NRL 2023: Brisbane Broncos relive their last NRL finals appearance, a 58-0 thrashing from Parramatta
It has been four years since the Brisbane Broncos were thrashed 58-0 by Parramatta in their last appearance in the NRL finals. The remaining players relive that nightmare.
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Payne Haas has vowed to put the Broncos’ nightmare finals thrashing of 2019 behind him as Brisbane’s four remaining players from the Parramatta punishment seek redemption against the Storm.
Haas will make his first NRL finals appearance since the Broncos were thrashed 58-0 by the Eels four years ago when Brisbane hosts Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Haas, Pat Carrigan, Tom Flegler and Kotoni Staggs are the only remaining members of the Brisbane team that was embarrassed by the Eels in an 11-try rout in week one of the 2019 playoffs.
The record flogging was followed by revelations a host of Broncos were playing pokie machines until late in the night on match eve, sparking a review into Brisbane’s culture.
The 2019 finals disaster was followed by the worst season in Brisbane’s 35-year history, with the Broncos collecting the 2020 wooden spoon as coach Anthony Seibold was sacked.
The club hasn’t played finals since, with coach Kevin Walters finally guiding Brisbane back into premiership contention this year in his third season in charge.
Now the remaining four want to erase the scars of 2019 by going all the way this year and snapping Brisbane’s 17-year NRL title drought.
But they will first have to break a 14-game losing streak against the Storm to secure a grand final qualifier at home.
“It wasn’t good at all, it’s not a good memory to have,” Haas said of the Eels debacle.
“But this Friday night is our chance to change what happened that day.
“We have matured a lot from that day. I think only me, Fleggy and Patty were the guys to play in that game, so we have come a long way since then.
“I can’t wait for this week, it’s been a pretty cool year, it’s been a special year, but it won’t mean much if we can’t get the job done.”
Veteran winger Corey Oates also played that day and is still at the Broncos, however he has been dropped for the Storm showdown.
The 2019 loss to Parramatta remains Flegler’s only NRL finals appearance and he is determined to right the wrongs in his last season at the Broncos before joining the Dolphins.
“I’ve only played the one finals game and it was that game against Parramatta, which was a bit of a nightmare,” he said.
“It was not a good afternoon at all. It was one of those games where nothing was going our way and it got to a point where the game was out of reach for us.
“The crowd was hostile and it was a day to forget. In footy, you have some big wins and big losses and unfortunately, we were on the receiving end in our very first final.
“I try not to think about that game too much, I’ve tried to forget about it.
“The majority of our team have barely played a finals game, so we are looking to improve on that day.”
Centre Herbie Farnworth made his NRL debut for the Broncos in 2019 but didn’t play in the finals loss to the Eels.
However that didn’t stop Farnworth from receiving the same punishment, albeit in vain, when the Broncos reported for 2020 pre-season training.
“I wasn’t in that team but I copped the pre-season flogging after it,” Farnworth said.
“I didn’t play, but in the first week back after that game we got absolutely smoked and we had to watch all of Parramatta’s highlights of the game.
“The boys moved on from it pretty quickly. It was a little focus of ours going into that next pre-season, but it was a long time ago now.
“The young guys from that team like Payne, Patty and Fleggy are all superstars now who’ve played Origin. The boys have come a long way since then.
“Hopefully it’ll be a nice change this time.”
Carrigan, 25, also debuted in 2019 but is now a Queensland State of Origin and Kangaroos Test star.
This Broncos team may be short on NRL finals experience, but they’ve got the talent and hunger to beat Melbourne and go deep in the premiership race.
“Any time I lose it burns (and) I don’t fully remember that (2019), but in saying that I’m a different player and person. This is a different team,” Carrigan said.
“We’ll never be able to change that. It is what it is so we’ll move on and let’s get it on.
“I don’t play 27 games and get flogged at Red Hill to rock up and play one finals game. Melbourne are the same. Every club’s the same.
“You want to be in it to win the big games. What better way to do it than with 50,000 Broncos fans here on Friday night.
“As a footy player, this where you want to be. It’s all on the line and I’m excited.”
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