A gritty performance away from home as an under-strength Melbourne ride their luck to take home two points from a not-so happy hunting ground.
North Queensland – 20 (Derby 17', Purdue 37, Drinkwater 51' tries; Drinkwater 3/3, Clifford 1/1 goals)
Melbourne – 30 (Meaney 56', 65', Katoa 9', Asofa-Solomona 29' tries; Meaney 5/5 goals)
Try celebrations are back in the highlights packages.
No Paps… no worries‽
“Calf soreness” picked up in the captain’s run. Huh. Hopefully that soreness isn’t something more than that. In the fullback’s absence Melbourne shuffled the deck and in popped a debutant I wasn’t expecting to see in 2025.
Hello Siulagi Pio Tuimalatu-Brown! He’s scored three tries for North Sydney this season in nine appearances, also scoring five tries in seven Jersey Flegg Cup appearances for the Storm.1 His story is pretty cool and it’s always nice to see another Victorian get their chance to shine.
Melbourne started with Tyran Wishart at five-eighth instead of Jonah Pezet who was on the bench, while Bronson Garlick started at hooker. Okay.
Starting fast
Despite a kick that was charged down on acting captain Jahrome Hughes, Melbourne got off to a super start to the match. A raid down the left edge should have resulted in a try in just the second minute after Shawn Blore’s offload to Grant Anderson had him in free space. Surprisingly GA decided to pass to Tuimalatu-Brown a bit too early instead of drawing in the defenders on fourth tackle. The rookie was stopped just short of the line on what was his first touch of the Steeden. That GA then decided to try for the crash play on the last tackle might just prove that he isn’t quite a centre though.
That opening set with the ball was matched by the defensive intensity from Melbourne to start the match. The Cowboys were trapped in their own half on a number of their chances with the ball and had to resort to kicking long to Meaney. In all it led to Melbourne having extended time with the ball attacking the Cowboys line which caused them to eventually crack under the pressure being applied. It was Eli Katoa who got the try, scoring a set after he had tried an offload that was instead a turnover. The edge forward doing his party trick of grabbing onto a kick, this time from Tyran Wishart, but doing it in the left channel rather than his more familiar right side of the attacking formation. Beating two tacklers to reach out and score was just in a night’s work for the Tongan international.
But defence
If the opening ten minutes was dominated by Melbourne, they probably should have scored more points to show for it. Especially when consecutive missteps from Josh King put the Storm on the back foot and needing to defend. The Cowboys set up their first real attacking set perfectly, singling out Wishart, Anderson and Tuimalatu-Brown with crisp left to right passing for Robert Derby to just maintain enough control and get the ball down after an intensive review by the Bunker. Scott Drinkwater had set up the try with his movement and passing, his sideline conversion tieing the scores.
The try wasn’t the fault of the Storm’s debutant, but he did try and make things right in the next set, his all-or-nothing intercept finding his clutches although he was immediately tackled. It was a big play though from the youngster.
With the next ten minutes a bit of an arm wrestle with Melbourne completing sets and the Cowboys defence holding firm, this match needed a spark to snap out of the funk that had developed. The embers came from a Hughes bomb that Drinkwater didn’t want to catch, with the bounce favouring Melbourne. The play wasn’t cleaned up by the home team and thankfully for Melbourne’s sake they remembered the holy decree of never scoring on zero tackle. Instead Bronson Garlick set up the crash play for Nelson Asofa-Solomona to score his third try of the year.
Back in front Melbourne looked to capitalise on their advantage and an error from Derby gave them an opportunity to regain possession from a line drop-out. To channel my innate Victorianness — surely the contest for the ball from Jake Clifford against Meaney was a classic chopping the arms free kick… oh sorry about that.2
As the half wore on there was this growing suspicion that Melbourne were going to struggle to make it to the break without conceding a second try. Unfortunately for Melbourne’s makeshift right edge it came via the Cowboys left flank. Jaxon Purdue speeding straight past Joe Chan and Kane Bradley, Chan doing his best Wile E. Coyote as Purdue channelled his inner Road Runner.3 Meaney unable to beat Purdue to the corner, which didn’t matter much when Clifford slotted the sideline conversion.
The Drinkwater Mine
Ah Scott Drinkwater. He delivers both rare gems and pyrite in equal measure. In the first half his passing game led to both Cowboys tries. His defensive efforts a part of Melbourne’s two tries. He’s an enigma.
Drinkwater should have scored a try in the opening minute of the second half running in support to their debutant Temple Kalepo. The pass might not have connected there, but the next one did when John Bateman sent Clifford through the line for Drinkwater to score under the posts. The Cowboys using Wishart as the spot player to run at as he drifted in defence.
