BRISBANE BRONCOS 30
MELBOURNE STORM 14
JAKE KEARNAN, Suncorp Stadium, Thursday

BRISBANE BRONCOS came out firing to deliver Melbourne Storm back-to-back losses.
Reece Walsh saved his best until last in a performance that had everything.
Tries, try assists, goals, crucial tackles and a 40/20.
If he can keep that up the Broncos might just go all the way, with a fourth-place finish now sealed, they will provide a troubling match-up for Ricky’s Raiders in the opening week of the play-offs.
There were fireworks from the jump with referee Grant Atkins quick to pull Cameron Munster aside following repeated ruck infringements and the Broncos opted to open the scoring through a penalty goal.
Reece Walsh struck first for the Broncos when an offload from Payne Haas collected Walsh’s knee with the fullback chasing through to ground the ball for a try.
Jahrome Hughes was back from a shoulder injury but made his way to the sideline in the 26th minute with a suspected broken wrist after attempting a tackle on Brendan Piakura.
But it didn’t stop Melbourne, who hit back through a cross-field kick to Will Warbrick, which was tapped backwards to Eli Katoa to touchdown in the corner.
The Storm were on the surge down their left edge, but Reece Walsh came up with a huge tackle drilling Xavier Coates over the sideline.
With six minutes remaining in the first half Cameron Munster iced a 40/20 from dummy-half and it started to boil over.
Deine Mariner was sin binned with five minutes to go for a ruck infringement which had Patrick Carrigan, Ben Hunt and Billy Walters fuming that they weren’t given the same warning Melbourne were early in the half.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona was sin binned shortly after for making direct contact to Ben Talty’s head in a wayward tackle.
Walsh capitalised with a last tackle short side scoot from dummy-half to put Piakura over in the corner on the stroke of half-time.
He picked up where he left off in the second half, nailing a 40/20 in the first set.
He couldn’t be stopped, bursting his way through a Cam Munster tackle attempt to cross over for his second.
Both teams settled into the grind following the Walsh try, trading punches throughout the opening 20.
Cam Munster was trying desperately to wrestle back the momentum and did so by some rushing defence on Ben Hunt, forcing an error.
A backline shift saw Will Warbrick cross in the 60th minute.
The Broncos were awarded a penalty while attacking the line off a scrum play and took the two points on offer.
Ben Hunt forced a line drop-out shortly after, but the shot clock sounded, awarding the Broncos another shot at goal right in front.
A Tyran Wishart line-break saw the Storm get back in the fight with a long range try to Nick Meaney cutting the margin to eight.
A two on one strip saw the Broncos awarded another penalty in front of the posts, allowing Walsh to extend the lead to 10.
Billy Walters plucked a pass out of the air in the 79th minute and found Karapani in support, who ran 70 metres to put a full stop on an emphatic Broncos win.

GAMESTAR: Reece Walsh had his fingerprints on everything – tries, goals, try assists and a 40/20.

GAMEBREAKER: Reece Walsh nailing the 40/20 after half-time and scoring the next set put the Broncos in great stead.

MATCHFACTS
BRONCOS

1 Reece Walsh
2 Josiah Karapani
3 Kotoni Staggs
4 Deine Mariner
5 Jesse Arthars
6 Billy Walters
7 Ben Hunt
8 Corey Jensen
9 Corey Paix
10 Payne Haas
11 Brendan Piakura
12 Jordan Riki
13 Patrick Carrigan
Subs (all used)
14 Tyson Smoothy
15 Kobe Hetherington
16 Ben Talty
17 Jaiyden Hunt

Tries: Walsh (14, 42), Piakura (39), Karapani (79)
Goals: Walsh (7/8)
Sin bin: Mariner (34) – ruck infringement

STORM
1 Ryan Papenhuyzen
2 Will Warbrick
3 Grant Anderson
4 Nick Meaney

5 Xavier Coates
6 Cameron Munster
7 Jahrome Hughes
16 Tui Kamikamica
9 Bronson Garlick

10 Josh King
11 Ativalu Lisati
12 Eliesa Katoa
13 Trent Loiero
Subs (all used)

14 Tyran Wishart
15 Alec MacDonald
8 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
17 Joe Chan

Tries: Katoa (24), Warbrick (60), Meaney (71)
Goals: Papenhuyzen (0/1), (Meaney 1/2)
Sin bin: Nelson Asofa-Solomona (36) – shoulder to opponent’s head

SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 6,0, 6-4, 12-4;18-4, 18-8, 20-8, 22-8, 22-14, 24-14, 30-14

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Broncos: Reece Walsh
; Storm: Cameron Munster

Penalty count: 11-10

Half-time: 12-4

Referee: Grant Atkins
Attendance: 44,645