Game 688 – S27E01 Review

Melbourne Storm 8–0 Penrith Panthers

jonnyforeigner

Mar 10, 2024

An incredible start to the season. Melbourne’s round 1 streak continues with the premiers held scoreless at AAMI Park.

Melbourne – 8 (Smith 50' try; Meaney 2/2 goals)

Penrith – 0

With just one try scored for the match, there’s a lot of defence in these highlights.

Watching the replay this week was a tough watch. Nine had the poorly researched Mat Thompson at AAMI Park with Andrew Johns and Cameron Smith; while Fox had The Reject Shop Ray Warren and Cooper Cronk phoning it in from a studio in The Bad Place.

Errors and penalties

When the teams went up the tunnel at half time with the score at 2–0, sitting in the stands at AAMI Park I was thinking to myself that this felt like an early season, error-ridden match, but that there was something more at play. Both teams had made seven errors each, and had conceded a handful of penalties. In dry conditions,1 it was something of an intense, albeit rusty slopfest.

Melbourne opening the scoring with a #RyanTandyMemorialSpecial™ following an obvious penalty when Penrith failed to correctly pack a defensive scrum just 15m out from their line.

It was the closest that Melbourne would get to the try line for some time.2 Penrith looked faster with the ball and had every possible chance of scoring, but Melbourne held firm.

The visitors should have scored in the 31st minute, but for the bounce of the ball and the presence of Alec MacDonald when Nathan Cleary grubbered on the first tackle after an attacking scrum. The following extended set of six had Melbourne on the back foot, but again Melbourne forced an error.

Nick Meaney would go close to scoring the Storm’s first try of the season, coming of a flowing passing play involving Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen, but the pink Panthers were able to put him in touch in goal. Just on half time Will Warbrick was penalised and put on report for a high tackle, that was subsequently given a grade one careless high tackle and $1,000 fine.

The second half started in very much a similar fashion to the first half. Penrith had the better field position and looked more likely, especially after Soni Luke replaced Luke Sommerton. It was desperate defending that was the order of the day. Melbourne swarmed the Panthers playmakers, and were able to limit the ability of the middle forwards to make ground.

Adam Gee sends his regards

Let’s be honest, the decision to deny the Panthers try feels wrong, especially without the benefit of slo-mo.3 That it was made in the NRL Bunker by Adam Gee is most amusing. In my view, Hughes makes the defensive decision to rush Jarome Luai and slips when Luai steps. That his step takes him behind a decoy runner was immaterial to Hughes slipping over on the dry AAMI Park turf. I can see and understand why Gee makes the decision to overturn the try, but I can’t agree with the decision. Hughes was beaten, Melbourne could have shut the play down, but didn’t. Just as the decision to award a try to NAS in the corresponding match at Marvel Stadium last year was wrong, this one went against Penrith. Which in no way makes up for the number of decisions made by Adam Gee in the Prefects favour in matches between these teams in recent seasons.4

Finally, a try

On the next set after the denied try, Melbourne set up a probing set at the Panthers line. Jonah Pezet’s kick to Xavier Coates was perfect, with the winger able to tap it back to Reimis Smith to score. You could see how much it meant from the reaction of the players.

Pezet’s kicking game is certainly a point of difference when he’s playing with Hughes. There’s a certain balance to Melbourne’s attack not seen for a few seasons. That’s not to say he should be starting ahead of a fit Cameron Munster, but sooner or later there will be some tough decisions on how Papenhuyzen, Fa’alogo, Munster, Pezet, Hughes (and eventually Russell-Smith) fit into the key positions.

Defence one set

Tui Kamikamica should have extended the Melbourne lead in the 59th minute, but he forgot how to score a try5 and knocked on over the line after great work in the lead up from Coates and Pezet in the left channel.

With 20 minutes left,6 Melbourne looked gassed but kept backing up for tackle after tackle. Penrith were tackled 22 times inside the red zone in the last 20 minutes, with Melbourne managing just four tackles in the same period, three of which came in one set. Penrith were offloading seemingly at will, and Clearly was trying everything to get his team over the line. Melbourne did not break.

Every Penrith kick looked dangerous, the Storm defence scrambled. Yes Melbourne made errors, but they just kept defending. The one set they had in the Penrith red zone was well worked to run precious seconds off the clock, and Pezet’s choice to run on the last to avoid an extra tackle coming back at them was perfect.

With only a few minutes left, Melbourne kept scrambling and Penrith looked even less likely to score. After 80 minutes it was done. Melbourne won their 24th round 1 match, extending the statistical anomalous streak for a 22nd year.

