So you’re telling me there’s a chance.
They’d lost eight straight and were given no hope of winning against the premiership favourites, yet the Broncos remain a mathematical chance of sneaking into the finals after they stunned Penrith 14-12 on a wet night in Sydney.
Brisbane produced the improbable last year when they stormed home to win the title, ending Penrith’s premiership streak in a grand final qualifier for the ages.
Their season would have ended on Thursday if they’d slumped to a ninth loss on the trot, but there is still a glimmer of hope that they can pull off the impossible after superstar fullback Reece Walsh inspired them to victory.
Players said all week that there were no excuses with the cavalry back on deck, and they looked a lot like the team that won it all last year when Walsh produced a remarkable run of attacking wizardry.
He set up the first try of the night with a grubber for Jordan Riki, set up Kotoni Staggs who produced a brutal fend to get past Casey McLean, and then saved his best for last when Walsh danced down a shortside and found Josiah Karapani who just stayed in the field of play to tie things up.
Having seen Adam Reynolds miss his first two conversion attempts, Walsh then stepped up from the left sideline and nailed it to put his side up with 10 minutes remaining.
It was a nervy finish with a controversial bunker ruling ensuring Brisbane kept the ball in the dying minutes when Penrith thought they had a scrum from close range.
They are now 6-11 and still six points outside the top eight, but at least they have a mathematical chance to make the top eight, although Brendan Piakura will miss next week after he was forced off following a head knock.
CLEARY CONCERN
Penrith’s lead at the top could be cut to just two points by the end of the round, and they could have another concern after superstar halfback Nathan Cleary was placed on report for a lifting tackle on Ezra Mam in the first half.
The Wally Lewis Medal winner wasn’t able to take control of the contest with Penrith barely touching the ball in attacking positions, with the premiership favourites having to defend 13 of 15 sets during a second-half stretch.
Fullback Dylan Edwards was involved in everything on Thursday night as he threw the final pass for two Brian To’o tries, while he came up with a stunning defensive play to deny Karapani with 18 minutes to go.
But they simply couldn’t get the ball down the other end of the field as they once again failed to produce their best in the wet, with a crucial tackle on Scott Sorensen in the first half proving telling in the end.
HALL OF PAYNE
Tempers threatened to boil over several times between the 2023 grand finalists, with Edwards and Mam going at it, before Payne Haas and Liam Henry took it to new heights.
Haas was penalised for a forearm to Henry’s face while he was on the ground which sparked a melee, with the pair going at it again from the ensuing kick-off.
Originally published as Reece Walsh produces three moments of magic to keep Brisbane’s faint finals hopes alive with shock win over Penrith