Broncos name team to face the
Storm

Casey McGuire has won the contentious spot of replacing injured hooker Barry Berrigan for this Sunday?s clash against the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium.

McGuire has been named for the round-19 clash in place of the club?s first-choice hooker who will be out of action for another 5-7 weeks with the calf injury suffered against Cronulla Sunday week ago.

The Queensland State of Origin utility was given the nod ahead of fellow non-specialist hookers Neville Costigan and Berrick Barnes and full-time rake Michael Ryan.

Utility forward Costigan and playmaker Barnes however were included on an extended Broncos bench also containing forwards Corey Parker, Dane Carlaw and Sam Thaiday and back Brent Tate.

Despite losing their in-form dummy-half, the Broncos will be boosted by the return of Costigan, captain Darren Lockyer, centre Shaun Berrigan and forwards Parker, Brad Thorn, Petero Civoniceva and Tonie Carroll.

GIANT forward Brad Thorn will reach a remarkable milestone on Sunday when he makes his 150th first-grade appearance for the Brisbane Broncos.

Thorn has played 141 NRL premiership games for the Broncos, plus eight Super League World Club Challenge matches (in 1997), for his total of 149.

He made his first-grade debut for the Broncos against the Bulldogs, at ANZ Stadium, on June 19, 1994.

This achievement is remarkable because of Thorn?s decision at the end of season 2000 to turn his back on rugby league ? in which he had represented both his state and his country ? and switch to rugby union.

During his four seasons way from rugby league he represented the Canterbury Crusaders on 37 occasions in the Super 12 competition, took the field 26 times for Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship (NPC) competition and also played for the All Blacks.

His pinnacle achievement in rugby was representing New Zealand in the 2003 World Cup.

Thorn played 12 Tests in total for the All Blacks before switching back to rugby league, and within three months of his return was again playing State of Origin football for Queensland.

He has won major premierships for the Broncos in 1997, 1998 and 2000.

Costigan is back after serving a two-match suspension for a round-15 dangerous throw against the Wests Tigers while Lockyer, Berrigan, Parker, Thorn, Civoniceva and Carroll are all returning from State of Origin III duties.

These inclusions mean Darren Mapp, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Nick Kenny, a trio who were impressive in the baby Broncos round-17 win over Cronulla, have been left out of the squad.

The first-placed Broncos are coming off the bye and will be aiming to avenge their round-four loss to Melbourne when they were thumped 50-4 at Olympic Park.

Brisbane Broncos: Karmichael Hunt; Scott Minto, Justin Hodges, Shaun Berrigan, Leon Bott; Darren Lockyer (c), Brett Seymour; Tonie Carroll, Brad Thorn, David Stagg; Petero Civoniceva, Casey McGuire, Shane Webcke.

Interchange: Corey Parker, Berrick Barnes, Dane Carlaw, Neville Costigan, Sam Thaiday, Brent Tate (two to be omitted). Coach: Wayne Bennett