Brisbane don’t need to beat the Storm but they need to run them close

A VICTORY isn’t essential for the Broncos against Melbourne on Friday night but they need to show they can hang with the best writes MATTHEW JOHNS.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — AUGUST 12: Anthony Milford of the Broncos scores a try during the round 23 NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and the Parramatta Eels at Suncorp Stadium on August 12, 2016 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Friday night’s match isn’t a must win for the Broncos, but if they want to consider themselves serious title contenders, they have to take the Storm right to the wire.

Melbourne is the team that hurt the Broncos the most.

The Storm leave their best football for Brisbane for a number of reasons, primarily because coach Craig Bellamy doesn’t like to lose to Wayne Bennett.

Bellamy served his coaching apprenticeship under Bennett and coming up against the old master always arouses Craig’s competitive nature.

On top of that, skipper Cameron Smith always seems to put in a man of the match performance whenever he plays the Broncos.

The history of Smith’s angst toward Brisbane is the Broncos deciding against signing a young Smith, who played all his junior football at Logan City.

Darren Lockyer was the catalyst behind the 2006 title.

It’s a decision, along with passing on Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston, which has not only cost the Broncos numerous premierships, but resulted in them being tortured by these champions whenever they meet.

The Broncos enter the game on the back of three consecutive wins and there are distinct similarities in this Brisbane premiership campaign to their title-winning season in 2006.

In 2006, like 2016, Brisbane started the season well, but fell into a deep hole midyear.

It was Darren Lockyer who sparked the 2006 turnaround. Struggling through the Origin period, Lockyer’s football suddenly caught fire as the finals neared, and it only got better throughout September as the Broncos took the title, beating tonight’s opponent 15-8 in the decider.

If Lockyer was the catalyst for the 2006 turnaround, Anthony Milford has been the spark this year.

Milford’s running game, which was so dangerous and dominant earlier in the season, had seemingly disappeared, and with it, the Broncos’ attacking threat.

But three weeks ago against Parramatta, Milford found his running game again suddenly, and the Broncos have started to look like their early season selves.

Milford is the Broncos most important player.

What was it that suddenly inspired Milford to run the football?

A few things have changed, mainly the Broncos’ forwards are starting to reassert some dominance, which has given the halves some momentum to work with.

But there’s also been an adjusted style.

Throughout the Broncos mid-season slump, Milford had been cramped for space by his side putting block shapes outside him. Block shapes by the very nature of the straight lead runner, don’t allow playmakers space to run. That “block” attacking shape, effectively blocked Milford.

From that Parramatta game onwards, Bennett and his coaching staff adjusted Milford’s runners. Rather than use a “block” attacking formation, that straight lead runner now drops under Milford and allows him space and freedom to run, and more time with his pass selection. It’s made all the difference to his game.

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Likewise, on the right hand side we are seeing Ben Hunt starting to find form and the confidence to attack defences again.

Milford and Hunt hold the key for Brisbane.

They have found their attacking games again, but to win tonight and to be a genuine premiership threat, they need to take the next step.

And that is game management, the ability to make the right decision at the most crucial time.

That can be a kick, a pass, a crucial call.

It’s what makes the Melbourne Storm so good, they have Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith. Players whose decision making gets better the more pressure they are under.

That’s the next step for Hunt and Milford.

This game is the biggest test of the season for them, and their team.

Originally published as Brisbane don’t need to beat the Storm but they need to run them close