2023 NRL Round 6: Storm 28, Roosters 8
Melbourne have continued their winning ways with an impressive win over the Roosters by 28-8 on Thursday night in Melbourne – where Cameron Munster was the star.
Result
Melbourne Storm 28
Tries: (5) Xavier Coates 17th, 44th, 50th; Nick Meaney 29th; Cameron Munster 35th
Goals: (3) Nick Meaney 18th, 30th, 36th; Cameron Munster 65th
Sydney Roosters 8
Tries: (1) Jaxson Paulo 13th;
Goals: (2) Sam Walker 14th, 20th
Field Goal: N/A
Report
On a wet Thursday night in Melbourne, where ironically there was a chance of a storm mid-match, the home side had the early running but couldn’t take advantage earlier, even after being gifted the ball on the Roosters line from the first set of the match. So what often happens did as the Roosters absorbed the pressure then opened the scoring in the 13th minute from their first meaningful attack of the game when Jaxson Paulo took advantage of some smart work from the spine close to the line. Sam Walker converted for a 6-0 lead.
Melbourne replied five minutes later on the back of another gift from the Roosters, Xavier Coates providing the fancy footwork close to the line to score. Nick Meaney converted to level the scored 6-6 and Sam Walker extended the lead by two points after Jahrome Hughes was penalised was knocking the ball deliberately forward from a kick-off that was going over his head.
A big moment came in the 27th minute when Victor Radley was sin binned for a late hit on Cameron Munster and the Storm made them pay with the very next set as a recovered Munster cross-field lob was plucked from the air by Nick Meaney to score. That combination was involved again five minutes later when Munster put Meaney through a gap and then was backing up inside for the try. Radley’s indiscretion had cost the Roosters 12 points and the lead. The score remained 18-8 until half-time.
Melbourne poured on the points not long after half-time and again Munster was involved with a cross-field kick that managed to avoid everyone at first and then landed in the lap of Coates for his second try of the game. A sensational 40-20 kick from Harry Grant set up another attacking raid, and another try to Coates, set up by his PNG teammate Justin Olam. With just under 30 minutes to go the Storm were well ahead 26-8.
The Roosters continued their ill discipline and errors, and the Storm extended their lead with 15 minutes to go courtesy of another late hit, this time on Jahrome Hughes. This pushed the score out to 28-8 which remained the score until full-time as the Storm continued to dominate but were unable to add to their score.
For Melbourne it was arguably their best performance of the year, playing good wet weather rugby league and helped with their star player having a special night out. Grant was also outstanding
The Roosters will rue their error rate, as well as the Radley sin bin which effectively changed the contest as Melbourne went on to score 22 unanswered points from that time. Joey Manu tried hard as did Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Lindsay Collins. But Walker had a shocker in among the errors from the rest of the team.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
Embed from Getty Images3 – Cameron Munster (Storm)
2 – Harry Grant (Storm)
1 – Nick Meaney (Storm)
