Round 3
Sydney Roosters 10 d. Melbourne Storm 6

2008 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Storm on wrong end of low scoring affair
Sat March 29, 2008
Source: www.melbournestorm.com.au

For the first time since the opening month of the 2006 NRL season, Melbourne Storm has lost their second game in a row, this time going down 10-6 to the Sydney Roosters in a low scoring affair at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The Storm's wretched run at the SFS continued, with the Roosters and the Storm scoring a single try apiece, stretching their poor record at the ground to only two wins from the past 12 visits.

The signs were positive before the game, with star five-eighth Greg Inglis passing a late fitness test to take his place in the 17, albeit starting from the interchange bench.

Antonio Kaufusi played his first game of the year, starting in the front-row with Adam Blair moved to the bench, while Matt Geyer started at pivot; Russell Aitken being the unlucky man to make way in the squad.

After several offside decisions went against the Storm in the early stages of the game, giving the Roosters multiple sets of six with the try-line in sight, a cross-field kick from halfback Mitchell Pearce eventually landed in the arms of Shaun Kenny-Dowell, who crossed for the try after the ball had ricocheted off the pack.

Roosters captain Craig FitzGibbon duly converted the kick, before being given another chance to add two more points when Anthony Quinn was penalised for impeding the play the ball. Again FitzGibbon took the gift giving the Roosters an 8-0 lead going into the break.

Early in the second half, Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello broke into open space and it looked for all money he was going to score a try; that was until Slater made incredible ground and laid a crunching tackle on the Roosters fullback. If that wasn't enough, Slater then laid the next tackle from dummy half enabling his teammates to get back onside.

Yet another penalty against the Storm, this time for holding back a player without the ball, gave FitzGibbon the chance to extend their lead to 10-0, and he didn't disappoint the home fans.

With five and a half minutes left on the clock, the Storm finally crossed the try-line through Slater. Great lead-up work from Cooper Cronk, Israel Folau and a kick by Steve Turner gave Melbourne a glimmer of hope in the dying stages.

An even brighter glimmer was provided to the Storm by the touch judge, who gave Melbourne a penalty with less than four minutes on the clock when the decision should have gone in the Roosters' favour.

Matt Geyer had attempted to catch the kick-off, only for it to bounce of his chest a fraction of a second before colliding with the corner post. The touch judge signalled Geyer was touching the post when the ball hit him and subsequently awarded the Storm a penalty back on the halfway line.

A great kick from Cam Smith gave the Storm a chance to score, however they were unable to take their chance and Sydney ran out eventual winners.

STORM 6 (Try: Slater; Goal: C. Smith) def. by ROOSTERS 10 (Tries: Kenny-Dowell; Goals: FitzGibbon 3) at Sydney Football Stadium.

News sent by: www.melbournestorm.com.au


Storm Round 3 Game Notes v Roosters
Fri March 28, 2008
Source: www.melbournestorm.com.au

Although the Storm went down by a point to the Sharks last Sunday, their first loss at the "The Graveyard" for 18 months, their efforts after that uncharacteristic opening 15 minutes was exceptional. After conceding 14 early points, they only conceded three more for the match, all in the second half. Unfortunately one of those points was a late drop goal to win the match from former Storm halfback Brett Kimmorley. But plenty of positives can be taken from the game.

The Roosters also suffered a defeat last week, going down to the Brisbane Broncos 14-20 at the Sydney Football Stadium. The major talking point from that game was the shoulder charge on Braith Anasta by Karmichael Hunt which left the Roosters' five-eighth with a broken nose. Although Hunt was charged with a careless tackle, he successfully defended himself at the tribunal. It will be interesting to see how Anasta plays with a broken nose.

WHO: Melbourne Storm v Sydney Roosters
WHAT: Round 3 of the 2008 Telstra Premiership season
WHERE: Sydney Football Stadium
WHEN: Saturday, March 29th @ 5:30pm
ON TV: Fox Sports Two @ 5:30pm
CHECK IT OUT: Melbourne Storm's website with all the latest stats, profiles, updates, schedule and training times, alerts, news etc - www.melbournestorm.com.au

INS AND OUTS
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has named an 18-man squad for this Saturday's clash against the Sydney Roosters.

With Brett White to miss this week after being suspended following a striking incident during the game against the Sharks, Adam Blair has been elevated to the starting line-up in the front-row.

Antonio Kaufusi has been brought back into the squad for the first time in 2008 to take Blair's place on the bench.

Former Brisbane Bronco Clifford Manua has been named as 18th man.

FAST FACTS
* Melbourne has not lost consecutive games since Rounds 3-4, 2006
* Sydney has lost four of their past five games against Melbourne
* Melbourne has only won two of their past 11 games at the Sydney Football Stadium
* Sydney has scored just 10 second-half points in two games in 2008

DID YOU KNOW?
Cam Smith is the star attraction on Melbourne's first dedicated rugby league radio show, "The Rugby League Hour" on SEN1116.

On every Tuesday night from 8:00pm-9:00pm, Cam is joined in the studio each week by Storm media manager Chris Couch, and rugby league writer for the Herald Sun Dave Donaghy.

You can listen in by logging on to the station's website, www.sen.com.au, and following the links.

KEY MATCH UP
With Brett White being rubbed out for four weeks for striking, Antonio Kaufusi has been named to make his long-awaited return to the Storm's squad of 17. After severely injuring his knee during last year's State-of-Origin series, and catching a bug on the plane back from the World Club Challenge, Kaufusi is finally ready to play in the NRL. He will be looking to put in a big performance over the coming weeks to cement his spot in the side, even when White eventually does return.

