SYDNEY ROOSTERS 14 MELBOURNE STORM 6
IAN HOWE, Allianz Stadium, Friday

MELBOURNE STORM have only missed one finals series since 2002 but are at greater risk of doing so this year after coming up short despite a valiant performance while under-strength against Sydney Roosters.

Daniel Tupou’s late try moved the Roosters into second place, just two points behind leaders Penrith Panthers.

After a horror run of results earlier in the season, Melbourne came into this game in tenth place, four points outside the top eight, despite having won four of their last five games.

The Roosters were sitting in third place and came into the game full of confidence, although they were without their star fullback James Tedesco because of the concussion he suffered in the recent State of Origin clash. He was replaced by Cody Ramsey, while forward Lindsay Collins was also sidelined with concussion and centre Robert Toia was rested.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy was faced with the loss of his two superstar halfbacks. Cameron Munster has knee cartilage damage while Jahrome Hughes has a hamstring problem. Instead there was a new halfback partnership of Tyran Wishart and Trent Toelau. Former Catalans star Joe Chan was also out with a back strain.

The Roosters opened the scoring with a try by Siua Wong in the sixth minute, which came from a Daly Cherry-Evans kick over the defence that was brilliantly palmed back by Mark Nawaqanitawase. 

Trent Toelau had a try controversially disallowed for Melbourne before Billy Smith added a second Roosters try from a smart passing movement shortly after a Cherry-Evans 40/20. Sam Walker could convert neither try.

Shortly afterwards Melbourne suffered a blow when Kiwi winger Will Warbrick had to leave the field with what appeared to be an Achilles tendon injury.

With the scored at 8-0, the Storm drew closer with a converted try by Stefano Utoikamanu, shortly after Nat Butcher had conceded a penalty for a dangerous tackle and Sam Walker had generated a set restart with a ruck infringement. Utoikamanu forced his way over the line and Nick Meaney added the conversion to close the gap to two points with 21 minutes remaining.

After that the Storm applied relentless pressure, but without being able to score points and it was the Roosters who scored the decisive try when Ramsey broke downfield and, despite being tackled by Wishart, the Roosters were able to set up the position for Smith to put Daniel Tupou over in the corner, with Walker landing a superb touchline conversion to put eight points between the teams.

The Storm tried hard to score again to stay in the game and they created an overlap on the right, but Meaney, who was playing on the wing after Warbrick’s injury, couldn’t take the final pass and put it was down a metre short of the line.

GAMESTAR: Nat Butcher made 52 tackles and was crucial in keeping out the Storm as they threatened to take the lead.

GAMEBREAKER: Sam Walker landed his first successful conversion out of three attempts when he converted Daniel Tupou’s late try, but it was crucial in that it put an eight-point margin between the sides.

MATCHFACTS

ROOSTERS
1 Cody Ramsey
2 Daniel Tupou
3 Billy Smith
4 Hugo Savala
5 Mark Nawaqanitawase
6 Daly Cherry-Evans
7 Sam Walker
8 Naufahu Whyte
9 Reece Robson
10 Spencer Leniu
11 Nat Butcher
12 Siua Wong
13 Victor Radley
Subs
14 Connor Watson
15 Salesi Foketi
16 Egan Butcher
17 Taylor Losalu (not used)
18 Rex Bassingthwaighte (not used)
19 Tommy Talau (not used)

Tries: Wong (6), Smith (26), Tupou (75)
Goals: Walker 1/3

STORM
1 Sualauvi Faalogo
2 Will Warbrick
3 Jack Howarth
4 Nick Meaney
19 Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown
6 Tyran Wishart
7 Trent Toelau
8 Stefano Utoikamanu
9 Harry Grant
10 Josh King
11 Cooper Clarke
17 Oryn Keeley
13 Trent Loiero
Subs
14 Gabriel Satrick (not used)
15 Jack Hetherington
16 Josiah Pahulu (not used)
17 Alec MacDonald
18 Stanley Huen
20 Davvy Moale

Tries: Utoikamanu (58)
Goals: Meaney 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 8-0; 8-6, 14-6

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Roosters: Nat Butcher; Storm: Cooper Clarke

Penalty count: 3-2
Half-time: 8-0
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Attendance: 16,010