2023 NRL Round 15: Storm 54, Sharks 10

June 11, 2023

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Melbourne Storm dismantles the Cronulla Sharks on the Sunday afternoon game at AAMI Park.

Result

Melbourne Storm 54
Tries: (9) Tui Kamikamica 3rd; Will Warbrick 16th; Harry Grant 23rd, 30th; Xavier Coates 37th, 39th; Josh King 50th; Reimis Smith 64th; Jahrome Hughes 71st
Goals: (9) Nick Meaney 5th, 25th, 30th, 38th, 39th, 45th (Pen), 52nd, 65th, 73rd

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 10
Tries: (2) Teig Wilton 7th; Ronaldo Mulitalo 76th
Goals: (1) Nicholas Hynes 9th

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Report

With both teams heavyweights in last year’s fight for the premiership and struggling to find form at times this season, the long weekend clash on a chilly Sunday afternoon between the Storm and the Sharks down in Melbourne was set up to be a hard fought contest.

Despite expectations, however, this game ended up in a Melbourne onslaught, right from the beginning of play.

Just three minutes into the game, Melbourne went over for their first points of the day through Tui Kamikamica.

The Sharks followed shortly after and managed to get themselves on the board for the first and only time of the afternoon through Teig Wilton.

Cronulla’s lone try was a distant and underwhelming memory by the end of the first forty, with the Storm piling on five further tries before the break- including an effort from Will Warbrick and doubles to Harry Grant and Xavier Coates, leaving the scores standing at 34-6 going into halftime.

Nick Meaney was enjoying the afternoon off his boot, slotting over a penalty goal to add to the score early in the second half, before Josh King slid over and extended the home sides lead once more.

It was just one of those days for the Sharks, with error after error and penalties conceded back-to-back lead to the Storm adding to their tally through Reimis Smith and Jahrome Hughes, notching up the half century with nine minutes left to play.

Cronulla finally got their chance to grab a second try through Ronaldo Mulitalo following a Christian Welch Sin Bin for a hip-drop tackle, although it was too little too late with only a few minutes left to be played. The game would end with 13 playing 12, with Briton Nikora sent to the bin in the final minute of play.