When you score the fastest try in the history of the NRL, it's fair to say you could be in for a decent night at the office. So it was for Parramatta at Suncorp Stadium, who trashed records and the Broncos to set up a sizzling run at the NRL finals.
The scoring started after just 12 seconds, when Kirisome Auva'a plucked up the spilled ball from Adam Blair in the first tackle of the match. By the time the following 4788 seconds had elapsed, they had put 50 on a team that had been decimating recent opponents.
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Fastest try in NRL history
In just 11 seconds, Parramatta's Kirisome Auva'a has put himself into the record books by scoring the fastest try in NRL history.
Now, the Eels can consider themselves the real deal, just as many had done for the Broncos prior to Thursday night. Their good 52-34Â victory puts them right in the premiership frame and Brad Arthur has plenty of troops on the way back from injury.
Not that the coach was happy with the big picture. When asked if he was happy with the incredible start, he said:
"The start was good. That's about all I'm happy with. Discipline wasn't anywhere near good enough, you can't have 34 points scored against you and think you can go deep into the finals," Arthur said.Â
"There were some moments tonight we didn't get right and we need to get on top of it."
Captain Tim Mannah chimed in with a similar tune. This Eels team has big expectations and late, soft tries aren't part of the plan.
"After they scored that last try on fulltime, the chat behind the tryline was a lot of disappointment. There's a lot of lessons to get out of the game."Â
![Statement win: Parramatta players celebrate a try.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170925111630im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/3/p/q/n/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gy3pip.png/1503624521799.jpg)
When they beat the Broncos 28-14 in round 21, nobody knew quite what to make of the upset. Now they have doubled-down, travelling to Brisbane doing everything better, faster and bigger than a Broncos side that now has to carry the knowledge that no team conceding more than 50 in a regular season game has won it all.
Auva'a's try smashed the previous NRL mark of 33 seconds, set by Reece Robinson in 2014 for the Raiders against Penrith. But it shouldn't overshadow the devastation caused by winger Semi Radradra, who scored four tries and probably should have made it five if it wasn't for an unselfish late offload.
![Running free: Semi Radradra takes off for one of his long-range tries.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170925111630im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/3/q/i/8/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gy3pip.png/1503624521908.jpg)
Arthur was clearly disappointed with the late points from the Broncos but they were never likely. It was one of the worst performances since Wayne Bennett's return and casts serious doubt over their grand final credentials with a round to play before the finals.
The first half was unfiltered madness. Auva'a was celebrating a try at the same time the Broncos twitter account was posting photos of their team still running onto the ground. Anyone fractionally late to their seat would have looked up to see Parramatta with a 6-0 lead.
Why stop there? Brisbane looked like they had just emerged from a sustained shelling and by the time they poked their heads above the trenches, were powerless to stop the rush of blue and gold.
Semi Radradra was over in the sixth minute. Then the 14th. His hat-trick was completed in the 20th minute. The Broncos, a team many had felt were the only one capable of challenging Melbourne for the premiership, were being unceremoniously flogged on their home deck.
By the time Michael Jennings had crossed before the break, more records were tumbling. It was only the third time the Broncos had conceded 30 points at Suncorp Stadium since 1999. Even with two of their own, a 30-10 halftime deficit looked a bridge too far.
Wayne Bennett would have no doubt let rip at the break but Brisbane simply weren't up for the contest. Three minutes after they returned to the field, Radradra toyed with them again, brushing aside some flimsy attempts to gallop 98m and collapse under sticks for number four.
David Mead, in for the injured Jordan Kahu, looked petrified of his opposite number. It might have been the most lop-sided match-up of the year as Radradra seemed intent to crush his soul on national television.
At 36-10, it looked like it was curtains for Brisbane. Still, not all was as well as it seemed for the Eels. Tepai Moeroa (HIA) would be ruled out, as was Frank Pritchard (shoulder). Kenny Edwards copped a stray boot from Corey Oates but would return for the final 15 minutes.
And the Broncos were finally doing some huffing and puffing of their own. Tries to Herman Ese'ese and Alex Glenn made it 36-22 before Radradra had a hand in another, setting up Brad Takairangi for the killer blow despite hints of a knock-on in the prelude.
Some points in what was little more than junk time plumped up the score from Brisbane's end. But this night belonged to the Eels, who completed the home-and-away double over the Broncos for the first time in a decade.Â
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