Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds produced the defining moment of the Broncos' season on Sunday afternoon, steering his side to a famous 16-14 preliminary final victory over the Panthers.
Trailing 14-0 at halftime, the Broncos stunned the four-time defending premiers with a stirring second-half comeback, capped by Reynolds' clutch sideline conversion in the 76th minute.
The veteran halfback admitted that the kick carried more weight than most, not only for its difficulty but also for what it represented in his journey.
"It’s something that I’ve been practicing for a hell of a long time," he said in the post-match press conference.
"Been practicing that since I was a little kid in Waterloo back home."
When Deine Mariner dived over to level the scores late, Reynolds was handed the tee because of the shaky boot that Reece Walsh had demonstrated in his first two attempts.
"I knew once we scored the try that I had to separate the emotions from what was going on at the time," Reynolds said.
"I replicated that in my mind a thousand times, but to nail it tonight was a good feeling."
Reynolds acknowledged the lessons learned from the heartbreak four years earlier, when a missed conversion in the 2021 grand final with South Sydney denied his side a chance to tie with Penrith.
"There are moments in your career that you learn from," he said.
"A few years ago, I didn’t separate the emotion from the actual kick and it’s something that’s been going through my head for a long time."
On this occasion, he kept his composure, striking the ball cleanly as Suncorp Stadium erupted.
"To have that belief that we can come back and get the job done, it’s pretty special," Reynolds added.
MORE: Cleary defiant despite five-peat dream ending in Brisbane
Coach Michael Maguire hailed his side's resilience, pointing to the relentless preparation that had brought them to this moment.
"The boys have been building this from day one since I’ve been here," Maguire said.
The Broncos will now ride the emotions of that victory into next week's grand final, chasing their first premiership in nearly two decades.