Lockyer, Tallis Fire Broncos
by Chris Cox
Sunday April 04, 2004

The Brisbane Broncos overcame the NRL's two-point threat and an 18-4 deficit to score a confidence boosting 34-26 win over Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium that leaves them third on the ladder after four rounds.

Melbourne dominated the first 40 minutes before a freakish try to Michael De Vere after the siren put the Broncos back in the game. "It was huge. Our heads were down, our body language wasn't good," Lockyer said of the try. "It was probably the turning point for us."

10 minutes into the second half the Broncos had levelled the score at 18-all, and a three-try burst in six minutes in the final 15 minutes of the game sealed victory.

Lockyer was crucial in five of Brisbane's six tries, while Tallis' 25-metre individual effort in the final 10 minutes was something to marvel, as the skipper beat three defenders before stepping past fullback Billy Slater to score, celebrating with an empassioned leap towards the crowd as his teammates engulfed him.

With Lockyer's move to five-eighth still rating as a discussion point, particularly in the southern media, the Test captain was as pleased with his performance as any in his new role. "Today was probably my best for the season so far," he said. "It (the defensive workload) is getting easier every week, it's a different kind of fitness."

Indeed Lockyer wasn't showing any illeffects of the extra defence as he ran down and rounded up a flying Billy Slater who looked set to add to his tryscoring record late in the game. 

Coach Wayne Bennett was equally impressed with the second half performance. "Today was the first time the guys have played at Suncorp," he said with a rare smile.  Indeed of the Broncos' 11 performances at the new venue, this was one of the best - though given there are nine losses in that record it's not surprising.

The largest crowd reaction amongst the 19334 fans on hand came in the first minute when, after rookie Storm winger Steve Turner was helped onto a medicab with a serious knee injury, Ryan Hoffman ran onto the field.  As far as the crowd were concerned, there were 14-men on the field.  However, in this instance referee Steve Clark had done the right thing in keeping time off.  Had Shayne Hayne done the same thing 7 days earlier, the controversy wouldn't exist.

The crowd's spontaneous reaction caught Bennett's attention. "I wish the NRL officials were here to see that," he said. "Fans are still part of this game."  Bennett, although reluctant to speak at length about the breach notice, was concerned about the precedent the NRL would set.

"If we were to lose our points, where do you go if there's 14 players playing?" he asked, referring to the fact last weekend Shane Webcke was incapacitated during the incident. Although the controversy over the past week has seen the vast majority of commentators support the Broncos' point of view, Bennett said he didn't expect the NRL to change their minds.

The most important thing for the club was that on the field, the players put the issue behind them. At 18-4 down, it would have been easy for the team to start regretting the potential loss of two points from last week's win. But the Broncos dug in, stayed firm and reaped the rewards. 

Apart from the form of Tallis and Lockyer, one of the brightest sights was Brent Tate in full flight. The former Test centre, in only his second match back from a shoulder injury that left him sidelined for six months, was unstoppable out wide, combining magnificently with Lockyer, and directly playing a part in three tries. Shane Webcke, Barry Berrigan, Tonie Carroll, Brad Meyers and Corey Parker played strongly up front, while Shaun Berrigan, Stu Kelly, Karmichael Hunt and Michael De Vere also had their moments in the backline. Halfback Brett Seymour also benefited from Lockyer's improved showing, looking much more assured.

The Broncos have just five days to prepare for their Easter blockbuster against the Sydney Roosters, but thankfully on serious injuries were reported after their victory.