Kaufusi's partnership with Jeff Lima will be critical to the Storm's chances of winning. The Roosters have recruited heavily in the forward pack and are now one of the most formidable in the competition. In a beaten team, Lima was once again impressive last week. He had 17 runs for 171 metres, 20 tackles and seven tackle breaks in his 41 minutes playing time. Along with fellow front-rower Adam Blair, and the backrow brigade of Jeremy Smith, Ryan Hoffman, Sika Manu and Sam Tagataese, the Storm big men will need huge games to combat the Roosters' forwards.

Willie Mason and Mark O'Meley were both recruited from the Bulldogs in the off-season, and they have added some much needed firepower to the Roosters' pack. Add those impressive names to the likes of Queensland representative Nate Myles, Australian international Anthony Tupou, and David Shillington, and it's little wonder the Broncos were singing their praises after their Round 2 clash last week.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Total: Played: 16, Storm: 8, Roosters: 8
At Sydney Football Stadium: Played: 6, Storm: 2, Roosters: 4

FOR AND AGAINST 2008
Points for: Storm: 48, Roosters: 48
Points against: Storm: 35, Roosters: 40
Tries for: Storm: 8, Roosters: 8
Points differential: Storm: +13, Roosters: +8

LAST ROUND MATCHES
Storm: def. by Sharks 17-16 @ Olympic Park, Melbourne
Roosters: def. by Broncos 14-20 @ Sydney Football Stadium

LAST EIGHT CLASHES
2007 Roosters def. Storm 26-16 @ Sydney Football Stadium
2007 Storm def. Roosters 26-2 @ Olympic Park
2006 Storm def. Roosters 20-16 @ Olympic Park
2006 Storm def. Roosters 22-18 @ Sydney Football Stadium
2005 Storm def. Roosters 24-10 @ Olympic Park
2004 Roosters def. Storm 26-10 @ Olympic Park
2003 Roosters def. Storm 27-20 @ Olympic Park
2002 Storm def. Roosters 48-10 @ Olympic Park

THE STORM STORY SO FAR
TRIAL GAME 1: STORM 56 (Tries: Slater 2, C. Smith 2, Williams, Moore, Folau, Cronk, Aitken, Chambers; Goals: Turner 4, J. Smith 2, Foran, C. Smith) def. SEA EAGLES 10 (Tries: Watmough, Robertson; Goals: Orford) @ Bluetongue Stadium
TRIAL GAME 2: STORM 26 (Tries: Slater 2, Tagataese, Folau, Aitken, MacDougall; Goals: S. Turner) def. HALIFAX 10 (Tries: Goddard 2; Goals: Holroyd) @ Shay Stadium, Halifax
WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE: STORM 4 (Try: Hoffman) def. by RHINOS 11 (Try: Donald; Goals: Sinfield 3; Field Goal: Sinfield) @ Elland Road, Leeds
ROUND 1: STORM 32 (Tries: Slater 3, Johnson, Tagataese; Goals: C. Smith 5, Turner) def. WARRIORS 18 (Tries: Vatuvei 2, Ropati; Goals: Witt 3) @ Telstra Dome, Melbourne
ROUND 2: STORM 16 (Tries: Aitken, White, Falou; Goals: C. Smith 2) def. by SHARKS 17 (Tries: Kearney, Gallen, Simmons; Goals: Covell 2; Field Goals: Kimmorley) at Olympic Park, Melbourne

2008 TRY SCORERS (STORM)
Slater 3, Johnson, Tagataese, Aitken, White, Folau

2008 GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
C. Smith 7, Turner

2008 FIELD GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
N/A

2008 POINTSCORERS (STORM)
C Smith 14, Slater 12, Johnson 4, Tagataese 4, Aitken 4, White 4, Folau, Turner 2

MELBOURNE STORM MEDIBANK PRIVATE INJURY UPDATE
Michael Crocker (shoulder): 1 week
Kevin Proctor (leg): 1 week
Greg Inglis (shoulder): 2 weeks
Scott Anderson (osteitis pubis): 2 weeks
Danny Vaughan (knee): season

THE STORM AHEAD
Round 4: Friday, April 4th v Broncos @ Olympic Park, 7:30pm
Round 5: Friday, April 11th v Sea Eagles @ Olympic Park, 7:30pm
Round 6: Monday, April 21st v Raiders @ Canberra Stadium, 7:00pm
Round 7: Saturday, April 26th v Cowboys @ Dairy Farmers Stadium, 7:30pm
Round 8: BYE
Round 9: Monday, May 12th v Knights @ Olympic Park, 7:00pm

TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP LADDER
1. Broncos 4
2. Wests Tigers 4
3. Knights 4
4. Sharks 4
5. Storm 2
6. Dragons 2
7. Roosters 2
8. Bulldogs 2
9. Titans 2
10. Warriors 2
11. Eels 2
12. Raiders 2
13. Sea Eagles 0
14. Rabbitohs 0
15. Cowboys 0
16. Panthers 0

SQUAD FOR SATURDAY'S GAME
Starting team:
1. Billy Slater
2. Steve Turner
3. Will Chambers
4. Israel Folau
5. Anthony Quinn
6. Russ Aitken
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Jeff Lima
9. Cam Smith (c)
10. Adam Blair
11. Jeremy Smith
12. Ryan Hoffman
13. Dallas Johnson

Interchange:
14. Matt Geyer, 15. Antonio Kaufusi, 16. Sika Manu, 17. Sam Tagataese, 18. Clifford Manua

Coach: Craig Bellamy

News sent by: www.melbournestorm.com.au

Tue March 25, 2008
• Storm names 18-man squad to take on the Roosters
  
Tue March 25, 2008
• Anasta named in Roosters side for Storm clash
  

Advanced Search