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Brisbane will have to wait to find out if they are to be minor premiers for the first since in 23 years after losing 32-22 to Melbourne, opening the door for Penrith to secure top spot on Saturday afternoon.
It was clear that first position on the ladder was not a massive priority for the Broncos, who rested almost all their stars.
The Storm did too, but had enough NRL talent and second grade standouts – not to mention Ryan Papenhuyzen – to get the job done.
They made it comfortable late as the young Broncos tired, and kept their exceptional record intact in the process with a 14th successive win over Brisbane.
It’s possible that the streak goes on the line again next week: if the Warriors lose to the Dolphins at Suncorp on Saturday and the Panthers win at home to the Cowboys – with the minor premiership now on the line – then we see this again next weekend, just with full sides.
Despite the mass outs, Brisbane also managed to lose players Brendan Piakura was put on report three times and likely to get at least a week for one of his indiscretions, while Xavier Willison injured an ankle and will go for scans.
“It was there for us tonight, effort was great but not quite so smart on a few plays and we weren’t good enough,” said Kevin Walters.
“We’re in a really strong position with depth. While it’s bitterly disappointing tonight, if you look at the bigger picture we’re in a really good position to moving into the finals.
“We didn’t have a bad player out there, but in a couple of clutch moments we couldn’t quite get it right.”
In the end, this was a game not defined by Brisbane’s failure to capture the JJ Giltinan Shield for the first time since 2000, but rather by the performances of younger players. It was more of a Queensland Cup All Star game than an NRL minor premiership decider, but no worse for it.
As anyone who has watched reggies will know, that did mean it was a little defence-optional at times, but it’s unlikely that many of the 43,000 who showed up to see it complained about the footy on offer.
Tristan Sailor, whose father played the last time the Broncos finished first, was the star, proving that he can be more than Reece Walsh’s fill-in with some final touches and yardage work that the regular number 1 would be proud of.
His opposite number was the main draw, with Ryan Papenhuyzen starting an NRL game for the first time in over a year, though he was switched to halfback to allow Sua Fa’alogo to debut from the bench and steal the show.
The Victorian-raised fullback caught the eye in the pre-season and did so again, scoring one spectacular try and challenging tacklers every time he touched the ball.
Bellamy will be happy to have got through with minimal injuries, as well as a try and, more importantly, 80 minutes into Papenhuyzen. Everything else is window dressing.
“We’re still not sure what we’re thinking,” said the coach on Papenhuyzen.
“All we wanted to see tonight was how much time he got through. We took him off with five to go, so he could have got through 80 minutes if we’d have needed him.
“We used him in a few different roles – started at fullback, played in the halves and then the ruck for 10-15 minutes. We’re not sure how we’re going to use him, but we’re pretty sure that he’s going to be in the 17.
“He’s only played five rugby league games in 13 months so there’s still a bit of rust there and we’d probably prefer if he ran the ball tonight, but I’m not sure how long it’ll take for him to have that confidence.
“It was a horrific injury and to be out for that long, he’s going to be rusty. But we’re happy with the last couple of weeks.”
The return of Papenhuyzen last week was an emotional moment for the Storm club, but tonight was more about business.
In a team lacking experience, Papi’s job was to get himself fit and provide leadership to his side, as well as displaying his utility value to the coach ahead of future tests.
That test was passed. The plan going forward will surely be to start Papenhuyzen on the bench – it would be immeasurably cruel to ditch Nick Meaney at this stage – and provide flexibility.
Papi deputised well in the halves, opening up that as an option, and Meaney covers every position from 1-5, so any injury there would see the utility at fullback and the fullback elsewhere.
In possession, we saw exactly what Papenhuyzen can bring. His try was a trademark support play, anticipating a smart break from Tyran Wishart, but more impressive yet was his work to support Fa’alogo on a break, elude several defenders and then show the composure to return the ball to the youngster for a try.
If you cast your mind back to the period before his first injury in 2022, that was Papenhuyzen’s greatest asset: turning line breaks into points. It was what the Storm missed the most when he left too, with their efficiency going through the floor following their red hot start.
In a key finals game, when points are at a premium, it might be the difference.
This was a who’s who of second grade, with the two clubs having multiple feeders in the Q Cup. So who stood out?
Well, Sua Fa’alogo. His entry to the game kicked up the intensity and whenever in any space, he burned opponents.
The first half try showed his raw speed, but the second was perhaps even more impressive, with accelerating leaving Jesse Arthars, no slouch, looking like he was ankle deep in treacle.
Beyond him, there was proof that Justin Olam and Reimis Smith are way too good for second grade, and a debut for ex-Catalans Dragons youngster Joe Chan, son of Alex, who made his debut.
His mark on history will be as the first French-developed player to make the NRL since Remi Casty in 2014, and as the first father/son combo to ever represent the Storm, and his mark on the the game was a bonecruncher on Tom Flegler that marked the turning point of the game.
Sailor was the obvious choice for the Broncos. He’s worth 200m per game in reggies and topped that tonight with ease, and is second for line break assists too, with another three in the bag in the NRL.
Josh Rogers, on NRL debut, was masterful with the boot – again, unsurprisingly for anyone who watches Q Cup.
The Wynnum-Manly Seagull is top of the point scorers list and was the difference tonight from the tee, consistently edging his side ahead and keeping the Broncos in it with a series of penalty goals.