NRL 2023: Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy reveals why the Storm love beating the Brisbane Broncos
Melbourne Storm’s dominance of the Broncos is the most crushing NRL record of the past 20 years. Now, Craig Bellamy reveals why the Storm love beating Brisbane.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Craig Bellamy has lifted the lid on Melbourne’s domination of the Broncos as Kevin Walters faces the daunting prospect of reversing the NRL’s worst record over the past two decades due to a rivalry he fuelled.
The Broncos must snap a 14-game losing streak against the Storm at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night to secure a home preliminary final and shot at breaking Brisbane’s 17-year NRL premiership drought.
Since Brisbane’s 2006 grand final triumph over Melbourne, the Storm have transformed into a fierce Broncos-killing beast, winning 31 of the 35 games between the rivals dating back to round 1 of the 2007 season. The Storm also have a perfect 4-0 record in finals in that time.
Brisbane’s 11.4 per cent winning record against Melbourne over the past 17 seasons is the worst record of any NRL team against any rival in that period.
The Broncos last beat the Storm in 2016 and haven’t won a showdown with Melbourne at Suncorp since 2009 – a remarkable period of dominance by the southern visitors.
Melbourne’s domination of the Broncos can be traced back to the scars of that 2006 decider and the ruthless attitude of Queensland legends Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk.
Bellamy, a former assistant to Wayne Bennett at Brisbane before becoming Melbourne’s coach in 2003, said the Storm’s “Big Three” were determined to inflict pain on the Broncos after being snubbed by the Queensland powerhouse.
And it was a competitive determination fuelled by his former assistant Walters, who was sacked by Bennett at the Broncos and is now Brisbane’s head coach.
“I think ‘Kevvie’ drove that love for beating the Broncos more than anyone when he was here,” Bellamy said.
“We’ve always had a history of recruiting Queenslanders, going back as far as us getting Cam, Billy and Cooper from Brisbane.
“I know they felt aggrieved by not being picked up by the Broncos as kids. They were Queenslanders, so there was always that desire driven by them to beat the Broncos.
“For the majority of our 25-year history, we’ve had our feeder clubs up there so there’s that connection in Brisbane and when you have that connection, it’s a bit like trying to beat your big brother.
“I was really surprised last week when someone told me about our record of beating the Broncos. I wouldn’t have expected to have won so many games straight, but we have a great respect for the Broncos and what they have done in their history.
“They have been a glamour club for a long time and most of our recruitment comes from Queensland, so many of our guys here feed that rivalry because of their ties.”
Melbourne’s most recent win against the Broncos came just last week, when the Storm triumphed 32-22 at Suncorp to rob Brisbane of its first minor premiership since 2000 and make it 14 straight wins in the rivalry.
While Bellamy, Walters, Smith, Slater and Cronk drove Melbourne’s desire to beat the Broncos, the determination spread throughout the Storm.
Broncos hooker Billy Walters made his NRL debut for the Storm in 2019 and said the club was always intent on beating Brisbane.
“When I was down there we loved playing the Broncos,” he said.
“They are a big team in the NRL and we just loved beating the Broncos.
“It didn’t just come from Craig. It came from the whole playing group. Everyone just wanted to beat the Broncos and I feel like that is one of the curses of being a big club that everyone wants to beat.
“I remember being down there and part of that crew as a Brisbane boy that wasn’t playing for the Broncos, so you loved to beat the Broncos.
“They will have a lot of confidence that they have the wood over us but we will be out there Friday to break that drought.”
There has never been a better time for the Broncos to snap the Storm’s winning streak than now.
The Broncos will be back at full strength for the blockbuster qualifying final and can secure a week’s rest then a grand final qualifier at Suncorp in a fortnight with a victory.
That would put the Broncos in the box seat to make the grand final for the first time since the heartbreaking 2015 loss to North Queensland and captain Adam Reynolds is confident Brisbane can get the job done.
“The Storm are beatable,” he said.
“I was in a similar position at Souths in 2014. We had them week one of the finals and they were a bogey team for us then and we happened to beat them on the night (then win the grand final).
“I’m not saying that will be an exact replica, but this Broncos team is very different to past teams. A lot of players are playing a lot better now than the previous 14 games that we’ve played them and lost.
“You can go off stats and if you believe in those, the outcome will be the same.
“I see the belief and the trust in this group. It will be tough no doubt, they have a team of superstars and are one the best teams on their day, but I believe we are as good as any team in the comp.”
PAPS: BILLY SLATER SAVED MY CAREER
Ryan Papenhuyzen has revealed how Queensland Origin coach Billy Slater helped save his NRL career as the reborn Storm star looks to break Brisbane’s hearts in Friday’s finals blockbuster.
The 2020 Clive Churchill medallist shapes as the Broncos’ bogey man for the second consecutive week when Papenhuyzen returns to Brisbane for the qualifying final at Suncorp Stadium.
Just six days ago, the Storm sensation was the beacon of hope for Melbourne as the Storm overcame the resting of 11 top-liners to shock Brisbane 32-22, thanks largely to the big-game experience of Papenhuyzen. But during his darkest hours, Papenhuyzen had his own beacon of hope in Slater.
There were many times over the past 13 months when Papenhuyzen feared he would never play again.
His kneecap was shattered in so many places Storm coach Craig Bellamy described the X-ray report as the worst footballing injury he had seen.
The NRL world worryingly whispered the game would lose one of its headline stars to retirement, at age 25, before Papenhuyzen really had the chance to shine bright. But ‘Paps’ is back to terrorise the Broncos in the finals and Maroons and Storm fullback legend Slater is at the heart of his revival.
“He has helped me through the whole ordeal,” Papenhuyzen said of Slater. “He reached out about how important it is to have someone else while you are not playing to keep your mind stimulated.
“It is just special to have someone like him at the club who wants to give back so much. I am just appreciative that he took time to do that. I guess I am where I am now because of him.”
Papenhuyzen used Slater as a template to scrap and claw his way back to the NRL.
In 2016, Slater played just one game due to shoulder surgery and when he underwent a second operation after the first failed to fully fix the problem, there were fears the champion Storm fullback was finished.
But Slater rose again, carving up the Cowboys in the 2017 grand final to win the Clive Churchill Medal, the very gong Papenhuyzen claimed in his masterclass against the Panthers in the NRL decider three years later.
When Papenhuyzen runs out against the Broncos on Friday in Brisbane for just his third NRL game of the season, it will be a tribute to his work ethic, will and the wisdom of Slater.
“You have your days where you don’t think it is possible (to play NRL again),” he said.
“Even coming back you don’t know if you are going to make the 17. It is daunting. It is scary but I am just happy I put in all the hard work.
“All those days where you don’t want to do things, but you just have to do them, I am reaping the rewards now.
“Billy has been awesome. He went through such a long-term injury himself and understands how tough it is, but he and ‘Nic’ (Slater’s wife Nicole) would invite me over to their place and we would just have a day out where we would not talk about footy.
“I think he understood the mental side of rehab and how you need to switch off sometimes and enjoy the company of others. They would invite me out to their farm and we’d go out and have dinner and chill out. Slats is unbelievable. To have such a great career and then give back so much to me ... I am forever in debt to him.”
Gus’ ‘doctored’ claim ignites NRL conspiracy
The NRL Grand Final’s controversial no try scandal has taken a wild turn despite the game releasing the angle the decision was based on.
Kangaroos selection shocks: NRL legends’ Test careers appear over
Mal Meninga has dropped a major selection bombshell by overlooking both James Tedesco and Kalyn Ponga for Kangaroos selection, with the list of surprise omissions and debutants not ending there. See the full squad.