The Melbourne Storm have tuned up for the NRL finals series by flogging a desperately poor Brisbane Broncos side 50-12 at Lang Park.

The minor premiers scored nine tries, with Will Warbrick and Jahrome Hughes both scoring hat-tricks in a sublime display from the Storm.

However, the Broncos, whose season ended last weekend with a humbling defeat against the Dolphins, were truly awful, mocking coach Kevin Walters’ pleas for them to play for pride with an insipid defensive performance.

Warbrick had a double inside the opening 12 minutes as the Storm tore the Broncos left side defence to shreds, with Hughes and Eliesa Katoa adding further scores before the 21-minute mark.

The Broncos hit back before half time through Josh Rogers, but there was still time for the Storm to add another before the break thanks to Harry Grant.

Hughes added two more scores after the break, as did Xavier Coates on his first start since round 17 before the Broncos added another consolation try, Jesse Arthars crossing after Katoa had been sent to the sin bin for a high tackle that could see him miss the first week of the finals.

That was not the only possible issue for Melbourne, who saw livewire fullback Sua Fa’alogo leave the field with a hamstring injury late on, having run for 208 metres and set up two tries. 

Warbrick — who ran for a whooping 301 metres, with five line breaks and eight tackle busts — had the final say in a dominant performance, completing his hat-trick following a wonderful floated pass from Hughes.

The Broncos had the last possession, but dropped the ball to end the game, a symbolic representation of last year’s grand finalists dramatic fall from grace.

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Key Events

  1. 35m ago35 minutes agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:40am

  2. 1h ago1 hours agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:11am

  3. 1h ago1 hours agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 10:36am

2h agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 9:50am

Live updates: Broncos vs Storm

By Simon Smale

10m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 12:05pm

Craig Bellamy wins his 400th game

By Simon Smale

Speaking of coaches though, Craig Bellamy has hit a milestone there, securing his 400th victory as coach.

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That’s not a bad effort, really.

And some win with which to crown that achievement, too.

12m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 12:03pm

We’re still waiting for the coaches to come through, by the way

By Simon Smale

We will bring you their comments as soon as we have them.

18m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:57am

‘We probably did a bit more damage than we expected to’: Hughes

By Simon Smale

(ABC Sport)

Jahrome Hughes, who had a wonderful night, running for 125 metres, scoring three tries and setting up two more, has told ABC Sport the Storm did not expect the game to blow open quite as much as that.

“We knew if we could play to our strengths, we were going to do some damage,” he said.

“We probably did a bit more damage than we expected to.”

Listen live.

33m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:42am

Wanna hear from the coaches?

By Simon Smale

You bet your bottom dollar we’re going to be hanging around for the coaches response, by the way.

We’ll bring you those as soon as we get them.

35m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:40am

👀

By Simon Smale

Sort of score you get when the players want a new coach!

– Lewis

35m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:40am

Full time: Storm flog Brisbane in lopsided display

By Simon Smale

(Getty Images)

Brisbane’s season has ended without so much as a whimper, falling to another embarrassing defeat at Lang Park.

The Broncos dropped the ball to end the match, a symbolic failure from a team whose season has imploded in dramatic fashion over the past few weeks.

The Storm were magical, scoring nine tries to two to set themselves up nicely for a likely finals contest at home against the Sharks next week.

But their opposition tonight was desperately poor.

47m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:28am

71′ Warbrick does have a hat-trick!

By Simon Smale

The Storm has bought up the half century!

Lovely pass from Jahrome Hughes, floating the ball over the top to Warbrick in the corner, who dived over to score.

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Magical play once again from the Storm.

48m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:27am

68′ Tui Kamikamica

By Simon Smale

This might not be good for the Storm.

Tui Kamikamica
has gone down the tunnel holding his forearm.

Another injury wouldn’t be ideal in any possible way for the Storm, whose night is souring somewhat…

50m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:26am

68′ Warbrick denied a hat-trick by some strong Broncos defence

By Simon Smale

The Broncos did well to deny the Olympic medallist there – smothering him with three tacklers in the corner as Warbrick took a step off his right wing.

