‘It was crazy’: Storm go top as Broncos lose three stars to hamstring injuries

Melbourne are the new NRL ladder leaders while Brisbane’s hopes of a top-four finish have suffered a hammer blow with halves Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam both injured in bizarre circumstances at AAMI Park.

The Storm continued their one-sided record against the Broncos, banking a 22-2 victory but the Thursday night match was evenly poised before both Reynolds and Mam exited in the 21st minute with hamstring injuries.

Brisbane coach Michael Maguire said he’d never lost two halves in a game let alone in one play, while winger Selwyn Cobbo was also assisted from the field late in the match - also with a hamstring injury.

“It was crazy, to be honest,” Maguire said.

“I’ve never experienced that but to the players’ credit, I felt they handled it really well. They were fighting in that game.”

Reynolds and Mam tried to chase down Xavier Coates after the Storm winger intercepted a looping pass 10 metres out from the tryline.

While Selwyn Cobbo pulled off a miracle try-saving tackle, taking Coates into touch as he attempted to get the ball down, the play still proved extremely costly for the visitors.

Mam suffered the injury in a diving tackle, while 35-year-old Reynolds pulled up 20 metres later, grabbing at his leg.

The halves and Cobbo will all undergo scans on Friday to determine the severity of the injuries, with Maguire most optimistic about Mam’s prognosis.

The likely loss of the trio will put large a dent in sixth-placed Brisbane’s hopes of a snatching a top-four berth in the closing rounds.

When Reynolds and Mam left the Broncos were in front 2-0, with fullback Reece Walsh blowing a certain try with a forward pass after a 30-metre charge by prop Payne Haas.

But Melbourne’s makeshift halfback Tyran Wishart gave his team the lead in the 28th minute with the opening try and then electric fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen then pushed the margin to 12-2 by halftime.

To Brisbane’s credit, they kept pace with the high-flying hosts after shifting hooker Ben Hunt and centre Kotoni Staggs to the halves but their attack lacked some finishing polish.

Coates couldn’t be denied in the 61st minute, diving over the line after a quick ball from dummy-half, with skipper Harry Grant playing his 100th game for the club.

Coates was then involved in a penalty try in the final minutes.

His action planting the ball was called a double movement but the bunker ruled the burly winger was tackled in the air and otherwise would have scored.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy was delighted his team kept the visitors from crossing the line.

“That was one of our better defensive efforts of the season,” he said.

“They obviously had a fair bit of bad luck there with losing a couple of players ... so they had a real bad night there, very unlucky, but I thought our defence was probably as good as it’s been all year.

“There’s still a few things probably attack-wise we can improve on a bit, but certainly it was a really good defensive effort and we’re real happy with that. ”

The result extended Brisbane’s losing record at AAMI Park to a ninth year, the Storm now winning 17 of their past 18 clashes overall.

Melbourne’s reign at the top of the ladder may be short-lived with Canberra able to regain the lead with a victory over Manly on Friday night.

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Melbourne are the new NRL ladder leaders while Brisbane’s hopes of a top-four finish have suffered a hammer blow with halves Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam both injured in bizarre circumstances at AAMI Park.

The Storm continued their one-sided record against the Broncos, banking a 22-2 victory but the Thursday night match was evenly poised before both Reynolds and Mam exited in the 21st minute with hamstring injuries.

Brisbane coach Michael Maguire said he’d never lost two halves in a game let alone in one play, while winger Selwyn Cobbo was also assisted from the field late in the match - also with a hamstring injury.

“It was crazy, to be honest,” Maguire said.

“I’ve never experienced that but to the players’ credit, I felt they handled it really well. They were fighting in that game.”

Reynolds and Mam tried to chase down Xavier Coates after the Storm winger intercepted a looping pass 10 metres out from the tryline.

While Selwyn Cobbo pulled off a miracle try-saving tackle, taking Coates into touch as he attempted to get the ball down, the play still proved extremely costly for the visitors.

Mam suffered the injury in a diving tackle, while 35-year-old Reynolds pulled up 20 metres later, grabbing at his leg.

