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Nightmare on Suncorp

2003 began with much excitement and anticipation for the Brisbane Broncos.  After falling so agonisingly short of a sixth Grand Final appearance in 2002, there was real hunger to go a step further, with the added motivation of a return to the spiritual home of Rugby League in Brisbane, the revamped Lang Park, inspiring plenty of confidence.

However, season 2003 went from a dream to a nightmare as the season progressed.

There were major changes of personnel in the offseason.  Allan Langer had finally retired, Lote Tuqiri (Rugby Union), Ashley Harrison and Chris and Shane Walker (South Sydney) had moved on, while Ben Ikin was to finally return after two heartbreaking seasons with knee injuries, and Scott Prince back on deck after back-to-back knee breaks. Melbourne Storm's New Zealand international hooker, Richard Swain, also came on board, the first recognised, specialist hooker the Broncos had played really since Kerrod Walters' departure in 1996.

The Broncos started their season with a charity touch football event in Canberra, benefitting the victims of the horrendous ACT bushfires that left thousands of homes destroyed in the New Year.

The following weekend the Broncos were bundled out of the World Sevens tournament early.  Parramatta went on to win the prize, beating Great Britain in the final, much to the excitement of coach Brian Smith. Little was he to know that his jubilation would be followed by his team's worst season since he took over the coaching reins in 1997.

The Broncos took on two hefty challenges for their preseason trials. The Bulldogs, who many tipped to be the 2002 premiers before their highly publicised salary cap debacle, were first on the agenda on a balmy Gold Coast night at Carrara.  After jumping to a 12-0 half time lead, the Bulldogs were overpowered by the Broncos in the end, with the locals running in three tries in the final 10 minutes to win 32-18.

The match also marked a successful return to playing for Ben Ikin, who got through most of the match and played relatively strongly.

The following week it was the traditional trip up the mountains to Toowoomba, and this year a clash with defending premiers Sydney Roosters.  As has been the case every year for the past four seasons, the Broncos were greeted with rain and fog.  However, it did not detract from the quality of the contest, with both sides playing a high intensity game which the Broncos eventually won 22-18.

Confidence was high as the Broncos ventured to the steamy west of Sydney and a date with Penrith.  The Panthers had been talking tough in the lead up, claiming they had planned an ambush for their more illustrious opponents.  After finishing with the wooden spoon in 2001, and only two places better in 2002, very few rated Penrith a serious threat to the title.  It was hard to argue as the Broncos raced to a commanding 24-8 lead midway through the second half.

However, one of the most talked about moments of the season came at that point in the game.  Broncos skipper Gorden Tallis, who objected to the mouth, and more importantly the forearm of opposition bull Ben Ross, unleashed a furious barrage of punches to the young Queenslander.  After peace was restored, Tallis and Ross each spent 10 minutes in the sin bin. 

In Tallis' absence, the Panthers fought back hard with back to back tries having them within four points.  However, the Broncos held on to secure their first win of the season.

The next week was dominated with angry media, public and even opposition players and officials laying into the man they call the Raging Bull. Particular venom was directed at NRL judiciary commissioner Jim Hall who did not feel Tallis's barrage was worthy of further action.  NRL boss David Gallop also sent a please explain both to Hall and the Broncos, and warned that further violence would not be tolerated.

A week later and Tallis went from villain to hero as the Broncos looked certain to suffer the ignominy of a loss to everyone's wooden spoon favourites, South Sydney.  When Owen Craigie streaked away for an 80 metre intercept try to give his side a 20-12 lead with just 8 minutes on the clock.

Tallis stepped up, setting up Michael De Vere with a try with a chip kick of all things.  De Vere converted to reduce the margin to just 2 points with 4 minutes left.  The Broncos were then hot on the attack in the dying seconds only to see Stuart Kelly go to ground short on the last tackle.  A hand over with just seconds left, it looked all over.

But then Tallis came to the fore again.  Souths prop Paul Stringer ran the ball out, Tallis singlemindedly attacking the ball, affecting a perfect one-on-one strip.  A quick pass out to an unmarked Brent Tate, and the Broncos had stunned the Rabbitohs faithful by conjuring the most remarkable win anyone could remember.  After two weeks the Broncos were unbeaten, but after taking on two of the previous years' stragglers, it did not augur particularly well for the coming weeks.

Prospects improved with the Broncos' return to home, and the first of their last four games at ANZ Stadium.  Brisbane met the Sharks, and in what was a surprising result until latter season events, the Broncos ran out commanding 30-4 winners. Shaun Berrigan put a stamp on the halfback spot for the first time, after two less than convincing performances previously.

A week later the Broncos travelled north to Townsville, and despite again being less than convincing, the Broncos won 32-24 to remain unbeaten.