54m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:21am

64′ Brisbane get another consolation

By Simon Smale

(Getty Images)

Selwyn Cobbo – who has been barely involved all game – does well to stand up in the tackle and send Jesse Arthurs over in the corner.

Buck the horse gets a little run. Good for him.

Adam Reynolds, who was instrumental in orchestrating that move – lands the sideline conversion.

It’s 46-12.

56m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:19am

62′ High shot sees Eliesa Katoa sent to the bin

By Simon Smale

Tristan Sailor was passing the ball and was hit on the chin by Eliesa Katoa.

He’s on report and in the bin.

That’s not ideal for the Storm – who just need to tighten up their discipline here and maintain the intensity of risk losing more players to injury or through judicial matters.

58m agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:18am

60′ Adam Reynolds in the right place

By Simon Smale

Reynolds intercepts after Tyran Wishart, who dismissed Jordan Riki’s attempted tackle with embarrassing ease, threw a speculative offload that, had it stuck, would have certainly resulted in another try.

1h agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:12am

57′ Hughes has a hat-trick!

By Simon Smale

Oh my!

Hughes kicks a bomb to the corner, Warbrick gets up and catches the ball ahead of Jess Arthars.

He then throws an offload pass inside, Rogers fumbles the ball backwards and Hughes is on hand to gather and score.

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Meanwhile, Sua Fa’alogo limps over to the bench – his night done.

1h agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:11am

56′ Sua Fa’alogo down injured

By Simon Smale

He is getting some treatment in back play.

He’s still got a bit of a grin on his face, but it looks more like a grimace to be honest.

That might not be good news.

Perhaps a hamstring?

(Getty Images)

He steps off the back of the field and may be done for the night.

That’s a huge blow.

Ryan Papenhuyzen suffered bone bruising last week – and they did hope he would be back for next week’s final.

That may be even more imprerative now.

1h agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:06am

51′ Xavier Coates seals his return with a try!

By Simon Smale

Corey Oates came.

Corey Oates jumped.

Corey Oates coughed up the ball.

The Storm, with six tackles inside the Broncos 10, made no mistake.

A lovely little kick from Sua Fa’alogo, dabbed through for Xavier Coates to slide over the and touch down.

It’s another score. Another try conceded.

That might be Coates’ last involvement as he walks off the pitch with a grin. He’s being wrapped in cotton wool having run for 119 metres off nine involvements.

The kick is good.

The Broncos get a sense of deja vu. It’s 40-6 once again at Lang Park.

Only there’s still 28 minutes to go in this one…

1h agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:02am

48′ The Storm score

By Simon Smale

Or do they?

It’s Jahrome Hughes who has put the ball down after three Broncos players tried to tackle.

But he’s not all that convinced that the ball touched the ground.

This has been sent up as try – Ashley Klein is looking at it, but Hughes did not want to claim the try!

It’s been confirmed as a try!

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that!

Oh, there’s the angle that shows he did get the ball down on the line – but it was a sheepish score from Hughes.

The kick is good, it’s 34-6.

1h agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 11:00am

46′ Storm counter attack

By Simon Smale

Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything.

The Broncos have been playing with a bit more inventiveness and won a goal line drop out.

That didn’t go 10, so the Storm were back on the defensive.

But as they so often do, they turned that instantly into attack, with a poor offload picked off and a 60 metre run back the wrong way from the home supporters perspective.

1h agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 10:58am

45′ Brisbane showing a bit more substance

By Simon Smale

Strong runs, clever kicks, hard tackling.

The Broncos are showing a bit more fight here at the start of the second half.

The Storm seem slightly more subdued to open the half, slow to get going perhaps.

1h agoThu 5 Sep 2024 at 10:54am

Unfair comparison?

By Simon Smale

You should apologise to under 12s players, they show more pluck than Brisbane

– Gilbart

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