LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm are set to clash once again after their recent meeting in the final round of the regular season.
This time, they will be competing for the right to secure direct qualification to the preliminary final.
The Storm emerged victorious in their last encounter, defeating the Broncos with a score of 32-22 at Suncorp Stadium.
However, this result may not be a reliable indicator for this week's match, as both teams will have their star players back after opting to rest them in the previous round.
For the Broncos, this will be their first appearance in the finals since 2018, while the Storm are no strangers to the post-season, having made it for the 13th consecutive year.
They have also been a top-four side for seven out of the past eight seasons.
Although the rivalry between these two teams has remained intense, the Storm have dominated in recent years, winning 14 consecutive games against the Broncos since 2017.
The Broncos will find little solace in the fact that they are playing at home, as it has been 14 years since their last victory over the Storm at Suncorp Stadium.
On the other hand, the Storm have enjoyed success at this venue, securing wins in four of their last seven visits.