The Brisbane Broncos have finally snapped their 14-year Suncorp Stadium winless record against the Melbourne Storm, dominating the qualifying final 26-0 and moving the club one win away from their first Grand Final since 2015.
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The Broncos famously had not won against the Storm at Suncorp Stadium since 2009 but the side proved it belongs at the pointy end of the season, booking a home preliminary final and week off.
But while it was an incredible night for the Broncos, it was a nightmare for the Storm.
Not only going scoreless against the Broncos for the first time ever, but the side also lost Ryan Papenhuyzen with another horrific injury.
With seven minutes left, Papenhuyzen was tripped by his teammate while both went for a tackle.
But while it seemed innocuous, it was clearly bad when he clutched his ankle and was in tears as he was stretchered off the field.
A matter of weeks after he returned from a catastrophic knee cap fracture that had him out of the game for more than a year, Papenhuyzen appears to have another long recovery ahead of him.
The Storm confirmed it was a compound fracture of the ankle after he was medicabbed off the field.
“Oh no, oh no, oh goodness me,” Dan Ginnane said as Papenhuyzen grabbed for his ankle.
“Oh this is terrible. If anyone in out game does not deserve this, it’s Ryan Papenhuyzen. He has come back after more than a year on the sidelines.
“Sometimes this game is not fair. It’s been a pretty bad night for the Storm but it just became a whole lot worse.”
Corey Parker called it a “terrible, terrible incident”.
“That’s a real bad one… It’s a cruel game,” Parker added.
“Out of the game for over a year, rehab, after a horrific knee injury. From what we saw, another horrific injury with now what looks to be the right ankle.
“You just can’t believe it.”
