The Eels' Toyota Cup team found a way to lose another close one, as virtually all their games have been.

This time they surrendered what seemed an unbeatable lead, 18-0 against the Brisbane Broncos.

Brisbane won 30-28 after the Eels had scored three early converted tries against a patched-together Broncos.

Then fear of winning got the Eels again.

That was a long way away when Taniela Lasalo bullocked over after just two minutes.

Then Rory Brien and Albert Kelly scored and it was 18-nil after 12 minutes.

The question was: by how far?

The question hardly altered when Dane Gagai scored for the Broncos, but repeated Eels' mistakes in their own half altered the game.

The Broncos went to halftime trailing by just two points after tries to Todd Murphy and Kurtis Lingwoodock. Then they took the lead four minutes after the break through a try to Mitchell Dodds.

A stunned Eels equalised through a Domenic Nasso try, then led through prop Mitchell Johnson.

The Broncos replied when Jharal Yow Yeh squeezed over in the corner, and won it when Rhys Matsen barged over.

There've been some heartbreakers for the Eels in 2009, but this was the biggest heartbreaker of all.