Grand final implosion: The 21 minutes of madness that shattered Broncos’ premiership dream

The brain explosions, errors and low-percentage plays that opened the door for Penrith’s stunning grand final comeback and crushed Brisbane’s premiership dream.

Adam Reynolds and the Broncos were left to ponder what could have been. Picture: Adam Head

It was the 21 minutes of madness that shattered Brisbane’s premiership fairytale.

Broncos captain Adam Reynolds was left to rue his side’s stunning last-quarter implosion as the champion halfback came under fire for failing to ice a Brisbane premiership on Sunday night.

So magnificent all season, Reynolds conceded he wished he could hit the rewind button on the 2023 decider after watching Penrith rival Nathan Cleary outpoint him in the clutch moments to break Brisbane’s hearts at Accor Stadium.

Reynolds should have been lifting the NRL trophy. The Broncos had their foot on Penrith’s throat at 24-8 entering the 59th minute.

But Brisbane’s final quarter was littered with brain explosions, errors and low-percentage plays, opening the door for Cleary to be the ice-cool executioner Reynolds should have been — and usually is — for the Broncos.

“There’s always moments in the game you wish you could have back,” Reynolds said.

Adam Reynolds was left to rue Brisbane’s stunning grand final implosion. Picture: Adam Head

“I don’t want to go into too many details.

“That’s football. You can’t always have everything perfect and get everything right.

“We weren’t clinical in the end and they made us pay by sticking to the game plan.”

Like many in the 81,947 crowd at Homebush, Broncos players were struggling to come to terms with what happened as the first premiership since 2006 sensationally collapsed in a frenzied, high-octane finale.

“I really don’t know where it went wrong,” shell-shocked Broncos coach Kevin Walters said. “It all fell apart in a flash.”

But a forensic analysis of the last 21 minutes crystallised Brisbane’s capitulation.

However incredulous and imperceptible it appeared, Brisbane’s downfall was a by-product of their own profligacy. They lacked big-game patience.

It began in the 59th minute when Herbie Farnworth, with Brisbane flying at 24-8 and deep on the attack, threw a poorly-timed pass which bumbled along the turf.

Penrith prop Moses Leota picked up the scraps and streaked upfield, giving the Panthers the first scintilla of some momentum.

Four minutes later, Brisbane’s left-edge defence fell asleep.

Nathan Cleary ghosted to the right and Brisbane back-rower Kurt Capewell failed to go with him, his lack of pace exposed as the talismanic Penrith halfback brutally fended off the Broncos deputy to put Leota over to whittle the deficit to 24-14.

The first crack had appeared.

“We did a fair bit of work in defence in the first half and it came back to bite us,” Capewell said.

Nathan Cleary got past Kurt Capewell to get the Panthers rolling. Picture: David Swift

“At 24-8, I definitely knew we hadn’t done enough. I knew they would never give up. As a side, we knew they finish games well.”

Now Penrith had a sniff. The champion stirred in Cleary.

Within 120 seconds, Penrith’s maestro began surgically picking Brisbane apart.

In the 65th minute, Cleary’s radar was piqued. Fourth tackle. He detected Broncos winger Selwyn Cobbo had yet to trail back for a long kick. Fullback Reece Walsh was positioned on the left of the field. Cleary went whack on his 35-metre line, hooking the ball back to the right.

Cobbo and Walsh sprinted, desperately trying to launch a salvage mission, but the ball beat them to the sideline as Cleary blasted a booming 40-20, putting Brisbane under pressure deep into the red zone.

Forced to rocked the ball out of their own half in the 67th minute Broncos lock Pat Carrigan lost the ball cold in a tackle and 60 seconds later, Penrith ignited a left-side rush, Cleary releasing Stephen Crichton, who shrugged off Kotoni Staggs to crash over.

Cleary nailed a sideline conversion. 24-20. Alarm bells suddenly rang. The Broncos were losing their nerve.