Penrith Panthers sponsored by Krispy Kreme — A well-earned donut for the Panthers.

Stat offloads

It was Melbourne’s 10th consecutive win at AAMI Park equalling the run from 2010-11.7
Melbourne held Penrith to nil for the third time from 45 matches.
It was the first time in Nathan Cleary’s career that he’s played a match where his team failed to score. The defeat was Cleary’s first against Melbourne since the 2020 Grand Final.
It was Eli Katoa’s first win against Penrith, having lost his previous six matches against the Panthers (four with the Warriors, two with Melbourne)

Post match quotes

Bellsa seemed content:

I don't think we played that well to be quite honest, but we were really gutsy. There were a lot of tackles to be made in our 20-metre area and we looked like we were out on our feet a few times, but we kept finding a way to keep turning up. That was the real pleasing part — our effort.
We must have been in our 20-metre zone there for about eight or 10 minutes with about 15 minutes to go. We had some blokes out on their feet but we just kept finding a way.
I can’t remember a time here when we played poorly at certain times, but our efforts and the guys backing each other was tremendous.
We defended unbelievably.
It’s a nice record to have I suppose (the round 1 streak), if you don’t have a good start, it’s hard to gain momentum in the back half of the season.

Harry Grant in his first post match as skipper:

It’s a byproduct of the work we do over the preseason. We played brave. We played gritty. We were looking to make our mark and take confidence out of our preseason.
It’s a honour to be in this role, but nothing too much changes for me. It’s just about playing well for me.

Was it worth it?

Round 1 on a hot March evening. Melbourne turned up and it ended up being a ~~stressful~~ fun night.

On a different subject, can the refs please never wear this gross outfit in Melbourne.

8/10

Storm Machine Player of the Year

Reviewing this one it did feel like a full team effort. Stats wise, Tui Kamikamica was the stand out of the middle forwards and should have scored that try, but I thought all of the starting forwards played their role well. Joe Chan in just his second NRL match played well on the edge, although his stats weren’t quite there in the end. Giving a point to Jonah Pezet too, after an early error his work was near-perfect. A try assist (which should have been two) showing his impact on the game with the ball, while he was also busy in defence.

Honourable mentions to Christian Welch and Alec MacDonald for their energy and efforts coming off the bench. Both had great impact in their stints.

Round 1 points:8

2 – Harry Grant
2 – Xavier Coates
1 – Jonah Pezet
1 – Tui Kamikamica
1 – Eliesa Katoa
1 – Joe Chan

Around the grounds

Harold Matthews Cup U17s — Melbourne Storm 40–6 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

Seven tries to one at Comely Banks Reserve, with the Storm youngsters dominating from the kick off. Melbourne move to 8th on the ladder with two wins from five matches.

SG Ball Cup U19s — Melbourne Storm 6–20 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

Down 14–0 at half time, Melbourne were able to score in the 49th minute, but couldn’t get any closer. Melbourne are 11th with two wins from six matches.

Jersey Flegg Cup U21s — St George Illawarra Dragons 36–14 Melbourne Storm

A couple of second half tries saw Melbourne get back into the contest after trailing 18–4 at half time, but the home team powered away again to take the win in round 1.

Queensland Cup — Brisbane Tigers 24–30 Sunshine Coast Falcons

In the first edition of the Storm Cup for 2024, it was a wild one at Coorparoo with the Falcons holding on for the win against the Tigers. The Falcons led 24–0 at half time, Coby Williamson and Tristan Powell scored for the Tigers in the second half, but the home team ran out of time for their comeback. Kane Bradley also featured strongly for the home team, while Young Tonumaipea, Lazarus Vaalepu, Jack Howarth and Aaron Pene all played for the Falcons.

New South Wales Cup — St George Illawarra Dragons 4–28 North Sydney Bears

In round 1 of the NSW Cup under the new feeder club affiliation with the Bears, Melbourne sent Sua Fa’alogo, Dean Ieremia, Keagan Russell-Smith, Shawn Blore and Tepai Moeroa to Wollongong to run out with the red and blacks against St Merge. Ieremia scored a try, coming from an assist from Fa’alogo (who started at fullback).

Next up

Round 2 vs New Zealand Warriors – Saturday 16 March, 7:35pm @ AAMI Park

Couldn’t believe the score from Auckland when I checked on Friday night. Cronulla coming back from 12–0 down inside the first quarter of the match to then take the lead after half time and hold out the home team in front of a packed stadium wasn’t on my round 1 bingo card. Can only imagine the Warriors will be smarting from that failure and will be looking to end their horror run against Melbourne.

Preview post and a look back at a past Storm match against the Warriors coming Thursday.