Of all the fullbacks who have come through the Storm system, Drinkwater reminds me most of Billy Slater. The issue for Cowboys fans is he channels “Bobby Slater” too.4
Down on the scoreboard, Melbourne needed to hit back.
He’s a mean man
Up stepped Nick Meaney. I thought the introduction of Jonah Pezet was key here. I was confused for a second as to why Garlick remained on the field, but the mix with him, Pezet, Wishart and Hughes as the playmakers worked for the Storm.
Having Pezet out there gave the Cowboys defence something else to look at and it worked almost immediately for Hughes as he was provided with just a little extra space to put together a play using Katoa as a decoy to send Meaney on a speedy run to the line, stepping past Drinkwater with ease. Watching live I did wonder whether the play would be called back for obstruction, but the pass from Hughes and lines being run was just too good for the defence.
Back level, Melbourne looked brighter and more engaged. After getting hooked a few weeks back, Shawn Blore was damaging in the left channel. Wishart moving to dummy half increased the speed of Melbourne’s attack. Enthusiasm and effort in defence kept the Cowboys on the back foot and they were forced into errors. Melbourne even won a captain’s challenge during this period.
When Coen Hess was pinged for a dangerous tackle, Meaney stepped up to take the penalty goal to put Melbourne back in front. A dominant set from the restart set up a Pezet bomb that Derby couldn’t grasp resulting in more Storm attacking pressure.
The set up for the second Meaney try was classic Storm. The names may change, but a passing play involving the halfback, five-eighth, and lead running edge forward getting an offload to the fullback wrapping around in the left channel to score is timeless.
Up by eight points with 15 minutes to play you would hope that Melbourne would have learned from the end of the first half and kept the pressure on the home team on both sides of the ball. For about ten minutes that was the case, until a sequence that included a penalty and two set restarts as Melbourne visibly tired. I’m not sure the Storm fully intended to take the shot clock violation that gave the Cowboys a decision to make as to whether they took a gift two points, but it certainly gave the Storm players enough time to recover to defend for the final couple of minutes. It was a big tackle from Meaney on Griffin Neame that saved the day for the Storm, with the denouement of a misguided Drinkwater kick deflating the Cowboys.
Post match quotes
Interesting to hear Bellamy talk about the new faces brought into the team:
It was a tight game. There wasn’t too much in it, but I thought the last try was something that we’ve been practicing all week, so it was nice for that to come off.
At times we didn’t defend that well, they were really playing the ball quick and playing fast and that made that hard on us. We backed up some good attack with some good defence at times. We’re happy we got away with it.
Stat offloads
Melbourne have now won three matches of their four they’ve played that ended with a 26–20 scoreline, a final score most made famous in the 2020 NRL Grand Final.
Melbourne have won of 36 of 60 matches when scores were level at half time.
This was the fourth time in 26 visits to Townsville that Melbourne wore their regular home jerseys. The only loss came in 2023.5
Including matches where he was named as co-captain, Jahrome Hughes has nine wins from 11 matches at Melbourne Storm captain.
Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown became Storm player #241 and the sixth Victorian-born player to play with the club.6 He’s also the sixth Storm player with a hyphenated surname.7
Ativalu Lisati has played in three NRL matches, all against the North Queensland Cowboys.
Was it worth it?
Spent Saturday evening in the rugby league desert of Geelong.
Knowing I would be in my hometown for the day, I had booked a table at a pub in the hope that one television might be showing the rugby league, but alas that’s not how the city rolls. So watching this one on my phone was frustrating,8 but them’s the breaks sometimes.
Melbourne winning that way though is pleasing. I had written this game off at the start of the year, given the Storm would be missing players. With injuries too, the task seemed insurmountable. But as stated in the lede, that’s a gritty win that could be crucial come the end of the season.
7/10
One more thing…
If Geelong can have a Chris Scott bobblehead for his 350th match as coach, can we please have a Bellyache bobblehead for his 600th NRL match…
Storm Machine Player of the Year
Eli Katoa backed up his efforts from last week with another great effort, as did his edge forward buddy on the other side of the field, with Shawn Blore having one of his better games for the season — he probably deserved a try early in the second half. Nick Meaney was mega filling in at the back, and I thought Alec MacDonald was great in just his second starting appearance from his 58 NRL matches.
Honourable mention to Bronson Garlick who probably deserved a point, but maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention just like he wasn’t.
