Storm and Warriors Advance to Prelim Finals

Melbourne and the Warriors are preliminary finalists after contrasting semi-final wins: the Storm edged past the Roosters and the Warriors rock and rolled the Knights infront of a jubilant home crowd.

MELBOURNE 18, SYDNEY ROOSTERS 13

Melbourne has booked a preliminary final against Penrith.

In a tight and controversial semi-final at AAMI Park, the Roosters led 13-12 in the 71st minute after Sam Walker’s second field goal in two weeks.

With two minutes left, the Storm were on the attack when Harry Grant was taken high by Walker, but no penalty was awarded. Though Melbourne hit the lead a couple of tackles later: Will Warbrick scored off a Cameron Munster bomb with a grab that wouldn’t be out of place at the neighbouring MCG.

Melbourne shot out to a 10-0 lead (tries to Tyran Wishart and Marion Seve), but the Eastern Suburbs side hit back with a try to former Melbourne player Brandon Smith.

Seve’s try came shortly after a seemingly obvious Grant knock on (on his goal-line) was missed: and, to make it worse for the Roosters, Grant threw the final pass for Seve to score.

The Storm led 10-6 at half-time and extended it to 12-6 with a Nick Meaney penalty goal. The Roosters tied the score – with 15 minutes remaining – with a Lindsay Collins try.

Melbourne will play Penrith next Friday night, most likely at Accor Stadium. The Storm return to the preliminary finals after missing out last season.

This loss ended the Roosters’ six-game winning streak, which saw them charge into the finals with plenty of momentum.

Recap

Telstra National Rugby League Premiership 2023

AAMI ParkMelbourne VIC 3004, Australia

September 15, 202319:50

(SemiFinals)

18 - 13

Final Score

Team	Tries	Goals	FG	2pt FG	Points
Storm	3	3	0	0	18
Roosters	2	2	1	2	13

Game Statistics

Storm

Player	Jersey	T	G	FG	2FG	Minutes Played	Run Metres	Post Contact Metres	Line Breaks	Try Assists	Offloads	Tackles	Missed Tackles	40/20	20/40	Errors	Sin Bin	Sent Off
Nick Meaney	1	0	3	0	0	80	191	61	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0
Will Warbrick	2	1	0	0	0	80	111	35	0	0	0	6	1	0	0	0	0	0
Marion Seve	3	1	0	0	0	80	130	42	1	0	0	18	4	0	0	0	0	0
Justin Olam	4	0	0	0	0	80	126	43	0	0	1	6	2	0	0	0	0	0
Reimis Smith	5	0	0	0	0	80	71	18	0	0	0	4	1	0	0	2	0	0
Cameron Munster	6	0	0	0	0	80	128	30	0	1	2	20	7	0	0	1	0	0
Tyran Wishart	21	1	0	0	0	80	87	19	1	0	1	18	3	0	0	1	0	0
Tui Kamikamica	8	0	0	0	0	32	52	21	0	0	0	15	3	0	0	1	0	0
Bronson Garlick	19	0	0	0	0	25	28	1	0	0	0	17	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nelson Asofa-Solomona	16	0	0	0	0	44	81	25	0	0	1	21	3	0	0	0	0	0
Trent Loiero	11	0	0	0	0	80	93	35	0	0	0	28	2	0	0	0	0	0
Eliesa Katoa	12	0	0	0	0	80	93	44	0	0	1	33	4	0	0	0	0	0
Josh King	13	0	0	0	0	72	48	16	0	0	0	39	5	0	0	2	0	0
Harry Grant	9	0	0	0	0	64	106	16	1	1	1	36	3	0	0	0	0	0
Christian Welch	10	0	0	0	0	33	132	38	0	0	1	18	3	0	0	0	0	0
Tom Eisenhuth	15	0	0	0	0	22	44	5	0	0	0	13	2	0	0	0	0	0
Tariq Sims	17	0	0	0	0	34	43	12	0	0	0	25	2	0	0	1	0	0
Grant Anderson	18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		3	3	0	0	1046	1564	461	3	2	8	318	45	0	0	9	0

