One year on, Raiders and Broncos still reckon with the legacy of their greatest game
The Brisbane Broncos and Canberra Raiders are preparing for their first match since a dramatic 2024 NRL semi-final. Both teams have struggled to regain their momentum since that high-stakes encounter.
Why it matters
The match highlights the psychological and competitive impact of high-pressure sporting events on professional team performance.
Both Brisbane and Canberra were changed by their extra-time semi-final last year. ( Getty Images: Mark Nolan )
Link copied Share Share article There are some defeats so cruel a team cannot survive even if it doesn't kill them and some triumphs that never leave a team even if they go on to greater glories and sometimes, if we're lucky, both things happen at the same time.
That's what Canberra and Brisbane are both reckoning with ahead of their match tomorrow night, the first meeting for the two clubs since last year's double-extra time semi-final that ended with Broncos winning 29-28 in the 94th minute.
It's scheduling malpractice on the NRL's part that we've had to wait so long for a sequel, which now has a direct-to-video quality when it could have been a blockbuster.
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