels leaving further destruction which they are only now recovering from. Fortunately for Brad Arthur he had a few runs on the board. I will admit at this stage that I have a passionate dislike for all things Bronco (and Manly due to my rugby playing uncle who was a Norths life member), but removing Seibold at this stage seems a poor management strategy and we do hear rumours of a bit of infighting in the back office.
Spook
Guest
I believe the term is 'owned'. HAHAHA well done.
Con Scortis
Roar Guru
Haha, I was hedging my bets
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
"This season is similar to 2017, but also different." ...wow, that's a huge call Con!....(....put the Coopers down son) ;)
Larry1950
Guest
Bit call Matth expecting Dearden to be the bronco saviour, reckon in truth Seibold knows this year is gone even if they struggle into the 8 so he's testing a few young guys. I see Jack Bird at 5/8 in 2020 now that they've bitten the bullet switching Milford to fullback & hopefully gets a bit of pre-season running in to handle the role. Darius might end up reverting to his original wing spot if he stays because he's not showing much anywhere else. Reckon the Storm couldn't have hoped to play better & the penalties from kick offs took the confidence out of Staggs who's a heap better defender than last night showed, hard to play beside a nervous Isaako who can't read attacking plays & got no guidance from Milford. They were always going to be under the pump after Melbourne lost last week, experienced campaigners Gillett and TPJ were out & that proved right when Smith just toyed with them. I still think their time will come if they hang on to the squad, look how long Penrith has taken to find form after everyone raved about their depth of youngsters back around 2015-16. As for the Warriors, maybe everyone is just under rating how much ability the raiders have in their squad.
PNG Broncos fan88
Roar Guru
Ouch, that's cold bro
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Siebold said recently "we're not looking at the competition ladder". I can understand why. Lockyer (or should I say his ghost writer) in today's newspaper explains what the three 3 Queensland sides need to do to improve. If he knows the answers perhaps he could take up coaching or even an advisory role like Mal at the Titans. That's proving to be a master stroke.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Lol, good one!
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
The Broncos don't like to payout coaches, their board won't allow it. That is why they had to come up with an excuse to rob a poor pensioner blind. It looks like they are stuck with him now until they can find a way to steal Seib's lunch money and throw yet another coach under the Broncos Bus.
Emcie
Roar Guru
https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/06/08/no-ponga-no-klemmer-no-problem-for-newcastle/ https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/05/25/its-official-nathan-brown-can-coach-and-the-sea-eagles-are-questionable/ Better inform your ghost writter what your opinion of the Knights is then...
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Does anyone know if Siebold is living in a rented or bought house in Briz? I might be able to make a quick profit if it's bought...
steveng
Roar Rookie
PS, you can add Seibs job as well! The way that Seibs is going, he wont last long at the Broncs if he continues this way. The players that the Broncs have lost (since Seibs took over) have been substantial and crucial to what the Broncs could have been IMO, in comparison to what Bennett would have done in 2019 with all that talent but, all this was advantageous to the Bunnies as I would have hated to see Seibs do what he's doing at the Broncs do at the Bunnies!
Kris Swales
Expert
Poor Broncos - that game was only ever going to go one way the second DCE kicked the field goal in Melbourne last week. Scary thing about the Storm is that they're only playing their best Halfback/Fullback combo (Hughes at 7, Papenhuyzen Jr at 1) on occasion. If Croft directly loses them a game and gets dropped, their right side and behind-the-ruck will actually get better. As for the Raiders, there's a certain unfamiliar ruthlessness about the Green Machine this year. The attack is finally beginning to click into gear, and this is with our two most damaging backs still to return. If we can go 2-1 out of this Roosters/Storm/Sea Eagles stretch, this long-suffering fan might dare to dream.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Michael Keeffe. I agree. The storm could maybe beat Two teams on the field at once this year. When playing them it prob best to aim for coming out with no injuries/suspensions, Lol.
Haz
Guest
When Storm lost last week the first thing I thought was please God, dont let them smash us this week. But I forgot that god plays #9 for Storm.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Nice one.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Geoff from Bruce Stadium. I agree, big diff between the top and rest in the comp and still a big jump again from storm to the next. I stoked to see the raiders crushing it. The difference between the teams in the comp and not being a ‘one off’ bad season is the best of the troubles with the nrl. Another is Gus’s and nine ‘agendas’, the ‘credit’ you mentioned.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
He scored a try via pitiful flimsy defense last week against the Mighty Titans and was ‘back’..phoned his game in all year..ought to be ‘Ramiened’..
steveng
Roar Rookie
You can also add to Milford's repertoire at FB! As Slater said, Milford was out of position for 80% of the game (and he should seriously have a look at a replay of this game) as the Storm were playing around with him!
Stuart Thomas
Expert
I called the Broncos pretenders long ago and have not written a piece about the Knights and Brown. Not convinced in the slightest about either so I'm not sure where that comes from. Perhaps you were merely speaking in the second person more generally? Broncos do have winnable matches on the run home. I hope you get there.