Roosters

Player	Jersey	T	G	FG	2FG	Minutes Played	Run Metres	Post Contact Metres	Line Breaks	Try Assists	Offloads	Tackles	Missed Tackles	40/20	20/40	Errors	Sin Bin	Sent Off
James Tedesco	1	0	0	0	0	80	228	49	0	0	4	8	0	0	0	0	0	0
Junior Pauga	2	0	0	0	0	80	131	25	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Paul Momirovski	3	0	0	0	0	80	48	11	0	0	2	19	2	0	0	0	0	0
Corey Allan	4	0	0	0	0	80	66	21	1	0	1	21	2	0	0	1	0	0
Jaxson Paulo	5	0	0	0	0	80	121	40	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	3	0	0
Luke Keary	6	0	0	0	0	80	114	12	0	0	0	16	4	0	0	1	0	0
Sam Walker	7	0	2	1	0	80	11	0	0	0	0	22	4	0	0	1	0	0
Lindsay Collins	10	1	0	0	0	57	122	37	1	0	0	32	5	0	0	0	0	0
Brandon Smith	9	1	0	0	0	63	65	16	1	0	0	29	4	0	0	1	0	0
Egan Butcher	15	0	0	0	0	24	35	13	0	0	0	18	1	0	0	1	0	0
Siua Wong	11	0	0	0	0	49	29	11	0	0	0	28	1	0	0	0	0	0
Nat Butcher	12	0	0	0	0	80	99	48	0	0	3	43	2	0	0	0	0	0
Victor Radley	13	0	0	0	0	80	179	56	0	0	0	38	6	0	0	1	0	0
Fletcher Baker	8	0	0	0	0	24	55	19	0	0	2	12	1	0	0	0	0	0
Sandon Smith	14	0	0	0	0	18	9	6	0	0	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	0
Terrell May	16	0	0	0	0	57	129	39	0	0	4	45	1	0	0	0	0	0
Angus Crichton	17	0	0	0	0	32	24	5	0	0	0	15	1	0	0	0	0	0
Drew Hutchison	18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		2	2	1	0	1044	1465	408	4	0	17	362	34	0	0	9	0

Venue

AAMI Park

Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia

Details

Date	Time	League	Season	Match Day	Full Time
September 15, 2023	19:50	Telstra National Rugby League Premiership	2023	SemiFinals	80'

NZ WARRIORS 40, NEWCASTLE 10

The Warriors have made their first preliminary final since 2011.

‘The Wahs’ responded to the massive Mt Smart Stadium crowd, scoring seven tries.

Tries to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Addin Fonua-Blake, and Marcelo Montoya gave the Warriors a 16-0 lead after 13 minutes.

Greg Marzhew scored for Newcastle as the Warriors led 16-4 at half-time. And then Dylan Lucas cut the lead to 16-10 early in the second half.

But it was all Warriors from there, with tries to Dylan Walker, Rocco Berry, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, and Bayley Sironen. Adam Pompey kicked six goals from seven.

The Warriors travel to Lang Park to face Brisbane next Saturday night. And they’re bound to get a lot of support from neutral fans and Queensland-based New Zealanders.

For Newcastle, it’s the end of the road after a magnificent 10-game winning streak.

Recap

Telstra National Rugby League Premiership 2023

Mount Smart Stadium16 Beasley Ave, Penrose, Auckland 1061, New Zealand

September 16, 202316:05

(SemiFinals)

