S26E16 Preview – A rare visit to Campbelltown
Not having to visit the condemned Lilyfield Rectangle is a win itself
It’s been almost ten years since Melbourne last travelled to Campbelltown Stadium to play the Wests Tigers, but it wasn’t the Storm’s last visit there, losing to Penrith during the pandemic restart games in 2020. But this week, let’s look back at a Tigers game from 2016.
S19E07 – Wests Tigers vs Melbourne Storm
It’s a Sunday afternoon at Leichhart Oval for Melbourne’s visit to Lilyfield, with a number of changes from the selected teams:
For the Tigers, Josh Addo-Carr made his NRL debut in place of David Nofoaluma with a number of other changes in the forward pack and interchange rotation. Melbourne would lose both Young Tonumaipea and Will Chambers, with Victorian junior Richie Kennar playing just his eighth NRL game and Suliasi Vunivalu making his NRL debut on the wing in jersey 22 as Storm player number 171.1
Melbourne were coming off a loss to Canterbury at AAMI Park in the previous round, while Wests were on a four-match losing streak after winning their first two matches for the season.2 Melbourne had won only three of 11 visits to Lilyfield, one of their worst away ground records.
First half
From the kick off, Melbourne were able to get an immediate roll-on, getting well over halfway. Cooper Cronk put up a shallow kick to the 10m line which Vunivalu was able to palm the ball back for Kevin Proctor to offload to Kennar who passed it back to Vunivalu to leap over for a try on effectively his first possession of the football.
After some deliberation, the try was awarded and Melbourne was off to the perfect start, although Smith couldn’t convert.
While Melbourne would get off to a fast start, it would be the Tigers who would score next with Luke Brooks, Mitch Moses and James Tedesco combining to send Addo-Carr over for his first try on the right wing. Tedesco’s final tap on the key part of the movement.3
At 4–4 inside the first ten minutes, this game could have been a shootout, and it looked even more likely when Kennar was sent to the sin bin in the ninth minute for a professional foul. Kennar was correctly ruled to have interfered with Chris Lawrence trying to score a try. There were possible grounds to call it a penalty try, but the Bunker instead recommended Kennar be sent to the sin bin with no penalty try.4 Wests would take the shot at goal for a 6–4 lead.
Down a player, Melbourne looked to survive the ten minutes, attempting a penalty shot at goal to waste some time. Smith’s kick from 30 metres out would miss the shot to level the scores. Melbourne were able to kill the power play, gaining repeat sets and pinning the Tigers inside their own half on the few tackles they had with the ball. The only damage done was a head knock to Tim Glasby who wouldn’t return after leaving the field.
Immediately after Kenner’s return though, Luke Brooks was able to read a Cronk short pass for an intercept, running 65 metres to score. Down 12–4, Melbourne seemed a little off the pace, especially on their last tackle options. From broken play after Moses lost the ball in a tackle, Cameron Munster got the ball out to Marika Koroibete to make for the left corner. Koroibete would slide down the touchline after beating Kevin Naiqama and Addo-Carr, only to be denied a try by the video referee when his pinky brushed the touchline.
That chance gone, Melbourne’s attack wasn’t as crisp as it would be later in the 2016 season, and another intercept came when a Blake Green pass was taken by Naiqama, but this time Koroibete was able to chase down the Tigers centre, causing Addo-Carr to knock-on the pass at midfield.
In commentary Phil Gould mused that Melbourne were missing Billy Slater in attack with Munster there, but he was really missing the point entirely – it was the foil for Cronk at pivot that Melbourne were missing with Green not really the answer for the way Melbourne’s attack was formed.5
Errors from both teams would be the story of the rest of the first half, with Melbourne unable to complete their sets, moving away from structured attacking plays as their started to play more ad-lib football. In defence though, Melbourne’s formation would stay strong, able to hold out anything that the Tigers could throw at them.
Second half
Melbourne started the second half in a similar fashion to how they started the match – marching down the field on their first possession and on the back of a penalty, Cameron Smith was able to send Cronk into a half gap for the halfback to bounce over with momentum to score a good old fashioned halfback try. Smith was able to land his only goal of the day to get Melbourne within two points at 12–10.
