Many thought the Broncos' game against Penrith on Friday night would be the beginning of a Brisbane revival – a charge towards the top four that would reinforce their status as a premiership contender.
It couldn't have gone any more differently, with the Panthers not only outplaying the Broncos but also embarrassing them 31-12 in front of their home fans.
Brisbane's forwards were dominated; only one – captain Corey Parker – managed to run for over 100 metres.
Playmakers Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford were taught a lesson Penrith's new halves pairing, with young guns Bryce Cartwright and Nathan Cleary putting on a clinic and showing maturity beyond their age.
The Broncos' defence that was once labelled a 'brick wall' crumbled, with Wayne Bennett's men now conceding 79 points in their last two homes games.
To the average viewer something just didn't seem right about Brisbane on Friday night, and for Broncos fullback Darius Boyd that's exactly how he felt.
"I think we felt flat. It's something to do with that, but I just can't put my finger on it. Our energy and effort is down and something's not quite right," Boyd said after the game.
"We normally back ourselves in defence like we did last week, but tonight it was very patchy.
"We'll need to put in a big week at training to prepare for the Roosters.
"It's frustrating because the effort we are putting in isn't up to standard.
"We know we aren't playing at our best. If we got beaten playing our best then we could take that, but we know we aren't performing anywhere near our best so we need to get back to work and figure some things out.
"Our energy and effort wasn't up to standard. To Penrith's credit, they really came here to play and play well. They were too good for us."
Boyd scored a try and was arguably Brisbane's best on the night, continuing a stellar individual season that has seen him be selected as Queensland and Australian fullback.
He denied that the Broncos had lost their confidence, instead insisting it was his side's lack of enthusiasm that was costing them dearly in matches.
"I don't think it's a case of our confidence being down. I think we just didn't have the enthusiasm or effort," he said.
"Those things are there in patches but it's not where it needs to be.
"Penrith may have been good tonight, but in saying that, we weren't very good ourselves."
Brisbane will have to get themselves together quickly as they face a short turnaround for their match against Sydney at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night.
Senior Broncos are hoping the six-day turnaround will give their younger teammates less time to worry about Friday's shocking result, instead hoping it spurs them on to atone for their poor performance.
