And now for the grand final the game deserves.
Brisbane and Penrith, the two best teams of a memorable season, will face off in next Sunday’s decider. The cream has risen to the top.
Well before the regular season ended, the Broncos were touted as the team most likely to thwart the Panthers’ quest for a historic three-peat. And so it transpired, ending the fairytale run of the Warriors with a 42-12 victory at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
For the best part of three years, the Warriors couldn’t wait to get home. Yet when cult hero Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored two of the first three tries of the game, much to the dismay of a packed stadium, it looked like they would be spending even more time on this side of the Tasman.
However, the Broncos recovered to submit a performance dominant enough to raise hopes of breaking a 17-year premiership drought.
The Panthers will go into their fourth consecutive grand final as overwhelming favourites. In dismantling the Storm on Friday they have become them; a clinical, insatiable rugby league machine that has left all challengers in their wake.
Reece Walsh celebrates after sealing a spot in the grand final.Credit: Getty
Yet in Reece Walsh, Brisbane have an X-factor capable of breaching even their defence. The flying fullback is one of the NRL’s great gunslingers. No player has made more errors all year, but one of his many gifts is an ability to immediately forget them.
His first try assist was to the Warriors, via an errant intercept pass to Watene-Zelezniak. It is the sort of error, made in the biggest game of his career, that would force many playmakers into their shell. Not Walsh.
Instead of holstering his pistol, Walsh shot the Warriors to pieces. Not content with mesmerising the defence, he even fooled the match officials. One of the passes he threw, to set up a Jordan Riki try, was so far forward he could have been playing NFL. They will get to Vegas soon enough.
“That’s gone about three metres forward,” Cameron Smith gasped in commentary for Nine.
Payne Haas on the charge.Credit: Getty
The question is, can the Broncos ride their luck for one more week?
With Adam Reynolds steering the ship, playing behind middle forwards Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan and Tom Flegler, they have a chance. No team can beat the Panthers in an arm-wrestle; on Friday they didn’t drop the football for the first hour of play. Yet no team will ask more questions of them than Kevin Walters’ side.
“We know what our [best] footy looks like, we’ve got big, mobile forwards in our pack that can really match it with theirs,” Walsh told Nine.
“It’s going to be an arm-wrestle, it probably won’t come as easy, but if we play our brand of footy, work hard for each other and get those little moments right … it will be an entertaining game.”
Reynolds was given an early mark with 16 minutes to go. Ditto Walsh with five minutes left. The result was beyond doubt well before then. Rather than clock off and let their minds wander to what lies ahead, they kept the opposition scoreless for the entire second half.
This was an undignified way for the Warriors to bow out. They earned respect with their sacrifices during COVID and won hearts with their football this season. For the first time ever, New Zealand is as invested in its rugby league team as its beloved All Blacks.
Haas on Wednesday night has the chance to become the first prop in history to win the Dally M Medal. Of more concern is a bigger prize. Next weekend, the frantic speed of the Broncos will come up against the ruthless efficiency of the Panthers. One versus two. Rugby league is the likely winner.
Watch the NRL Grand Final Exclusive Live and Free on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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