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<\/p>\nDefending premiers Brisbane are walking a tightrope as they head to Melbourne, desperate to avoid a dreaded 0-3 to start the season.<\/p>\n
In the NRL era, only North Queensland in 2015 has bounced back from such a dire start to the season and won the premiership.<\/p>\n
The Cowboys, Manly (2021) and St George Illawarra (2005) are the only three teams to have lost their three-season openers and reached the top four. No side has won a competition from outside the top four since the NRL was born in 1998.<\/p>\n
Even making the finals from 0-3 is a tough ask. Apart from the above-mentioned three occasions, only the Broncos (1999 and 2007), Sea Eagles (2009), Melbourne (2000), Cronulla (2015) and Warriors (2011) have recovered to make the play-offs after such a poor start.<\/p>\n
One notable asset the Broncos had last year was their ability to come back and win games they trailed, thanks largely to fullback Reece Walsh’s brilliance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Reece Walsh was the architect of many Brisbane comeback wins last in 2025.\u00a0 (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)<\/p>\n
They won once after trailing by 18 points, twice bounced back from 16-point deficits, and on two occasions from 14-point deficits before overturning a 10-point margin in the decider against the Storm.<\/p>\n
Their season was also teetering at one point. After the round-13 loss to Manly, they were 11th but won 11 of their next 13 to claim a seventh premiership.<\/p>\n
“Everything’s pretty calm at the moment. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam said.<\/p>\n
“We’re just at the start of our season now, trying to build to where we want to get to.<\/p>\n
“You’re not always going to start the way you want to finish.”<\/p>\n
Brisbane’s left-edge defence had holes in it last week in the 40-32 loss to Parramatta, and left centre Gehamat Shibasaki has been relegated to the reserves bench against the Storm as a result.<\/p>\n
Winger Deine Mariner reverts to centre and will no doubt be given a working over by the Storm attack.<\/p>\n
Brisbane’s hopes of a first win in Melbourne since 2016 were hampered further when captain Adam Reynolds withdrew on Tuesday night with a rib cartilage injury.<\/p>\n
Veteran Ben Hunt moves from the bench to his preferred halfback position, where he played so well at the back end of last season when Reynolds was out with a hamstring complaint.<\/p>\n