Melbourne Storm made it three wins in a row with a clinical 50-10 win over New Zealand Warriors.
Melbourne were good last week and they were at it all over again this week. Billy Slater kicked cross-field for Young Tonumaipea who grubbered back inside to Ryley Jacks.
After plenty of Warriors pressure, the Storm hit them with another try from a Cameron Munster kick. David Fusitu’a couldn’t deal with it and Ryan Hoffman picked up to score.
Melbourne kept coming. Christian Welch swept through a hole off the back of a nice short ball from Munster. Then Curtis Scott set Josh Addo-Carr free on the left and he found Slater back on the inside.
The Warriors hadn’t touched the ball between the three tries. It was to get worse for the Warriors when Anthony Gelling allowed Felise Kaufusi to break the line. He fed Tonumaipea on his outside.
New Zealand were allowed nine minutes of respite before Addo-Carr broke straight through the Warriors left-side defence, rounded two Warriors defenders and dived in at the corner.
Heading into the second half, it would have been their aim to win the half and they got off to the perfect start when a flowing move to the right found Fusitu’a who finished well.
New Zealand kept plugging away and working hard. They and Fusitu’a were rewarded once again for the winger’s tenth try of the season.
Melbourne were back at their best when Slater found Addo-Carr with a great cut-out pass.
The Storm brought up the 50 mark when Sam Kasiano rumbled through the middle. Slater then found Jacks off the back of the forward’s run.
Storm: Slater, Tonumaipea, Chambers, Scott, Addo-Carr, Munster, Jacks, Glasby, C Smith, Asofa-Solomona, Kaufusi, Hoffman, Welch; Interchanges: Bromwich, B Smith, Kasiano, Stimson
Tries: Jacks 2, Hoffman, Welch, Slater, Tonumaipea, Addo-Carr 2; Goals: C Smith 9
Warriors: Tuivasa-Sheck, Fusitu’a, Hiku, Gelling, Maumalo, Green, Lino, Afoa, Luke, Paasi, Mannering, Papali’i, Blair; Interchanges: Tevega, Lisone, Vete, Vunas
Tries: Fusitu’a 2; Goals: Lino
All the match reports from this weekend’s NRL games will feature in Monday’s League Express.