The New Zealand Warriors, 2002's losing Grand Finalists, have become a genuine bogey side for the Broncos in recent years, and their round 5 clash at ANZ Stadium was little different.  In what was a tough and tight tussle for the first 60 minutes, the Warriors led 14-12 10 minutes into the second half.  However, Logan Swann scored soon after to break the game open, and then the Warriors embarked on touch football for the final 20 minutes, eventually winning 32-12 with one of the most entertaining and at the same time humiliating tries in the dying seconds, including a miracle overhead pass from Sione Faumuina, who would become one of the game's genuine entertainers during the season.

Worse news for the Broncos was the suspension of Petero Civoniceva and Andrew Gee, leaving them cripplingly undermanned in the forwards for the tough Sydney Roosters in Sydney the following week.  However, the Broncos played strongly to lead 20-12 at half time, only to watch that lead disappear and eventually go down 27-20 for back-to-back losses.

After that stumble, the Broncos kicked into gear over the next five rounds, snaring successive victories that had thrust them into premiership favouritism short of the half way mark. It started with a gutsy 20-14 win over a gritty Parramatta, who had just one win to their name after seven weeks of football, and had already accumulated an impressive injury toll including Nathan Hindmarsh and Nathan Cayless, and adding Paul Green early in the game against Brisbane.

The Broncos then ventured to another of their unhappy hunting grounds, Leichhardt Oval, to commandingly beat Wests Tigers 38-6 in wet conditions.  Amazingly, the Tigers had the majority of possession and field position, but their pedestrian attack could not break the Broncos' line, and their own defence was far too flimsy to contain the likes of Darren Lockyer and Tate.

A week later and the Broncos disposed of northern cousins North Queensland 38-12 at ANZ Stadium in their penultimate game at the 1982 Commonwealth Games venue.  The following week was an equally impressive farewell, thrashing the impressive Melbourne Storm 36-16.

Many felt the Broncos would struggle in their next game, meeting the determined Bulldogs in Sydney in wet conditions. However, the Broncos put together one of their most professional performances of all time, eventually disposing of the west Sydney club 24-0 - the first time they'd held a team scoreless since 1999.

Five wins in a row against some quality opposition, top of the ladder, and a relatively light injury toll.  Confidence was high. And in just 9 days the Broncos would open their new home, Suncorp Stadium, or as its known to everyone outside the corporate circles, Lang Park.  A sell out crowd was guaranteed for their clash with Newcastle, and a carnival of fun was planned by organisers.

More than 46000 people were on hand on a glorious Brisbane day on June 1.  The Broncos started well, leading 12-4 going into half time before conceding a try right on the break for a narrow 12-10 lead.

Newcastle, who had never won in Brisbane previously, unleashed a merciless barrage early in the second half, running in four unanswered tries to lead 32-12 and put the game out of Brisbane's reach.  Consolation tries at the end gave the Broncos some respectability, but it was a sad way to christen the new ground.

But for the most part, the fans were happy with their experience at the new venue. However, much attention was given to the surface, which was extremely sandy and described by Newcastle fullback Robbie O'Davis as being "like playing on the beach". Others were even more critical, calling it the worst surface they had ever played on.

Brisbane were greeted with a bye the following week as State of Origin took centre stage. The first game was to be held at Suncorp Stadium and it will go down as one of the best Origin games of all time - although, the result did not please the locals. New South Wales triumphed 25-12, after the game was anyone's at 12-all midway through the second half.  The Maroons tragically lost Justin Hodges and Paul Bowman to knee injuries, and from there it was all down hill.

 

Adding insult to injury, Blues coach Phil Gould entertained the crowd with an embarrassing display of a fat man jumping up and down as the Blues ran away with the win. Hodges also made headlines during the week, threatening to sue Suncorp Stadium, blaming his injury on the sandy surface.  Eventually, the former Bronco dropped the idea.  Nevertheless, it brought many more critics out to thrust blame on the surface for the spate of injuries.

After several experts were consulted, it was decided there was no conclusive evidence that the surface had any culpability for the injuries.

The second game in Sydney was arguably Queensland's lowest point in Origin history. They were humbled 27-4 in a game they were never seriously in. Everyone came under fire back home, from coach Wayne Bennett, to five-eighth Ben Ikin, to referee Bill Harrigan.

As a result, with the series gone, Queensland chose several new faces for the third game, including North Queensland centre Josh Hannay and Melbourne Storm hooker Cameron Smith.  It was a powerhouse performance from the Maroons in front of their home crowd once more, reviving faith in the jersey with a record equalling 36-6 win.  The series was gone, but some pride was salvaged, and finally the home team won at the new Lang Park.