“The couple of times we did get the ball back, maybe our fifth and last plays weren’t that great,” said Brisbane’s last premiership skipper Darren Lockyer, an expert analyst on the grand final for Channel 9.

“Leota scored through some Cleary brilliance and that gave them a bit of energy.

“They had that 40-20 from Cleary and a couple of repeat sets, a try (to Crichton)

“We just couldn’t get the ball.”

Moses Leota’s try kickstarted Penrith’s comeback. Picture: David Swift

When Brisbane did get the Steeden, what followed was five minutes of indecision, wastefulness and lack of patience under pressure.

One of the biggest blunders of the contest arrived in the 71st minute. Reynolds, usually as precise as a brain surgeon, appeared to lose track of the tackle count.

Reynolds took the ball 22 metres out from Penrith’s line. Last tackle. In those moments, Reynolds usually takes the percentage option, either kicking high to isolate the rival fullback, in this case Dylan Edwards, on his tryline, or driving the ball to the corners in the hope of a repeat set.

This time, Reynolds ran, hitting Brendan Piakura short. He was crunched by the Panthers defence. Turnover. Another little tactical win for Penrith. The premiers were off the hook.

“I’m surprised he didn’t opt for the kick there,” former premiership hooker Michael Ennis said in Fox commentary.

A minute later, Penrith surged upfield and Crichton’s kick was retrieved by Walsh right on his tryline as Penrith’s defence charged in to drag him in-goal for a dropout.

Reynolds was expected to blast the ball downfield from the kick restart but he attempted a missile-like dropout which flew towards touch and was cleverly caught by Cleary with one foot over the sideline, earning a Penrith penalty.

Penrith turned the screws, forcing another repeat set, after Reynolds failed to defuse a Cleary chip kick in the 75th minute, leading to another Brisbane dropout.

“Brisbane are holding on for dear life here,” Ennis said.

Stephen Crichton shrugged off Kotoni Staggs to score a try for the Panthers. Picture: Getty Images

Once again, Reynolds resisted going long in the quest for field position, attempting an identical driving dropout which Liam Martin caught on the full and charged back to Brisbane’s 20-metre line.

Penrith had been gifted another golden attacking raid.

This time, the dagger was plunged. Penrith were given six again after a Brisbane ruck infringement.

Four plays later, Cleary made Brisbane pay for the ultimate price, stepping off his left and scorching past Reynolds, Billy Walters, Jordan Riki and finally Walsh to crash over with 76 minutes and 36 seconds on the clock.

With his conversion, the Panthers had a stunning 26-24 lead. The Broncos had one final shot at glory when Walsh attacked on the fourth tackle in the dying seconds, but his desperate offload was intercepted by Scott Sorensen.

Penrith players went berserk. Broncos players collapsed in agony. Brisbane had lost the seemingly unlosable grand final.

Nathan Cleary gets past Reece Walsh to score the winning try for the Broncos. Picture: Getty Images

Like a game of chess, a series of small plays came back to gradually haunt, and bury, the Broncos. Check mate.

“They just had to play the percentages in the final 20 minutes,” former Broncos skipper Corey Parker said.

“They didn’t need to score any more points. They didn’t need to promote the ball. They just had to kick to the corners and back their defence for the final 20 minutes because that’s what’s worked all season.

“I won’t be critical of ‘Reyno’. He has been a brilliant signing for the club but he’s been in two grand finals in the past three years and lost both games. It’s a shame. Adam has had a magnificent season.

“The Broncos just had to play the long game and ice it.

“Nathan Cleary just iced the game when it mattered. What he did was unbelievable.

“This will sting for a long time. At 24-8 up, it was there to be taken. The Broncos had the premiership.

“I’m totally gutted for the guys.”

Added Walters: “You can never think you have done enough, especially in a grand final.

“Until that final whistle goes, you are never sure. It’s definitely hard to take, but we have to take it.”