Round 18 points:
2 – Eliesa Katoa
2 – Shawn Blore
2 – Nick Meaney
1 – Jahrome Hughes
1 – Alec MacDonald
Leaderboard
18 – Eliesa Katoa
13 – Ryan Papenhuyzen
10 – Cameron Munster
9 – Jahrome Hughes
8 – Trent Loiero
7 – Shawn Blore
6 – Harry Grant
5 – Xavier Coates
4 – Stefano Utoikamanu, Josh King
3 – Grant Anderson, Sualauvi Fa’alogo, Nick Meaney
2 – Jack Howarth, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Alec MacDonald
1 – Kane Bradley, Joe Chan, Bronson Garlick, Tyran Wishart
Around the grounds
Jersey Flegg Cup — Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 6–34 Melbourne Storm
Melbourne are a game clear of the Raiders on top of the Jersey Flegg Cup table following a big win at Henson Park on Saturday. Playmaker Eli Morris got the scoring underway in the second minute, backing up a Amaziah Murgha line break. Murgha scored himself not long after, with the Storm taking a 12–0 lead to half time. Four more tries in the second half securing a big win over the Sharks who drop to fourth on the ladder.
NSW Cup — Newtown Jets 36–22 North Sydney Bears
Moses Leo returned to action playing 74 minutes and scoring a late intercept try for the Bears at Henson Park.9 Gabriel Satrick also came off the bench as the home team set up the win through the middle of the match, leading by 20 points during the second half before two tries added some respectability to the scoreline for Norths. The loss leaves the Bears in ninth on the NSW Cup ladder.
Queensland Cup — Mackay Cutters 54–14 Sunshine Coast Falcons
Tough loss for the Falcons in Mackay. Luke Pietzner had a first half hat-trick for the home team, adding a four try in the second half. The Cutters led 36–0 at half time, and while the Falcons scored first after the break, they were never really in it. I’m going to assume the second half has some kind of doings a-transpiring with five players sent to the sin bin at various times, including Falcons captain Patrice Siolo.
Queensland Cup — Souths Logan Magpies 30–34 Brisbane Tigers
Last minute try to win the game? A footy fairytale for Asher O’Donnell at Davies Park with the Tigers coming from six points down with 15 minutes to go to win a see-sawing clash. Coby Williamson and Keagan Russell-Smith were in action, KRS kicking four conversions in the win. The result keeps the Tigers in touch with the top eight, although they are still searching for consistency.
Super Netball — NSW Swifts 70–71 Sunshine Coast Lightning
A last second super shot needed to win the game? Who else would you want to have the ball that Steph Fretwell… what do you mean Sarah Klau blocked the shot only for the rebound to land back in Fretwell’s hands as she launches the fadeaway shot to win the game. It was an amazing finish to the match at a sold out Ken Rosewall Arena on Saturday evening. The Swifts had jumped out to a six goal lead at quarter time only for the Lightning to pull it back to one goal at half time. Two high pressure quarters of netball followed with the Sunshine Coast girls keeping their season alive with the thrilling victory. In her return from injury Cara Koenen shot 47/54 attempts and 1/3 super shots, while Fretwell scored 12/13 and 5/9 attempts. The Lightning defence able to restrict the Swifts shooters, England international Helen Housby’s shooting percentage of 62.5% well down on her usual form.
The loss of Courtney Bruce to injury before the match might be a nasty hurdle to overcome in their final regular season match next week. That match is now a virtual elimination final away to the Adelaide Thunderbirds who currently hold down fourth position on the ladder.
Next up
Round 19 vs Newcastle Knights – Saturday 12 July 2025, 3:00pm @ McDonald Jones Stadium
Can only think it will be another difficult line-up to predict next weekend. The Knights pushed the Raiders hard on Friday night and have been in some reasonable form after their poor start to the season. Hopefully there’s not too many issues coming out of the midweek exhibition match, although I would be surprised if everyone backs up in any event.
Vale Steve Munster.
The Altona Roosters junior scored 19 tries in 37 Jersey Flegg Cup appearances (2023-2025) after scoring two tries in 14 SG Ball Cup appearances (2022-2023). h/t 18thman.com
Am giving NAS a hit out stat (but not to advantage) for his spike in the 35th minute.
Meep meep.
From the Bellyache quote.
Apologies for the reminder on that match.
Mahe Fonua, Young Tonumaipea, Richie Kennar, Dean Ieremia and Sua Fa’alogo being the previous five.
Gold star if you can name the other five…
Not being able to fully hear Inane and Brandy was a plus though.
The Jets did score a number of tries down the edge that Leo was defending, so that’s a little concerning. His try was a good 75m dash after picking up a loose ball, but that was his last action for the day.