The Brisbane Broncos endured a ninth consecutive defeat at Lang Park on Wednesday, August 27th, 2026, falling 46-20 to the Melbourne Storm. The match was marked by a disappointing farewell to several departing Broncos players, including captain Adam Reynolds, who was sidelined due to injury.

Reynolds, a two-time premiership winner who led the Broncos to their first trophy in 19 years less than a year ago, was honored with a pre-game tribute that many fans and commentators found lacking. The tribute was cut short by an advertisement on the big screen, leading to criticism from supporters and former players alike.

"You didn't even know there was a send-off, that's how bad it was," said former Queensland Maroon Billy Moore during ABC Sport commentary. Parramatta great Nathan Hindmarsh also weighed in on Fox League, stating, "Regardless whether he was playing or not, the Broncos could've done something to send him off."

The subdued farewell overshadowed what should have been a celebration of Reynolds' significant contributions to the club. The controversy was compounded by the decision to sideline Reynolds for the final two games of the season, despite his assertion that he felt capable of playing at least part of one game.

Despite the team's poor performance this season, with both the Raiders and Storm also struggling, scrutiny has intensified on the Broncos as the league's biggest club coming off a premiership year.

A Broncos representative acknowledged the team's efforts, saying, "We're not going to play in September this year but we've got two games to go and we wanted to finish off strong. Tonight was that, everyone put in a lot of effort."

Sources