Storm v Broncos: Loiero returns; Payne’s good to go…see more

The Raiders’ shock loss to the Dragons has opened the door for the Storm to make a late run for a seventh minor premiership in club history.

With two games to come against the Broncos as well as clashes with the Panthers, Bulldogs and Roosters, the run home is certainly a tough one for the Storm but they know all about high-pressure games at the business end of the season.

If they can finish top four and then get star playmaker Jahrome Hughes back for the finals then the Storm loom as a major contender for the title.

The Broncos have won six of their past seven to rise from 11th to sixth and sit just two points outside the top four with games against the Storm, Dolphins, Knights, Cowboys and Storm again to round out their season.

With the attacking threats of Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam and Kotoni Staggs they have the firepower to take down any opponent on their day – and what better place to make a statement than against one of the NRL’s heavyweights on their own patch.

If they can finish top four and then get star playmaker Jahrome Hughes back for the finals then the Storm loom as a major contender for the title.

The Broncos have won six of their past seven to rise from 11th to sixth and sit just two points outside the top four with games against the Storm, Dolphins, Knights, Cowboys and Storm again to round out their season.

With the attacking threats of Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam and Kotoni Staggs they have the firepower to take down any opponent on their day – and what better place to make a statement than against one of the NRL’s heavyweights on their own patch.

Storm: Maroons forward Trent Loiero is back on deck after being rested last week so Ativalu Lisati goes back to the bench and Bronson Garlick makes way. Back-rower Alec MacDonald is again listed among the reserves as he looks to return from a rib injury that has sidelined him since Round 18.

Broncos: A week after he was in hospital being treated for a cut on his leg that became infected, star prop Payne Haas is back to tackle the Storm pack. Fellow big man Xavier Willson is sidelined with a broken arm suffered against the Rabbitohs. Hooker Cory Paix is listed among the reserves as he looks to return from an elbow injury.

Round 23 – Thursday 7th August

10:50am

home Team

Team Lists

Backs

• Fullback for Storm is number 1RyanPapenhuyzen1Fullback for Broncos is number 1ReeceWalsh
• Winger for Storm is number 2GrantAnderson2Winger for Broncos is number 2SelwynCobbo
• Centre for Storm is number 3JackHowarth3Centre for Broncos is number 3KotoniStaggs
• Centre for Storm is number 4NickMeaney4Centre for Broncos is number 4GehamatShibasaki
• Winger for Storm is number 5XavierCoates5Winger for Broncos is number 5DeineMariner
• Five-Eighth for Storm is number 6CameronMunster6Five-Eighth for Broncos is number 6EzraMam
• Halfback for Storm is number 7TyranWishart7Halfback for Broncos is number 7AdamReynolds

Forwards

• Prop for Storm is number 8StefanoUtoikamanu8Prop for Broncos is number 8CoreyJensen
• Hooker for Storm is number 9HarryGrant9Hooker for Broncos is number 9BenHunt
• Prop for Storm is number 10JoshKing10Prop for Broncos is number 10PayneHaas
• 2nd Row for Storm is number 11ShawnBlore112nd Row for Broncos is number 11JackGosiewski
• 2nd Row for Storm is number 12EliesaKatoa122nd Row for Broncos is number 12JordanRiki
• Lock for Storm is number 13TrentLoiero13Lock for Broncos is number 13PatrickCarrigan

Interchange

• Interchange for Storm is number 14JonahPezet14Interchange for Broncos is number 14BillyWalters
• Interchange for Storm is number 15AtivaluLisati15Interchange for Broncos is number 15KobeHetherington
• Interchange for Storm is number 16TuiKamikamica16Interchange for Broncos is number 16BenTalty
• Interchange for Storm is number 17JoeChan17Interchange for Broncos is number 17JaiydenHunt

Reserves

• Replacement for Storm is number 18KaneBradley18Replacement for Broncos is number 18TysonSmoothy
• Reserve for Storm is number 19BronsonGarlick19Reserve for Broncos is number 19JesseArthars
• Reserve for Storm is number 20SiulagiTuimalatu-Brown20Reserve for Broncos is number 20CoryPaix
• Reserve for Storm is number 21AlecMacDonald21Reserve for Broncos is number 21JosiahKarapani
• Reserve for Storm is number 22LazarusVaalepu22Reserve for Broncos is number 22Va’aSemu

Storm Ins

• AlecMacDonald
• KaneBradley
• SiulagiTuimalatu-Brown
• TrentLoiero

Ins

Broncos Ins

• CoryPaix
• JaiydenHunt
• JosiahKarapani
• PayneHaas
• Va’aSemu

Storm Outs

Outs

Broncos Ins

• XavierWillison

Match Officials

• Referee: Grant Atkins
• Touch Judge: Matt Noyen
• Touch Judge: Chris Sutton
• Senior Review Official: Chris Butler

Last updated: 08:54 am Tuesday 5th August 2025

Stat Attack

• The Storm have won 16 of their last 17 games against the Broncos.
• The Broncos have not won at AAMI Park since 2016.
• Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has scored seven tries in six games against the Broncos.
• Broncos captain Adam Reynolds has won only three out of 20 games against the Storm.
• Storm captain Harry Grant will play his 100th game for the club.