The Broncos went through the Origin period relatively unscathed.  A memorable 24-20 win over Canberra came just days after the physically intense first game at the unhappy hunting ground of Bruce Stadium in Canberra.  The Broncos trailed 20-18 in the dying minutes when winger Scott Minto picked up a misdirected Brad Drew kick, then sprinted 90 metres to score.

Another bye followed, and just two days after Origin 2, the Broncos scored one of the most epic and high quality wins of its history, beating defending premiers Sydney Roosters 10-8 at Suncorp Stadium.  Roosters' kicker Craig Fitzgibbon joined the Suncorp injured list when he damaged his knee early in the game.  Former Bronco Chris Walker, who walked out on South Sydney weeks earlier, had an unhappy homecoming, making several crucial errors and earning several verbal sprays from his former teammates and the home crowd.

Brisbane's slide began a week later, as tiredness and fatigue clearly began to set in.  St George-Illawarra, who had struggled against the Broncos since their merger in 1999, scored a commanding 32-16 win at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.  A week later, the Broncos were smashed 40-4 by the Bulldogs, albeit with the Broncos missing almost a dozen regulars on Origin duty.  Star young half Brett Seymour suffered a season ending foot injury in the loss, and Scott Prince failed to make much of an impression, albeit behind a beaten pack.

Coach Wayne Bennett was a vocal opponent of the NRL's Golden Point extra-time introduction into premiership games. However, he at least for the short term became a fan the following week.  In what was an entertaining and see-sawing clash with Melbourne Storm, coached by former assistant Craig Bellamy, the two sides finished equal at 22-all after the first 80 minutes.  The result was that the two sides had to go around again for possibly another 20 minutes until one team registered a point - whether it be a field goal, penalty goal or try.

As it happened, the Broncos prevailed with one of the most bizarre finishes of all time.  The Broncos opened up a gap 25 metres out and winger Scott Minto stormed through the line.  Not wanting to risk being held up, Minto leapt more than a metre in the air and dived over to score.  Bennett was the picture of passion as he leapt to his feet, fist pumping and cheering - a display of emotion rarely seen in public by the taciturn and fiercely private mentor.

Five days later Australia took on New Zealand in a one-off Test, and it was a big night for the Aussies.  The Kangaroos ran out commanding 48-6 winners, never threatened by their highly fancied but under performing protagonists.  Sadly for the Broncos, Gorden Tallis suffered a relatively minor knee injury that would still keep the Raging Bull out of action for up to 6 weeks. Earlier in the week Lockyer was ruled out with a serious ankle injury that would also keep him out for the same period of time.

Less than 24 hours after the Test the Broncos returned to Suncorp Stadium for a clash with struggling Manly.  However, despite leading the game 20-16 with 10 minutes to go, the Broncos surrendered, going down 26-20.  It was the start of what would become the worst losing streak of the club's history, and a streak that can not be halted until 2004.

The following week the Broncos were positively disgraceful in their 20-10 loss to lowly Cronulla in Sydney.  The Broncos fumbled, bumbled and muffed their way through one of the most disjointed and amateurish performances of their history.

A week later, against a rejuvenated Penrith who had stunned everyone to lead the premiership just four weeks from the finals, the Broncos fought hard but again were pipped 13-6 at Suncorp Stadium.

 

Chris Heighnington scored the match winner for Wests

Then, as if to prove that the Cronulla performance wasn't that bad, the Broncos played even worse in being beaten 12-10 by the Wests Tigers - the first time the Broncos had ever been beaten by the merged club. Lockyer returned to the field the following week but it wasn't enough, the New Zealand Warriors prevailing 22-14 for their fourth straight win against the Broncos.

The final 2 weeks were seen by most as an opportunity for the Broncos to return to some form, against Parramatta and St George-Illawarra in Brisbane, two teams out of, or almost out of finals contention and decimated by injury.  The match was tight throughout, with scores locked at 14-all in the dying minutes, but back to back field goals to Michael Witt and Adam Dykes gave the Eels victory and kept their very slim finals hopes alive and ensured the best the Broncos could finish was 8th.

In the lead up to Brisbane's clash with the Dragons, St George-Illawarra ruled out half a dozen players with injury, replacing them with names that nobody had heard of - names like Wilshere, Creagh, Head, Sims.

But the Broncos could never put them away, leading just 18-12 at half time.  The Dragons drew level through Mark Riddell moments after the break, before back to back penalties to Michael De Vere gave Brisbane a slender 22-18 lead.  Riddell scored a second soft try to put his side in front 24-22 before De Vere levelled again with a penalty. Darren Lockyer knocked over a field goal to give the Broncos a 25-24 lead with 5 minutes to go and as the seconds ticked down to under a minute, it looked safe.

