Storm continue Broncos hoodoo as rookie fullbacks shine

Embed from Getty Images

Brisbane Broncos v Melbourne Storm

Despite both sides resting a host of their stars, the Broncos and Storm still turned on a very entertaining and high quality contest, capped by stellar performances from each sides rookie fullbacks - Melbourne's Sualauvi Faalogo and Brisbane's Tristan Sailor.

Brisbane opened the scoring after just 3 minutes when Tyson Smoothy sent a crash ball to Thomas Flegler who crashed over through no defence for a try. Joshua Rogers converted.

The Broncos extended their lead in the 12th minute when Tristan Sailor threw a long ball to the unmarked Jordan Pereira, but the winger had to stop and turn to catch it before he stumbled his way to the line and eventually fell over the line to score. Rogers converted from the sideline.

Melbourne got themselves into the contest in the 18th minute when Jayden Nikorima's grubber into the Broncos in goal, was pounced on by Grant Anderson. Ryan Papenhuyzen failed to convert.

Just five minutes later, Nikorima sent a great ball to Anderson to put him away down the sideline and the winger looked certain to have scored, but his foot touched the sideline before got the ball down.

Anderson snapped up an intercept and ran 70 metres to score a good try in the 33rd minute. Papenhuyzen converted and the Broncos lead had been reduced from 12 to 2.

Anderson was again involved just a few minutes later when he struggled to get his arms free in a tackle, then he got a great offload away to Sualauvi Faalogo who got into space, then linked with Papenhuyzen who headed for the corner before dishing back to Faalogo who scored a great try. Papenhuyzen failed to convert from the sideline. At halftime, the Storm held a narrow 14-12 lead.

The Broncos wasted no time to reclaim the lead in the second half, when Sailor cleanly caught an attacking bomb and then flicked a brilliant ball out to Pereira who scored in the corner. Rogers converted from the sideline.

Rogers landed a penalty goal a few minutes later to give the broncos a 20-14 lead.

The Storm hit back in the 54th minute when Tyran Wishart scooted, dummied, got into space, drew Sailor and then sent a ball to Papenhuyzen in support who scores a good try. Papenhuyzen converted his try to get the scores levelled again.

Shortly after, a magnificent kick return by Sailor saw him get out of his own in-goal area and then produce some glorious broken field running before eventually being tackled just past halfway by Reimis Smith, who holds on to the tackle for too long, resulting in him being sin binned. Rogers kicked another penalty goal to give the Broncos a 22-20 lead with 19 minutes remaining in the game.

Just over a minute after Smith returned to the field, he received a good ball and raced to the corner and just managed to get to the line for a try, despite the attention of three defenders. Papenhuyzen nailed the sideline conversion.

In the 72nd minute Faalogo received the ball on the left side, deep inside the Broncos half, he drifted left, shaped to pass to his winger, but then sliced through to score out wide. Papenhuyzen landed another sideline conversion to give the Storm a 32-22 lead.

Tariq Sims (held up), Bronson Garlic (dropped ball) and Corey Oates (forward pass) all were denied tries in the final 8 minutes, closing out a highly entertaining game.