There would be a moment of madness from Nelson Asofa-Solomona6 who would go on report for a trip on Moses. From the tap penalty, Melbourne were able to hold out the Tigers attack, albeit with the help of a forward pass from Brooks to Lawrence to end the set.
It would take another ten minutes for Melbourne to take the lead for the second time in the game, with Vunivalu scoring his second try. It was a controversial moment in the match with the Wests Tigers complaining that play should have been stopped in the lead up with Vunivalu accused of fouling Tedesco at the start of the set. Tedesco had knocked on and slipped into Vunivalu’s shoulder with the winger dashing away with the loose ball. Melbourne would take on the defence without the fullback, with the referees not stopping play for the injury. On the last tackle, Cronk passed wide to the right for Kennar who shot out the final pass to Vunivalu to score.
The referees would be criticised for putting Vunivalu on report, with the MRC not charging Vunivalu with any offence.
Jason Taylor wasn’t pleased:
He got hit in the head and the player was put on report. Usually you get something for that.
Tedesco would leave the field a few minutes later, but would return later in the match. Vunivalu would not be charged by the MRC for his part in the tackle.
After taking the lead, Melbourne would extend their advantage as they continued to find space in the middle of the paddock, able to get repeat sets through the kicking game of Cameron Smith. Moving the ball left through some slick passing, Koroibete was found out wide unmarked to score on the left wing. The last pass from Ben Hampton was line-ball, but the try would give Melbourne and 18–12 with just 20 minutes to go after Smith’s kick hit the post into the breeze.
From there Melbourne expected to grind out the win and they were able to limit the Tigers chances until an error from Hampton gave Tigers field position and a spread to the left found the Storm short on the right edge. It would be Naiqama with the try, but Jordan Rankin missed the conversion, leaving the score 18–16 with 10 minutes to go.
When Tedesco returned to the field, Melbourne were trying to protect the lead, playing defensive football, but despite Munster diffusing the Tigers high kicks, the cracks were starting to show. Vunivalu almost lost the ball in a tackle, and then with five minutes to go Proctor would lose the ball under pressure at midfield. In the resulting set Moses would be smashed by Green, but referee Ashley Klein called the Storm defenders offside. Rankin took the penalty goal to level the scores at 18–all with two minutes to go.
Extra time
With a breeze affecting play, the toss of the coin for golden point was important to win and Smith called correctly to have assistance of the conditions behind the Storm’s back.
On the first set, Melbourne would get over halfway on fourth tackle to set up for field goal, only for Cronk’s 45-metre effort to fall well short. In reply the Tigers were able to Melbourne’s 30 metre line on the last tackle, but under pressure Moses’ attempt screwed wide. The kick would fall into the hands of Vunivalu but the inexperience winger would lose the ball in a tackle. In perfect field position, Wests would go for the field goal on the second tackle, but again Moses would miss the kick, this time wide right.
Getting the ball back, Melbourne were able to get over halfway on the second tackle, setting up for the field goal attempt in prime position on tackle four. Taking his chance stepping out from dummy half, Smith went for it only for his kick to dribble along the ground under the posts.
With the extra time period moving at a frenetic pace, both teams would have another chance before the referee’s whistle. Set up again on the 30-metre line, Brooks would take the shot this time for the Tigers only to miss wide left. With one last chance before halftime in extra time, Melbourne get over halfway on tackle two, setting up Cronk to hit the perfect field goal kick 33-metres out from directly in front of the posts. The winning kick came with just 24 second left in the period.
This was Melbourne’s first golden point win since the opening round of the 2014, having lost their previous golden point match to the Cowboys in March 2015.
Wests Tigers – 18 (Addo-Carr 7', Brooks 20', Naiqama 68' tries; Rankin 3/5 goals)
Melbourne – 19 (Vunivalu 1', 53', Cronk 43', Koroibete 58' tries; Smith 1/5 goals; Cronk field goal)
Stat pack
This will be Melbourne’s fifth match on 17 June, going undefeated in the four previous matches against: St George-Illawarra 34–28 at Docklands in 2001, North Queensland 23–22 in 2017, Newcastle away 28–10 in 2018, and Brisbane 32–20 in 2022.
