Luke Buttigieg at AAMI Park
The undermanned Brisbane Broncos have spoiled Melbourne Storm's party in their first match at their new home, thumping the hosts 36-14 at AAMI Park on Sunday afternoon.
Playing without eight first-graders including Peter Wallace and Justin Hodges because of injury, forcing them to field a sixth debutant this season, the visitors also became the first team to beat the Storm since they were told they would accrue no points in 2010 because of salary cap rorting.
Already with hooker Cam Smith in doubt for the State of Origin opener after he hurt his right elbow playing for Australia in Friday's Anzac Test, there could be further repercussions for Queensland with full-back Billy Slater on report for leading with his feet in trying to stop a try.
Melbourne may have been without its inspirational skipper Smith and with six players backing up from rep duty on Friday night but having belted the Warriors and Cowboys since the salary cap revelations it was still expected to have little trouble seeing off the inexperienced Brisbane team.
But while the Storm grabbed the first try of the game in the opening minutes and then scored first after half-time to threaten a comeback, the Broncos' response was impressive as it scored the next 24 points to the break and then won the second half as well.
Darren Lockyer marshalled Brisbane superbly while former Melbourne star Israel Folau, who continues to keep his club guessing as to whether he'll stay with the club in 2011 or switch codes, tormented his old club with a double.
Melbourne looked to have picked up where it left off in its recent runaway wins when Anthony Quinn opened the scoring in the corner after just five minutes, the offloads that marked those victories again evident in the lead-up.
But having stood firm several times in the 15 minutes after Cooper Cronk missed the conversion, including after a Cronk 40/20 and then later a Cronk grubber that Slater got to but couldn't force, the Broncos hit back hard.
Corey Norman's chip in the 24th minute was spilled by Folau but Jharal Yow Yeh caught the loose ball before losing it courtesy of Slater leading with his boot, with video referee Steve Clark ruling penalty try and Corey Parker converting from right in front.
Two minutes later and Sam Thaiday spun the ball wide for Folau to fend off Quinn and score his first, before two more tries in the dying stages of the half, to Gerard Beale out of dummy half and then Folau again when he wrong-footed Slater, put the hosts firmly on the back foot at the interval.
Three successive sets to Melbourne deep in Brisbane territory finally took its toll in the 48th minute when a pinpoint Cronk chip for the corner was taken cleanly by Matt Duffie over Dale Copley, with Greg Inglis converting from the sideline for 24-10.
A chip around the corner from Cronk soon after found Quinn who also chipped ahead to the in-goal where Yow Yeh fumbled but Quinn was unable to capitalise as he knocked on with a try at his mercy.
The Broncos took full advantage with 26 minutes left when a Lockyer bomb was spilled by Duffie and Te'o offloaded as he was being pushed into touch for Norman to score, before Lockyer found Te'o for the killer blow in the 66th