Storm give Brisbane a reminder of what a premiership team should be in 40-4 flogging

Melbourne have given Brisbane a stern lesson on what a premiership side looks like with a 40-4 humiliation on the Broncos home turf.

Ryan Papenhuyzen of the Storm (centre) celebrates scoring a try with teammates during the Round 20 NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Friday, August 2, 2019. (AAP Image/Dan Peled) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

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This was billed as a clash of two NRL powerhouses.

In reality, there was only one powerhouse on the park - and it wasn’t Brisbane.

Brisbane’s finals hopes are in tatters after the Melbourne club that built their DNA on the Broncos’ glory years subjected Anthony Seibold’s troops to a 40-4 humiliation at Suncorp Stadium.

The Storm’s seven-tries-to-one rout was not only emphatic evidence they are raging premiership favourites but a brutal reality check for a Broncos club that can forget about winning the title for another 12 months.

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The Storm were in total control. AAP Image/Dan Peled.

“We got bullied and outplayed,” Seibold said. “We got lapped by the best team in the league. It was nowhere near good enough.”

In fact, the embattled Broncos will be lucky just to make the playoffs. The Suncorp massacre means Brisbane will finish the weekend outside the top eight in ninth and their season could collapse if they crash to the Cowboys in Thursday night’s Queensland derby in Townsville.

The Storm ran riot, tearing Brisbane apart with 11 line-breaks as Cameron Smith, Cameron Munster, Justin Olam and two-try Kenny Bromwich extended Melbourne’s unbeaten streak at Suncorp to 11 years.

While the Storm were white hot, Brisbane bosses should be alarmed.

The Broncos are the richest club in the league with a monopoly in southeast Queensland yet they were made to look like part-time amateurs by a Storm club that is superior in every cultural and performance facet.

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“We are not the first Broncos team to lose to Melbourne by 40 points,” Seibold said. “Somewhere deep inside this organisation we have to be better.”

Not even the presence of the injured Matt Gillett and suspended Tevita Pangai Jr would have helped Brisbane against a Storm juggernaut powering towards yet another minor premiership.

With Smith operating as Melbourne’s Pied Piper, the Storm bolted to an 18-0 halftime lead before destroying Brisbane after the break to clinch their ninth straight win at Suncorp.

Broncos halves Darius Boyd and Jake Turpin made just two runs between them and Brisbane’s defensive application was appalling as Melbourne repeatedly unlocked them in midfield.

From the opening seconds, when Brisbane centre Kotoni Staggs kicked out on the full, the Broncos were under siege.

Brisbane were totally outclassed. AAP Image/Dan Peled.

Stung by last week’s shock home loss to Manly, the Storm were simply superior across the park.

Melbourne’s kick-chase was hungrier. Their line-speed was faster. Their execution was sharper and in Smith, the Storm had a peerless conductor who gradually turned the screws on the besieged Broncos.

Brisbane will finish the weekend outside the top eight. AAP Image/Dan Peled.

Given Melbourne’s territorial dominance, the Broncos would have happily gone to halftime trailing 6-0. But at 18-0, they were shot.

The second half was one of the worst in Brisbane’s decorated history. The Storm powered through the rucks at will and when Smith charged over in the 61st minute, the Broncos were in disarray at 36-0.

The Broncos face a long road to make the finals. AAP Image/Dan Peled.

This was a display that proved the Melbourne machine can qualify for a fourth consecutive grand-final.

The Broncos, by comparison, will be on holiday by mid-September.

MELBOURNE 40 (K Bromwich 2 J Addo-Carr J Hughes R Papenhuyzen C Smith C Welch tries C Smith 6 goals) bt BRISBANE 4 (K Staggs try) at Suncorp Stadium. Referee: Gerard Sutton, Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski. Crowd: 36,049.