The game – and with it the 2015 Telstra Premiership – was gone.
Despite Kyle Feldt's heroics to twice win back possession for the Cowboys in the final two minutes, here was Matt Scott playing the ball 12 metres out from the Broncos' try-line and with only more tackle at his team's disposal.
What happened next will live long in rugby league annals and haunt Brisbane players for perhaps the rest of their careers as the Cowboys conjured an unlikely try in the right-hand corner to give their captain, Johnathan Thurston, a kick at goal to win the game.
Unless this is your first visit to NRL.com you will be all too familiar with what happened in those dying seconds of regulation time but it makes for compelling reading when relived by Panthers grand final hero Greg Alexander in the Big League Season Review issue.
"As [Scott] played the ball there was 16 seconds left. Tackle five. This is it. This is gone," Alexander recalls.
"Granville then threw the ball out to Thurston, standing wide—he's 15 metres away and he wanted to get the pass to cover as many of the inside defenders as possible.
"Granville couldn't get it to Thurston and it bounced, forcing Thurston to catch it looking at his own goal-line. Incredibly 'JT' spun and bounced off Adam Blair and when he turned to go again, Andrew McCullough was in his face.
"He pushed away from McCullough, which forced him to run backwards—he ran back six metres with no-one on the left side onside because they'd pushed forward and didn't trail him back.
"He turned to the middle of the field, but also coming up was Corey Parker and he nailed JT as he turned to look to Morgan—or for something, anything. Morgan had back-pedalled and was the only Cowboy onside.
"The hit from Parker was low, which allowed Thurston to pass the ball with seven seconds left. From Matt Scott playing the ball to Morgan getting it took nine seconds—Thurston had the ball for almost 10 seconds, searching for something.
"Morgan went diagonally. On his outside he had Ethan Lowe but he dropped off. Justin O'Neill and Feldt had put themselves onside. Feldt was hugging the touchline.
"Morgan ran towards Jack Reed and he got on the outside of Anthony Milford. Milford and Reed had handled him all night, but Morgan got outside Milford which forced Reed to hedge his bets. He's still got O'Neill outside him and Feldt is on the line.
"He only just got on the outside of Milford and Milford had him covered—at one stage Jack Reed turned his back on Morgan as he was ready to tackle O'Neill because he held his position. But then he decided to come in. Morgan created enough doubt and with three seconds left he had his right arm cocked as he was tackled by Reed and Milford.
"Corey Oates was still there, but he took a step towards Morgan, which was enough. That was all he needed. Once the ball was flicked out, Oates realised it was too late and Feldt scored in the corner."
The Big League Season Review issue is on sale now and features a comprehensive recap of the 2015 Grand Final as well as appraisals of all 16 teams complete with expert insights from former NRL head coach Matt Elliott.
