The Melbourne Storm take on the Canberra Raiders with a top four spot on the line on a Sunday afternoon in Melbourne.
Result
Melbourne Storm 48
Tries: Christian Welch 12th; Marion Seve 26th; Reimis Smith 31st; Eliesa Katoa 37th, Trent Loiero 47th; Harry Grant 54th; Cameron Munster 64th; Nick Meaney 75th; Young Tonumaipeia 79th
Goals: Nick Meaney 13th, 33rd, 49th, 55th, 66th, 76th
Canberra Raiders 2
Goals: Jamal Fogarty 4th
Report
The Melbourne Storm have showcased their premiership credentials, demolishing the Canberra Raiders in an emphatic fashion with a 48-2 thrashing in their return to AAMI Park.
The win sees Melbourne move into the top four while the Raiders are left to pick up the pieces as they look to shore up their finals spot over the coming weeks.
The Raiders opened the scoring on the back of a penalty goal from Jamal Fogarty in what would prove to be the visitor’s only points of the afternoon.
Christian Welch would get the first try of the game and his first of the season when Bronson Garlick threw a short ball to the front rower who outmuscled his defenders to plant the ball down with ย Nick Meaney pushing the home sides lead out to six points.
The Storm would extend their lead when a Jahrome Hughes long ball foundย Marion Seve who carried three defenders as he burrowed his way over for a four pointer. Meaney’s conversion attempt would hit the upright and see the lead remain at eight points.
Reimis Smith would continue the Storms dominance in the first half with the winger capitalising on a break from Eliesa Katoa before stepping back inside to beat the fullback and cross in the corner. Meaney made the most of this conversion attempt to push the lead out to 14.
Melbourne wasn’t finished in the first half with Katoa scoring a try of his own, running a hard line and diving over. Meaney would miss the conversion and they would take a 20-2 score line into the half time break.
The half time break would do nothing to stop the Storm’s momentum, with Harry Grant finding Trent Loiero one-on-one with Fogarty on the try line with the second rower running over the top and reaching out to score Melbourne’s sixth try of the afternoon. Meaney would make the most of this conversion chance and pushing the lead out to 24.
Grant would continue to leave his mark on the match, exposing the markers before finding Meaney, who skipped through the line before finding Grant in support to score untouched and the lead would balloon out to 30 following Meaney’s conversion.
Cameron Munster would be the next to score, showing his agility and strength, stepping off his left foot and beating two defenders to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Meaney would then add his name to the ever extending try scorers list, supporting Seve as the centre ran straight through the teeth of the defence to score untouched and the fullback converted his own try.
Young Tonumaipea would cap off a fantastic offensive display from the Storm when the centre sliced through to score his sides nineth try of the day.
Raider Matt Timoko may be in some hot water this week with the Match Review Committee after the young centre was sent to the sin bin following a high tackle in the dying stages of the match.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
Embed from Getty Images3 – Harry Grant (Storm)
2 – Jahrome Hughes (Storm)
1 – Cameron Munster (Storm)
