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No Craig Bellamy-coached side had ever lost a finals match after leading at halftime... until Reece Walsh led a Broncos fightback that deserves to go down as one of the greatest deciders in the history of the sport.
Here's how the Daily Mail ranked the stars' efforts, with all scores given out of 10...
Melbourne Storm
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen: 6.5
A real mixed bag for the usually excellent No.1. Papenhuyzen smashed out over 200 metres and gave the last pass for Nick Meaney's try, but he also spilled a bomb and threw a flick pass he'll wish he could take back when Reece Walsh rounded him up after a stunning break downfield. Also got whacked out of the way for Walsh's try.
Papenhuyzen is pictured taking a bomb over Reece Walsh, who had two of his best moments of the match against the Storm fullback
2. Will Warbrick: 4
Yeah, he scored a bullocking try and acted like an extra backrower with some typically powerful runs when his forwards weren't up to it early in the tackle count, but Warbrick made costly errors in the second half.
3. Jack Howarth: 2
That low mark really isn't his fault. He only got in 15 minutes of game time due to a busted groin.
4. Nick Meaney: 6.5
His slashing try saw him make the Broncos defence look silly as he opened the Storm's account, but he could've done a better job stopping Shibasaki's two tries and also threw a shocking pass that went through Warbrick's legs at a crucial time late in the match.
5. Xavier Coates: 5.5
His aerial skills came to the fore a few times but he didn't have a huge impact fielding attacking bombs. Coates had a decent match but the moment he got bundled into touch by Mariner and Staggs was a knife to the heart for the Storm's chances.
6. Cameron Munster: 7
He should be sitting pretty with an eight or nine here after his beautiful grubber sat up for Tui Kamikamica - but more on that later. Munster can't be faulted on effort alone, but he didn't pose enough problems for Brisbane's defence to reach his usual heights.
Cameron Munster tried his heart out and put in one of the best kicks of the game - only for his teammate to blow a certain four-pointer
7. Jahrome Hughes 7.5
The Storm's equal best, despite the heavy injury toll he was dealing with. His solo try was a thing of beauty as he made three opponents look like statues, his kicking was a constant worry for the Broncs and he topped it off with a monster hit on Brendan Piakura.
8. Stefano Utoikamanu: 4
Played his best minutes in a press conference days before kickoff when he called the Broncos stuck-up and said he wanted to rip into them. Didn't bend the line often and came up with a killer error.
9. Harry Grant: 6
Never stopped tackling, racking up more than 44 stops, but he lacked penetration out of dummy half and didn't work his usual magic in attack.
10. Josh King: 6
Played 61 minutes and didn't waste many of them. Starring with the ball wasn't his forte on Sunday night, but he did plenty in defence. Wasn't a coincidence that the Broncs found the going easier when he was replaced.
11. Shawn Blore: 5
Got beat by Walsh for that stellar try and missed a few other tackles besides. Was workmanlike for his 64 minutes but paled in comparison to the next man on this list when it came to impact.
12. Eliesa Katoa: 7.5
According to Andrew Johns, he did a great impersonation of Wally Lewis with a stunning ball to set up Warbrick's try, in addition to scoring one himself. Great running throughout, but had the odd lapse in defence.
Eliesa Katoa can hold his head high after an outstanding display in the losing side
13. Trent Loiero: 5
His sin-binning was a hammer blow, even though it came late in the game. Prior to that, he was a tackling machine with 48 to his name, but did little with the ball in hand.
Interchange
14. Tyran Wishart: 5
Got 66 minutes in the centres, which isn't his best position, and tried non-stop. However, he also coughed up possession in the second half and had a couple of defensive lapses.
15. Ativalu Lisati 4.5
The poor bloke only came on with his team under siege midway through the second half, leaving him with a mountain of defensive work to get through.
16. Tui Kamikamica: 3
He should have to buy Cameron Munster a beer every time he sees him in a pub for the rest of his life after costing his team a try with that drop in the first half. A couple of eye-catching charges but not much else.
