World Club Challenge: Storm v Rhinos - Friday - Match Thread - the dust settles

[Graham]

 Melbourne Storm have named a full-strength line-up for the World Club Challenge match against Leeds Rhinos on Friday.

Thirteen players from last year’s Premiership team have been selected for the marquee clash, with the winning team taking bragging rights as the best rugby league team in the world.

Melbourne Storm Team List:

Billy Slater

Suliasi Vunivalu

Will Chambers

Curtis Scott

Josh Addo-Carr

Cameron Munster

Brodie Croft

Jesse Bromwich

Cameron Smith ©

Tim Glasby

Felise Kaufusi

Ryan Hoffman

Dale Finucane
INTERCHANGE

Brandon Smith

Nelson Asofa-Solomona

Kenny Bromwich

Christian Welch

Joe Stimson

Young Tonumaipea

Tui Kamikamica

Ryley Jacks

[Graham]

https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2018/02/12/wcc-media-eureka-tower-press-conference/

[Graham]

[RabbitRhinoovOZ]

Hope the Rhinos smash em!

[Davo5]

Melbourne 24-8 Leeds

[Graham]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

Melbourne 24-8 Leeds

Sounds about right to me.

I’ll say 26 - 10 win for Storm.

Having said that Leeds have got their season underway while Storm haven’t.

[Graham]

Seems the NRL have thrown a curved ball at Leeds just before the game is due to be played.

They have appointed two referees and plan that the Aussie  system will be used. This will favour Storm as Leeds have never played under the system. Gary Hetherington says Leeds and Storm had agreed to play under international rules, i.e. one ref in the game.

[Graham]

Quote

LEEDS claim they have been blindsided by an NRL decision to play Friday night’s World Club Challenge against Melbourne with two referees.

The Rhinos were told on Wednesday the AAMI Park game will be officiated by two NRL referees despite agreeing with the Storm two months ago that the game would be played under international rules, with only one whistleblower.

With the Super League also played with just one referee, Leeds say they’ve never played with dual referees before and complain that they weren’t given sufficient notice to prepare for the different set-up.

Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington went further and accused the NRL of moving the goalposts to help ensure the WCC trophy returns to Australia.

“For the NRL to move the goalposts at 48 hours’ notice and after no consultation with ourselves is totally arrogant and simply not on,” Hetherington told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“One can only suspect the NRL are desperate to see the World Club title return to Australia.” Leeds coach Brian McDermott also protested the decision, although didn’t feel it was a ploy to help the Australian club.

“It’s not good,” McDermott told Leeds Rhinos’ website.

I don’t think there’s anything sinister in it from the NRL, but their competition plays with two referees and ours plays with one.

“We are not happy this has been forced upon us.

“We agreed in England some parameters of how we are going to play the game.

“The term that was used was always international rules and international rules are you play with one referee.”

McDermott said having two referees may lead to the match becoming a “penalty-ridden game”.

Melbourne veteran Ryan Hoffman said his own club was surprised by the NRL edict. “We were surprised too,” Hoffman said on Thursday.

“It is completely out of our control but it won’t matter to us.

“It’s what you do with the ball, the idea is to not have the referees involved in the game too much.”

 

[Graham]

Yorkshire Post: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/leeds-rhinos/whistling-up-a-storm-over-use-of-two-referees-1-9016490

Quote

FURIOUS Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington has accused the NRL of moving the goalposts to help ensure the World Club Challenge trophy returns to Australia.

Rhinos were shocked to be told yesterday that Friday’s match against Australian champions Melbourne Storm will be controlled by two referees.

That is the system used in the NRL, but not in Super League or for Test matches and Leeds have never played in a game involving two men in the middle.

Hetherington says Leeds were expecting the fixture to be played to international rules, with one referee, and he slammed the ruling as a “ridiculous decision”.

The Leeds chief is also upset that Rhinos were told at such short notice, with only one training session left before the big game at AAMI Park.

He fumed: “The World Club Challenge has always been played to international rules.

“For the NRL to move the goalposts at 48 hours’ notice and after no consultation is totally arrogant and simply not on.”

“We have protested to the NRL because there’s no reason to do it,” he said. “It had been agreed between Melbourne and ourselves and with the involvement of the NRL, two months ago, confirming international rules.

“To do it at such late notice, with no consultation with ourselves and for no reason, it can only disadvantage ourselves – who are not used to playing with two referees – and help Melbourne Storm, who are.

“One can only suspect the NRL are desperate to see the World Club title return to Australia.

“Wigan beat Cronulla last year and we are extremely keen to bring it back to England. This decision is extremely disappointingbut will not derail our determination to bring the trophy back to England.”

 

[rugby female]

Them Whinos love a moan!! 

[Lounge Room Lizard]

NRL as usual being a set of P icks who think they are the only thing in the game. Should concentrate themselves on sorting the state of the game out and how to properly promote the game and comp.

[RabbitRhinoovOZ]

Mr Hetherington is 100% correct this is a dog act by the NRL to ensure there pet club side the Storm win. Anyone who has watched Australian RL since the SL war knows these type shenanigans go on all the time & more often than not favour the same old clubs.

Fact is the Storm didn't need any help to win this but now I'm not inclined to even watch it.

[Blotto]

2 Refs hasn't affected Leeds play the mistake was ball watching when Slater deliberately feigns a block by a Leeds player and the Refs ping them and an easy 2 pointer for Smith, Though Leeds came out firing Storm absorbed it and gradually took control of the game even though they are a bit ring rusty Leeds still might have a chance 2nd half!

The Ch9 commentary is the usual ball cocks,Garrulous Gould starting to make the retired Stevo sound sensible!

[Graham]

Half Time:

Storm 18 (J.Bromwich, Croft, Vunivalu tries; Smith 3 goals) v Leeds 4 (Hall try)

[Graham]

Second half underway

[Graham]

Leeds giving it a go, but Storm keep them out.

[Graham]

This was Brodie Croft in the first half just about to score his try.

[Graham]

Billy Slater hasn't returned for the second half due to shoulder problem picked up in first half!

[Graham]

On the back of a penalty, Storm see Nelson AS score a try.

22-4

[Graham]

Converted by Cam Smith 

24-4 Storm

[Graham]

50 minutes gone

[Graham]

Final line-up:

 

Leeds Rhinos:

Life after Cooper Cronk officially gets underway with Brodie Croft wearing the coveted No.7 jersey in Melbourne’s World Club challenge clash with Leeds.

The Storm have named a near full-strength side to face the English champions who boast plenty of NRL experience with the likes of Adam Cuthbertson, Matt Parcell, Joel Moon and English internationals Ryan Hall, Kallum Watkins.

 

 

[Graham]

Great to see Jack Ormondroyd in the side, a big lad we've had playing at Featherstone plenty of times.

[Graham]

On the back of another penalty it's Kaufusi who's over this time:

[Graham]

No conversion

28-4 Storm