It was an unusual evening as the Melbourne Storm decisively defeated the Brisbane Broncos on Thursday in what was essentially a meaningless match, which also showcased a debated rule change. Additionally, the Storm lodged a formal complaint regarding the Broncos' use of the public address system during the game.
In one notable moment during the seventh minute, after Ben Hunt kicked a high ball near the Storm's try line, the announcer was heard urging the crowd to cheer as Sua Fa'alogo attempted to catch the ball. Although using music and public announcements during the contest does not violate any NRL guidelines and is often used throughout the match, the Storm believed it was distracting their players.
The Storm dominated the match, winning 46-20 in what marked the Broncos' final home game of a disappointing season, dropping from reigning champions to 15th place on the ladder. Brisbane missed 43 tackles and committed 14 errors during the eight-tries-to-four defeat, as the teams faced off despite both being out of finals contention.
When asked after the match if he was the right coach to change the team's luck, Michael Maguire opted to focus on his players instead of his own difficulties. "I know what this group's capable of, as we've shown at times throughout the year," Maguire stated. "We need to be smarter and better at times within games. We go through many a game where we just shot ourselves when we put ourselves in a position to actually go for it, and that comes with a bit of confidence and belief around what we're doing, and we can grow that very quickly. Going back to some of the things that when I first got here, they instilled inside what makes great teams because it's inside them."