Get ready to throw the form guide out the window when these two teams meet on Friday night.
The Broncos and Storm will add another chapter to their storied rivalry in a contest that will see their respective top two aspirations put to the test.
Wayne Bennett's men may have lost three of their last four games but they are often a team that lifts when in need of a response and a blockbuster clash against the men in purple presents the perfect stage for them to do that.
We take a close look at the boys from Brisbane ahead of our trip north.
Be at AAMI Park when we take on the Roosters, Saturday 23 July, 7:30pm.
The spine is back
The surprise inclusion of Andrew McCullough means the Broncos have their complete spine ready to go for the first time in over a month. It was thought McCullough would miss another month after breaking his thumb back in Round 12 but his inclusion is certainly a welcome one for Wayne Bennett. The Broncos have a 2-3 record without their starting hooker and his inclusion will free up Ben Hunt, Anthony Milford and Darius Boyd in the Broncos attack. His absence has been somewhat forgotten amidst the Broncos form slump but his return could go a long way to turning that around.
A pack of internationals
Brisbane's forward back is chock full of Origin and international stars. Corey Parker, Josh McGuire and Matt Gillett all wear Maroon and Kangaroos jerseys while Adam Blair is a key part of the Kiwi line up. They are all experienced and battle hardened. Storm's own pack has shown that while it is young, it has so far been able to match it with the biggest and best of the competition. The absence of Nelson Asofoa-Solomona and Tim Glasby through injury and Tohu Harris' forced shift to five-eighth means the Storm pack may not be quite as settled as it would like. The Broncos will also be without Sam Thaiday through suspension but the battle of these two packs will certainly be key one to watch.
Defending home turf
A focus for the Broncos in the build up to this game has been to overturn their poor record against Storm at Suncorp Stadium. Brisbane have beaten Melbourne just once on their home turf since 2005 and Storm hold a five game winning streak over them at the venue. It will be a run that the men from Red Hill would be desperate to overturn and that will no doubt be a key part of their motivation heading into Friday night's game.
