History shows that the Storm have won 35 of the past 40 clashes against Brisbane but there’s no reason for Broncos fans to cover their eyes and turn away.
Let the records also show that Michael Maguire is 2-14 against Craig Bellamy across his career but their 17th meeting is the only one that really counts.
All those painful defeats will be forgotten when Grant Atkins blows time on in the 2025 decider.
This is Reece Walsh’s time to shine. Payne Haas’ time to run amok. Kotoni Staggs’ time to switch into beast mode.
As Walsh proved last weekend against the Panthers, hoodoos are made to be smashed.
The Broncos’ No.1 gun had played the Panthers seven times for seven losses, including the 2023 decider when Brisbane led 24-8 with 18 minutes to play before Nathan Cleary stepped up.
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Only one will come out the victor
That’s the same Nathan Cleary who had won 26 daytime games in a row until last Sunday at Suncorp.
Like we said, records are there to be broken.
Those 40 clashes between the Storm and Broncos date back to the 2006 grand final, famously won by the underdog Broncos under the inspired leadership of Darren Lockyer and Shane Webcke, in his 254th and final game for the club.
The Storm finished minor premiers in 2006 and had won both clashes against the Broncos that season, not to mention a 50-4 flogging of Wayne Bennett’s men at Olympic Park the previous year.
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Standing at the edge of greatness: Reynolds
Craig Bellamy’s men went into the ’06 grand final having won five of the past six against Brisbane but when all was said and done on the first day of October it was the Broncos taking home their sixth premiership.
“The biggest rivalry of all is when you lose a grand final to someone,” Broncos great Corey Parker told NRL.com in 2024.
“We went in there as heavy underdogs, we should never have won it, the Storm were the red-hot side, but we got the job done.
“You think people don’t hold a grudge but that would still burn Craig and I know it still gets Smithy and those other boys.
“You had players who grew up being Broncos fans and never got the chance to play for the Broncos – Billy Slater, Cam Smith, Cooper Cronk – they ended up at the Storm.
“That also unleashed a bit of rivalry and hatred among those players who said, ‘we’ll stick it up the Broncos because they didn’t think we were good enough to play for them’.
“You can’t get past a grab final loss, so every time after that decider they had the big red pen around the Broncos game on the calendar.
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Looking back at the 2006 grand final
“It was a long-standing rivalry and they have a huge record but we got the one that mattered.”
Having come up with remarkable comebacks in both their finals games, the Broncos are mastering the art of ‘the one that mattered’.
Staying in the moment. Staying in the fight. Striking late.
They head into Sunday’s big dance secure in the knowledge that they beat the Storm the last time they played in Round 27, with that man Walsh contributing 22 points and running for 133 metres.
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Reece Walsh Try
The same Reece Walsh who has won two of his seven clashes against the Storm, including a 26-0 shutout in the 2023 preliminary final.
The same Reece Walsh who put his Panthers losing streak to bed last week.
Because the last 40 games mean nothing compared to the next 80 minutes.
You cannot miss the NRL Grand Final, kicking off live on Channel 9, Sunday 7:30pm AEDT.