Captain Darren Lockyer believes the confidence Brisbane's youngsters gained from their late-season run to the NRL preliminary final might help compensate for the loss of stars Karmichael Hunt and Dave Taylor.

Two months after being flogged 56-0 by Canberra, the Broncos brave rearguard action came to an end at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night when they were crushed 40-10 by Melbourne while playing without injured half Peter Wallace.

The game was the last in maroon and gold for AFL-bound Hunt, South Sydney signing Taylor and re-retiree Tonie Carroll.

"We'll get a lot out of it," Australia captain Lockyer said.

"I know we lose good players in Karmichael and Dave Taylor but it will give us confidence going into next year."

Coach Ivan Henjak was similarly philosophical: "I'm really proud of everyone at our club, the way we were able to bounce back and go this deep into the semi-finals.

"The calibre of player that we lost at the end of the (2008) year and that we've lost over the last three or four years...

"... and for us to be able to stay competitive and do what we've done and keep making the semi-finals and be the team that we are I'm really proud of everyone in our organisation to be able to do that.

"What we've done over the past two weeks, I think, shows a lot of character. If we can replicate that feeling of playing for each other next year, well we're going to be competitive again."

Lockyer said the match plan was to take an early lead and, given the Broncos trailed 22-0 at halftime, that clearly didn't happen.

"We needed to get in front just to give ourselves some confidence. We didn't so we just struggled after that.

"We didn't get a penalty first half, they just didn't drop much footy, they made it very hard for us, they were too good."

But again, the skipper said, there was a silver lining.

In Melbourne, his rookies had a perfect example of what is needed to win finals football.

"They're clinical in what they do. For us to have some confidence in winning tonight, we just needed to get away to a good start but they just gave us nothing.

"It would have been a good lesson for a lot of the young kids there tonight."

Both captain and coach paid tribute to the departing trio.

"They've been a big part of our organisation for a long period of time and they can all hold their heads up," Henjak said.

"They've done a wonderful job for us."

Lockyer said of Hunt: "It's funny. I don't think it's sunk in yet. He's a massive part of our game.

"When we go back to training for pre-season, I think it will sink in then that he's not around. He's given everything when he's been on the field for us so we're definitely going to miss him."

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