In one moment, a desperate Bulldogs side was threatening to send their clash with the Broncos to golden point.
In the next, Albert Kelly had the ball in his hands and wore a beaming grin as his head poked through the legs of a belly-flopped Bulldogs prop.
The Brisbane livewire sprung a huge surprise deep in Broncos territory with 15 seconds left on the clock to rescue his side in round two, ensuring he and his teammates departed Sydney Olympic Park with a 16-10 victory and back-to-back wins to start the season.
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Trailing 16-10 with less than 20 seconds left on the clock, the Bulldogs had stormed down the left edge.
Canterbury winger Josh Addo-Carr, tearing down the left touchline, sent a kick in field as halves Matt Burton and Jake Averillo chased.
Both Bulldogs in pursuit of the Addo-Carr kick looked a genuine chance to swoop and score, but Kelly appeared from the blue in an incredible rescue job, after racing from the other side of the field and positioning himself behind the Broncos’ defensive line.
The full-time siren reverberated as Kelly lay on the Stadium Australia turf, ecstatic and relieved.
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“Oh, Albert Kelly! What’s he doing there?” former NRL journeyman Michael Ennis had said on Fox League as Kelly dived on the ball.
“He’s all smiles!” added caller Warren Smith.
“He’s saved the game for Brisbane.”
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