The Broncos had never led by 24 points and lost until now.
In a premiership defence that has turned into a nightmare for Brisbane, they hit a fresh new low on Saturday night in the ‘Battle of Brisbane’ against the rampaging Dolphins.
The Broncos, courtesy of Ezra Mam brilliance, got off to a flyer and found themselves 24-0 up in the opening 20 minutes.
But that is where their joy would end, with the Dolphins responding with three tries of their own in eight minutes.
From there the Dolphins never really looked like getting beat as they proved too strong, fast and determined for a Broncos side that looks a shell of itself, as they crumpled to a 40-32 derby defeat.
With the finals out of reach for last season’s premiers, Brisbane were only playing for pride in front of a roaring Suncorp Stadium crowd.
However, they ended up throwing away yet another lead, and this one was the biggest in the club’s illustrious history and the equal third in NRL history.
It was also just just the Dolphins’ second win against the Broncos from eight matches.
Before Saturday night, the largest ascendancy the Broncos had ever given up was a 22-point lead against the Cronulla Sharks in Round 16 of the 2014 NRL season, where they led 22-0 before losing 24-22 at Suncorp Stadium.
The result somewhat encapsulates what has been a horror season for the pride of Brisbane.
It has been a catastrophic premiership defence. Brisbane are the first reigning premiers in 21 years to miss the finals entirely while languishing near the bottom of the ladder with just six wins.
Not only that, but one could argue it’s the worst in the history of the NRL, with the Tigers’ 2005 premiership hangover seeing them finish 11th.
However, sitting 16th and with a stacked roster, this has been a season to forget for Broncos fans.
They have now lost 11 of their past 12 games and Saturday night was the third time this season they have scored more than 30 points and lost.
While on the flip side the Dolphins’ 13th win of the season means will they definitely play finals football in just their fourth season in the NRL.
Saturday’s derby was a perfect wake-up call that they have to be on from the first whistle come finals time.
However, unlike in the match they were embarrassed by the Sharks 66-0 in Round 19 after giving up early points, the Redcliffe side showed grit and fight to claw themselves back into the match after conceding four tries in the opening 20 minutes.
On to the finals for the Dolphins and back to the drawing board for the Broncos.
Originally published as Broncos make unwanted history in the Battle of Brisbane as Dolphins snatch crucial victory