Melbourne have played against Wests Tigers at Campbelltown Stadium three times and have never lost against them, with the last match a 28–6 win on a Monday night in 2014. Melbourne played against the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1998 (winning 26–16) and Penrith in 2020 (losing 21–14).
Melbourne have won the last five matches against Wests Tigers, with the last Tigers victories the pair of match in early 2018 in Melbourne and Auckland.
Not having to visit Leichhardt Oval is already a win for Melbourne, with the Storm’s 40% win record at the venue their worst for any venue that they’ve played more than 10 matches.
Matt Geyer’s 34 points against the Western Suburbs Magpies at Laithlain Oval7 in Perth during the 1999 season is still the record number of individual points scored by a Melbourne Storm player. Geyer scored four tries and kicked 9/13 goals in a 62–6 win over the hapless Magpies.
Team line-up
Nick Meaney
Will Warbick
Remis Smith
Marion Seve
George Jennings (first NRL game for 2023)
Jonah Pezet
Jahrome Hughes ©
Tui Kamikamica
Bronson Garlick (first NRL career start)
Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Trent Loiero
Tariq Sims
Josh King
Tyran Wishart
Tom Eisenhuth
Alec MacDonaldAaron Pene
Justin OlamGrant Anderson
Sualauvi Fa’alogoChris Lewis
Kane Bradley
Referee: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
Preview
As expected there’s a number of changes from the team that beat Cronulla on Sunday afternoon, the three Origin players all will be missing while Christian Welch is out suspended from his dangerous tackle charge.8
Alec MacDonald returns to the forward rotation, having been out through injury since round 7. MacDonald has played a couple of matches for Easts Tigers in recent weeks and will be looking to show the form he had earlier in the season. Tariq Sims maintains his spot in the squad this week after a solid outing last week.
In the backs, Marion Seve has been named at centre but there might be a shuffle with Justin Olam among the reserves coming back from his head knock. George Jennings returns to the Melbourne starting line-up for the first time since round 1 last year. Jennings has been biding his time in Queensland Cup in 2023, playing eight matches for the Tigers scoring six tries.
Big games will be required from Jonah Pezet and Bronson Garlick, with Garlick stepping into the starting hooker role for the first time in his NRL career. After Harry Grant’s massive game against the Sharks, they’re big shoes to fill for the Pieman, but hopefully stand-in captain Jahrome Hughes can help Garlick get the team comfortably around the park on Saturday night.
Looking over at the Tigers and while they have won a few matches since we last saw them in April, they have lost their last two matches after putting the cleaners through the Cowboys in round 12. Luke Brooks is out with a hamstring injury, so septuagenarian Sheens has named Brandon Wakeham and Starford To’a as the halves. Whether that proves to be a masterstroke or senility, who really knows.
David Nofoaluma should line up for the Tigers, with the former Storm loanee having scored five tries in nine matches across his career. Storm antagonist David Klemmer will be leading the Tigers forwards in his first season with the team.
Let’s be real – if Melbourne are serious about playing finals football this year, they can’t afford to slip up in games like this, even during peak #wrongpriorities season. It would be nice if a similar performance to last week is the output in Campbelltown, but if the defensive effort is the same that should be enough to take home the two competition points.
The most recent club debutant is Tariq Sims at #230.
Watching the Nine replay on NRL.com, Ray Warren, Peter Sterling, Phil Gould and Brad Fittler are in commentary. The commercial breaks are removed, so you hear the talk during the breaks - the loud snort after the first try was awarded is comedy gold. If you do watch the replay of this one a word of caution, Gould is in a very obnoxious and belligerent mood. The Fox Sports feed with Warren Smith and Braith Anasta wasn’t much better.
Rabbit Warren’s call of the “Richie Benaud Double” with the #22 scoring the first try for both teams a moment of lucid brilliance from the veteran commentator.
It was the only time Kennar was sent to the sin bin in his nine Melbourne appearances.
It’s interesting seeing the change of body shape from Cameron Munster when he was a full time fullback compared to when he went to five-eighth.
NAS aged 20 was a big unit back then, albeit still raw.
Now the West Coast Eagles training venue Mineral Resources Park.
It’s Welch’s third time missing a match through suspension in his NRL career.