The second-last Eels head to Suncorp Stadium to take on the surging Broncos on Friday as rank outsiders…but the blue-and-golds have a rich history of overachieving in Brisbane.
Parramatta Eels appeared destined to play the role of convenient fall guys in Brisbane Broncos’ much-hyped debut at ANZ Stadium (formerly QEII Stadium).
The Broncos made the move to the sprawling Mount Gravatt venue – boasting almost double the capacity of former base Lang Park – in 1993. The Round 3 clash shaped as a belated hometown victory lap for a team that had romped to a maiden premiership six months earlier.
Wayne Bennett’s line-up featured eight players that had represented Australia in 1992. The Eels trotted out a team containing just one player who had donned the green-and-gold: off-season veteran recruit Paul Dunn, a 1986 Kangaroo.
The 51,517 baying Broncos fans, the most for any rugby league match in Australia since the 1982 grand final at the SCG, revelled in the carnival atmosphere created by pre-match performances from Rick Price and Mark Williams (who belted out the club’s new theme song, ‘B-B-Brisbane…You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ – a reworking of the Bachman Turner Overdrive classic).
Meanwhile, in bowels of ANZ Stadium, Parramatta coach Mick Cronin motivated his band of no-names, including 19-year-old centre Michael Buettner, rookie forwards Dallas Weston and Darren Winmill, the similarly unheralded Robert Muchmore, Joe Bartolo and Tulsen Tollett, and journeymen such as Shane Flanagan, Michael Speechley, Cameron Blair and Mark Horo.
“Some of you may never get a chance to play before a 50,000 crowd again,” ‘The Crow’ told the Eels. “This is a big chance for you. Use it.”
Second-last in 1992, Parramatta had begun the season promisingly with low-scoring wins over Penrith and Cronulla. Brisbane was showing signs of a premiership hangover – losing to Canterbury a week earlier – but predictions of a 30- or 40-point Broncos beatdown were almost universal ahead of the grand opening.
The Eels were fired up early on and passed their first defensive test, with Muchmore and Michael Erickson smashing champion Test winger Willie Carne into touch. Buettner posted the new venue’s first points via a 15th-minute penalty goal.
The Broncos clicked into gear midway through the first half as brilliant young fullback Julian O’Neill produced a blazing 40-metre solo effort. Two penalties from stalwart toe-poker Terry Matterson edged the hosts to an 8-2 halftime lead.
Parramatta rallied after the break, but the underdogs were controversially denied a try after a rare scrum win against the feed. Eels halfback and captain Stu Galbraith scurried away to score – only to be ruled held up by referee Bill Harrigan.
Furious but undeterred, Kiwi Galbraith conjured the decisive try in the 62nd minute with a piece of sleight of hand to link with Buettner, who speared in between Broncos second-rowers Trevor Gillmeister and Alan Cann to level the scores.
The cool-headed Buettner nailed the go-ahead conversion and added another penalty goal to seal a 12-8 Eels victory that ranked among the most famous of all regular season boilovers.
After outplaying incomparable No.7 Allan Langer, Galbraith was hailed as the architect of the upset, alongside wily prop Dunn, who was equally impressive opposite Glenn Lazarus.
“Words can’t describe how disappointed I feel,” Broncos forward Mark Hohn lamented as he left a sombre dressing room.
A characteristically dry and humble Cronin praised the gutsy Eels’ defence in the wake of a momentous result.
“We have had only two tries scored against us in three matches, so we’re obviously doing something right in that department,” he said.
The win was not a harbinger of a turnaround for the struggling Eels, however, winning just six more games in Cronin’s last season in charge, while the Broncos eventually hit their stride to claim back-to-back titles.
But Parramatta would deliver some déjà vu in 1994, Buettner and Galbraith scoring the tries as the blue-and-golds held the champs to a shock 16-all opening-round draw at ANZ Stadium, which remained the Broncos’ home ground until Suncorp Stadium’s 2003 revamp.
