Tips: ‘Bee in the bonnet’ of Storm players after Broncos snubs
Finals may not be on the line for last year’s two grand final sides when they meet on Thursday night, but Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler expect there to be plenty of feeling in the clash between the Broncos and the Storm due to a narrative that has underpinned the rivalry between the two clubs for decades.
The Broncos won last year’s decider to make it two from two in grand finals against the Storm, the other coming in 2006 when Wayne Bennett masterminded a victory over Craig Bellamy in a clash involving some of the greatest players of this century.
Harry Grant and Cameron Munster. Getty Images
While the Broncos have clear bragging rights from that point-of-view, the Storm have an amazing overall record against the Queensland powerhouse, winning 41 of their 63 matches played.
In games played in Brisbane, the Storm leads the head-to-head 20-9.
It’s a phenomenal record given that the Broncos have had their fair share of success since the Storm entered the competition in 1998.
The theory goes that part of the reason Melbourne save some of their best performances for the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium is the scattering of Queenslanders in the Storm system, many of whom were overlooked at one time or another by the Broncos.
It is folklore that all-time greats Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk fell into the laps of the Storm courtesy of dud recruitment calls made by the Broncos.
Johns is adamant that Melbourne still goes to Brisbane with a “bee in the bonnet” due to the players in the current squad who had a similar experience.
“They just hate them because they got brushed,” Fittler said on Wide World of Sports’ NRL Tips.
“Cameron, Billy, Cooper...”
The list keeps growing - and it’s enough to give any Broncos fan a headache.
“And this time they’re going to have (Cameron) Munster, Harry Grant, (Trent) Loiero ... so yeah, there’s a bee in the bonnet for them.”
Both Fittler and Johns are tipping the Storm to win a match that at the start of the season most would have expected to be a preview to the pointy end of the finals series.
Adam Reynolds and Michael Maguire after Brisbane’s premiership victory last year. Getty Images
Instead it is a clash of two fallen giants, with the Storm 11th on the ladder and out of the race to make the eight, while the Broncos only avoided being dragged into wooden spoon calculations thanks to an upset win over the Raiders in round 25 and have this week faced a storm of their own making after mishandling Adam Reynolds’ retirement.
While neither team can make the eight, there will be plenty of feeling in the game and it will draw additional interest due to the trial of a new rule, with the team that concedes a try to determine whether they kick off or receive at the following restart.
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