Tui Kamikamica bombed a try that could have entirely changed the course of the grand final
17. Alec MacDonald: 3
Again, that score isn't down to bad play. MacDonald wrenched his arm trying to stop Walsh's try and saw very little action after that.
Brisbane Broncos
1. Reece Walsh: 10
Phil Gould, Johnathan Thurston and Jarryd Hayne called it the best individual grand final performance they've ever seen. As great as he was with the ball - with that full-tilt try and providing the last pass for three others - Walsh might have been even better in defence. Broncos fans never stop frothing over the way he stopped Papenhuyzen late in the game. He's just 23, an age where a lot of players would've wilted with the amount of scrutiny he's faced. Instead, Reece used it as fuel for an effort that will still be talked about 50 years from now.
Pictured: Reece Walsh seconds after the final siren. You would struggle to find a grand final performance to equal this one
2. Josiah Karapani: 6
His night was ended by an HIA but prior to that, he had some standout moments with strong runs from the back, and also had a try disallowed.
3. Kotoni Staggs: 7
Fans didn't hear his name with the frequency they're used to, but Staggs made every carry count and posed a harsh test for the defence. Clocked up more than 140 metres and was in on that stop of Coates with the game on the line.
4. Gehamat Shibasaki: 8.5
Made his two tries look deceptively easy as he smashed through the purple wall with a directness that would've made Craig Bellamy ropeable. Got over 200 metres in attack to cap off a year few good judges saw coming for him.
5. Deine Mariner: 8
Another two-try hero who cracked the double ton with the ball and came to the fore in defence with that late barrelling of Coates.
Deine Mariner got a double and, combined with Gehamat Shibasaki, gave the Melbourne defence fits all night
6. Ben Hunt: 7
Up until he was literally knocked out of the match, the hooker/pivot/halfback was the definition of solid, even if he wasn't exactly spectacular.
7. Adam Reynolds: 6
Like Hunt, was solid before his calf gave out and he finished up very early. Had an uncharacteristic mistake kicking out on the full to end the first set of the second half, but was very good with the boot up until then, and the shock that rippled through the team and the commentators when he got hurt tells you a lot about the esteem he's held in.
8. Corey Jensen: 6
His name would've only been called on Nine's coverage three or four times in his 41 minutes on the field, but he was mistake-free.
9. Cory Paix: 6.5
Another mistake-free toiler for the Broncos who stepped up when Hunt and Reynolds were down and constantly turned up in defence.
10. Payne Haas: 7.5
The best prop in the world didn't get huge minutes, but his second stint was especially good as he monstered his way into the line over and over again.
11. Brendan Piakura: 7
Didn't make a big bust but he was a big threat on the edges and smashed the ball out of Utoikamanu with a rattling hit. Was able to hack defending out in the centres when injuries demanded it.
12. Jordan Riki: 6
Another star who was solid in defence without grabbing the limelight.
13. Patrick Carrigan: 8.5
Despite clocking up 47 tackles, he still had enough juice to make life hard for the Storm with the ball in hand, going over the 100-metre mark. Had a week off due to suspension and played like he was fresh as a daisy.
Patrick Carrigan was enormous through the middle with and without the ball in hand
Interchange
14. Ezra Mam: 8
What a force to bring off the bench, especially when both halves went down hurt. Had a huge effect on the game despite only playing 49 minutes. His pace, energy and decision-making put the Storm on the back foot.
15. Kobe Hetherington: 6.5
Packed a lot into his 41 minutes, helping set up the Walsh try with a dynamite run and stopping ball runners with some outstanding tackling.
16. Xavier Willison: 6
Used his remarkable frame to great effect, smashing out more than 100 metres in the second half.
17. Tyson Smoothy: 5
Didn't have a lot of time to make his mark but stood tall when he was thrust into playing halfback after the disastrous loss of Reynolds and Hunt.