The halves and Cobbo will all undergo scans on Friday to determine the severity of the injuries, with Maguire most optimistic about Mam’s prognosis.

The likely loss of the trio will put large a dent in sixth-placed Brisbane’s hopes of a snatching a top-four berth in the closing rounds.

When Reynolds and Mam left the Broncos were in front 2-0, with fullback Reece Walsh blowing a certain try with a forward pass after a 30-metre charge by prop Payne Haas.

But Melbourne’s makeshift halfback Tyran Wishart gave his team the lead in the 28th minute with the opening try and then electric fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen then pushed the margin to 12-2 by halftime.

To Brisbane’s credit, they kept pace with the high-flying hosts after shifting hooker Ben Hunt and centre Kotoni Staggs to the halves but their attack lacked some finishing polish.

Coates couldn’t be denied in the 61st minute, diving over the line after a quick ball from dummy-half, with skipper Harry Grant playing his 100th game for the club.

Coates was then involved in a penalty try in the final minutes.

His action planting the ball was called a double movement but the bunker ruled the burly winger was tackled in the air and otherwise would have scored.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy was delighted his team kept the visitors from crossing the line.

“That was one of our better defensive efforts of the season,” he said.

“They obviously had a fair bit of bad luck there with losing a couple of players ... so they had a real bad night there, very unlucky, but I thought our defence was probably as good as it’s been all year.

“There’s still a few things probably attack-wise we can improve on a bit, but certainly it was a really good defensive effort and we’re real happy with that. ”

The result extended Brisbane’s losing record at AAMI Park to a ninth year, the Storm now winning 17 of their past 18 clashes overall.

Melbourne’s reign at the top of the ladder may be short-lived with Canberra able to regain the lead with a victory over Manly on Friday night.

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And that’s full-time. Quite a game. Dream night for the Storm, disaster for the Broncos.

Melbourne are 20-point winners and the new NRL league leaders, with Xavier Coates exceptional and Cameron Munster and Harry Grant as dangerous as always.

Brisbane were brave but now face the possibility of a few weeks without injured trio Adam Reynolds, Ezra Mam and Selwyn Cobbo, who all suffered hamstring injuries. There will be more details on the severity of the injuries after scans in the next few days.

Full-time: Storm win 22-2 at AAMI Park

The Brisbane defence is doing a good job to contain this Melbourne side so Storm go back to plan A, with Cameron Munster putting up another bomb for Xavier Coates and the winger does what he does best, leaping high, coming down with it and reaching out to score.

But there’s a twist – the bunker steps in and has spotted a double movement, with Coates’ arm grazing the grass before he reaches out. But hang on, a second twist! Coates was tackled in the air first by Brisbane’s Deine Mariner, so the bunker awards him a penalty try.

Nick Meaney kicks the goal from right in front.

Storm 22, Broncos 2 with three minutes left

The Storm go to one of their pet plays, a Cameron Munster bomb to Xavier Coates, and although the hulking winger doesn’t come down with the ball Melbourne do receive a penalty for an escort. They’ve spent most of the second half defending but now get the chance to stretch well clear if they can score here.

And they do. It looks oh-so-simple as Harry Grant takes the ball from dummy half, takes a couple of steps towards the short side and whips a cutout pass beyond two teammates and into the arms of Coates who dives over. Nick Meaney can’t land the sideline conversion.

Storm 16, Broncos 2 with 17 minutes left

Oh no, what’s happened there? The Storm force a dropout and Ben Hunt puts up a short one, it comes down just beyond the 10-metre line, but Melbourne’s Harry Grant and Brisbane’s Payne Haas go up for it, and Haas bats it back – and Melbourne’s Nick Meaney bursts through to beat Reece Walsh to the ball and for what appears to be one of the stranger tries.

The bunker takes a long look at it, and they’ve spotted a slight knock-on by Meaney as he battles Walsh for possession. Boos from the crowd but the Storm do have a scrumfeed after Walsh knocked on initially.

Storm lead 12-2 with 32 minutes left