But then the unforgivable happened.  The Broncos conceded a penalty, albeit 45 metres out and close to the sideline.  Riddell stood up to take the kick.  Nobody really thought he could kick it, but everyone held their breath.  The sound of 30000 Broncos fans crying followed as the kick sailed sweetly over the cross bar for a miraculous 26-25 win.

The Broncos then had an agonising 48 hour wait. If Parramatta beat Penrith by 18 points, the Broncos would be eliminated and the Eels into 8th spot.  Mercifully, the Panthers proved too strong, running out 40-22 victors, leaving the top 8 this way:

1. Penrith
2. Roosters
3. Bulldogs
4. Canberra
5. Melbourne
6. Warriors
7. Newcastle
8. Broncos

That pitted the Broncos against Penrith in Penrith for the first week, needing to win to stay alive.  Having lost 7 games in a row, it seemed a task beyond them.  But leading 18-4 going into half time, hope was revived.  Sadly, the Broncos allowed a soft try going into the break to lead 18-10 at half time.

Penrith came out determinedly in the second half, and three converted tries ensured the Broncos' disastrous season was over, running out 28-18 winners and booking a position in the preliminary final.

The Panthers went on to win their first premiership since 1991 - an incredible performance from a team many doubted would finish above the bottom 4.  They prevailed 28-20 over New Zealand Warriors, and then as the rankest of rank underdogs beat the Roosters 18-6 in what was regarded by many as the best Grand Final since 1989.

If there was any solace in a disastrous season for the Broncos, it was that a team nobody expected but everyone admired triumphed.

Test football followed the season again, but with Andrew Johns unavailable after neck surgery and Gorden Tallis retiring from representative football, and a host of others unavailable through injury, it was a patchwork Australian side that would take on New Zealand and Great Britain.  Darren Lockyer had the honour of becoming the latest Australian Test captain, but his first outing was less than auspicious, as the Kiwis gave Australia a nasty touch up 30-16 in Auckland.

Australia flew out to the UK and France, with less than impressive results, beating France 34-10 and only just pipping an England A side 26-22.

The Kangaroos hit some form with a 76-4 thrashing of Wales, but many still felt that Great Britain would have their best chance of winning a series against Australia this time around. However, with Adrian Morley sent off after just 11 seconds, hopes faded. But when Britain led 18-14 with just minutes remaining, the Lions looked likely to score an unlikely victory. Australian skipper Darren Lockyer, however, pulled the match from the fire when he scored in the dying stages to put them in front.  A penalty goal late in the game extended the margin to 4 points.

 

Darren Lockyer scores the match winner in the first Test

The following week Britain started stronger, leading 20-12 at half time and seemingly on their way to victory.  But Australian dug deep, Brett Kimmorley scoring a great individual try to reduce the margin to 2 points. A penalty goal levelled the scores and then a sweetly timed field goal to Kimmorley gave Australia victory, eventually winning 23-20 to retain the Ashes yet again.

The third Test looked even more likely to end up in British hands as they led 12-6 with 3 minutes remaining.  But, incredibly, Australia fought back again, scoring first through Michael De Vere and then Luke Ricketson crossing as the time keeper stood to sound the siren.  Despite coming so close in every game, Britain suffered the pain of being beaten in a 3-0 whitewash, the first whitewash since 1986 against a team most experts labelled the worst Australian side in decades.

For Lockyer, it was one of the proudest moments of his career.  In a job he seriously considered turning down, he inspired and led his team to a memorable series victory, one which his team arguably had no right to win.  His achievement was then capped off by being awarded the Golden Boot award for world's best player in 2003, an amazing honour given the quality of players all over the globe.

As the dust settles on the season, post mortems continue in earnest, and players slowly return to the training paddock, the gaze focusses on 2004.

The Broncos farewelled three honest campaigners after 2003 - Ben Ikin, Phil Lee and Andrew Gee.  Ikin and Lee, both still in their mid-20s, succumbed to chronic injuries, while Gee, well and truly in his 30s and one of the Broncos' most capped players, finally hangs up the boots for the last time.  Warriors' utility Motu Tony is the only notable recruit for next season, and there have been many shake ups in the coaching staff.

Wayne Bennett stood down officially from State of Origin duty, which allows him to focus more completely on his club.  And they need him.

Can the Broncos put the debacle of this season behind them and end their losing streak?  They will need to break many hoodoos to do so.  In round 1, the Broncos clash with the New Zealand Warriors at Suncorp Stadium.  The Warriors have won 5 of their last 6 against the Broncos, and Brisbane won just 1 of 8 games at Suncorp Stadium, and have lost their last 6 there.  They also ride their 8-game losing streak into next season.

But, hope springs eternal.

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