40 - 10

Final Score

Team	Tries	Goals	FG	2pt FG	Points
Warriors	7	6	0	0	40
Knights	2	1	0	0	10

Game Statistics

Warriors

Player	T	G	FG	2FG	Minutes Played	Run Metres	Post Contact Metres	Line Breaks	Try Assists	Offloads	Tackles	Missed Tackles	40/20	20/40	Errors	Sin Bin	Sent Off
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	1	0	0	0	80	297	101	1	1	0	6	1	0	0	1	0	0
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	1	0	0	0	80	156	58	2	1	1	3	1	0	0	0	0	0
Rocco Berry	1	0	0	0	80	106	43	0	0	0	17	3	0	0	1	0	0
Adam Pompey	0	6	0	0	80	143	52	0	1	0	13	1	0	0	1	0	0
Marcelo Montoya	1	0	0	0	80	156	40	1	0	0	7	0	0	0	3	0	0
Te Maire Martin	0	0	0	0	80	22	11	0	0	0	23	3	0	0	1	0	0
Shaun Johnson	0	0	0	0	73	94	4	0	2	0	8	2	0	0	1	0	0
Addin Fonua-Blake	1	0	0	0	42	117	50	1	0	2	16	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wayde Egan	0	0	0	0	67	42	21	0	0	0	36	2	0	0	1	0	0
Mitchell Barnett	0	0	0	0	49	151	67	0	0	1	21	3	0	0	0	0	0
Jackson Ford	0	0	0	0	80	188	94	0	0	0	45	2	0	0	1	0	0
Marata Niukore	0	0	0	0	41	75	36	0	0	0	17	1	0	0	0	0	0
Tohu Harris	0	0	0	0	80	228	61	0	0	0	39	2	0	0	0	0	0
Dylan Walker	1	0	0	0	38	94	19	1	0	0	26	1	0	0	0	0	0
Jazz Tevaga	0	0	0	0	19	71	33	0	0	0	12	1	0	0	0	0	0
Bayley Sironen	1	0	0	0	32	67	15	1	0	0	23	1	0	0	0	0	0
Joshua Curran	0	0	0	0	39	56	27	0	0	0	23	2	0	0	0	0	0
Taine Tuaupiki	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	7	6	0	0	1040	2063	732	7	5	4	335	26	0	0	10	0

Knights

Player	T	G	FG	2FG	Minutes Played	Run Metres	Post Contact Metres	Line Breaks	Try Assists	Offloads	Tackles	Missed Tackles	40/20	20/40	Errors	Sin Bin	Sent Off
Kalyn Ponga	0	1	0	0	80	129	46	0	0	0	6	2	0	0	2	0	0
Dominic Young	0	0	0	0	80	138	52	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	0
Dane Gagai	0	0	0	0	80	121	36	0	0	1	16	4	0	0	1	0	0
Bradman Best	0	0	0	0	80	112	49	0	1	0	14	1	0	0	2	0	0
Greg Marzhew	1	0	0	0	80	199	58	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0
Tyson Gamble	0	0	0	0	80	43	3	0	0	0	30	6	0	0	0	0	0
Adam Clune	0	0	0	0	80	58	3	0	1	1	21	2	0	0	0	0	0
Jacob Saifiti	0	0	0	0	54	163	73	0	0	0	36	5	0	0	0	0	0
Phoenix Crossland	0	0	0	0	74	14	0	0	0	0	49	5	0	0	0	0	0
Leo Thompson	0	0	0	0	35	32	15	0	0	0	24	4	0	0	0	0	0
Tyson Frizell	0	0	0	0	80	98	44	0	0	1	43	2	0	0	0	0	0
Dylan Lucas	1	0	0	0	80	85	34	1	0	0	44	3	0	0	1	0	0
Adam Elliott	0	0	0	0	67	96	25	0	0	2	44	6	0	0	0	0	0
Kurt Mann	0	0	0	0	13	29	9	0	0	0	10	1	0	0	0	0	0
Jack Hetherington	0	0	0	0	31	66	24	0	0	0	28	3	0	0	0	0	0
Mathew Croker	0	0	0	0	34	38	16	0	0	0	31	2	0	0	0	0	0
Brodie Jones	0	0	0	0	11	17	10	0	0	0	11	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fa’amanu Brown	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	2	1	0	0	1039	1438	497	2	2	6	409	47	0	0	9	0

Venue

Mount Smart Stadium

16 Beasley Ave, Penrose, Auckland 1061, New Zealand

Details

Date	Time	League	Season	Match Day	Full Time
September 16, 2023	16:05	Telstra National Rugby League Premiership	2023	SemiFinals	80'