S27E14 Preview – The Sunday Matinee
Melbourne's only daytime game for 2024
Afternoon rugby league makes a rare appearance at AAMI Park this Sunday. The sun will not be in attendance it seems with the current forecast, but the Newcastle Knights will be in Melbourne for the first time since 2019.
Melbourne returning from a mid season bye to play Newcastle at AAMI Park after the first State of Origin game for the year. That seems like an oddly specific thing to have happened before…
S20E13 – Melbourne Storm vs Newcastle Knights
Back to 2017 this week for a look back at a match that echos through time to this week’s match up against the Knights.
Melbourne had three players selected for Queensland for the opening match of the 2017 Origin series, with the Blues taking a 28–4 win at Lang Park. Both Will Chambers and Cooper Cronk would back up on for this Friday evening match, but Cameron Smith would skip this one.1
Smith’s absence saw Slade Griffin move into the squad at starting hooker, with 21-year-old Brandon Smith2 coming onto the bench for his NRL debut. After missing much of the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Billy Slater was out to impress Maroons selectors following Queensland’s defeat in game one.
2017 was the first season under the current NRL scheduling agreement, with the 6pm Friday night game replacing Monday Night Football. That scheduling lead to a small crowd of 11,070 through the gates at AAMI Park, Melbourne’s lowest for the season at home.
Melbourne entered this match in first position on the NRL ladder two points clear of Cronulla, while the Knights were adrift on the bottom of the ladder having won just two of their 11 matches for the season under Nathan Brown. Newcastle had done well against Melbourne in 2016 losing both matches by just four points on each occasion, but their 2017 form had been terrible.
The Storm would show no signs of lethargy coming off the bye, getting off to a super fast start with a try in the second minute to Suliasi Vunivalu. Latching onto a midfield kick from Cronk, Vunivalu stepped around Dane Gagai to score down the right flank. The Fijian flyer had set a Storm record scoring 23 tries in 2016, and the opening try was his 10th for the season.
Newcastle had tried to slow down the Storm with a very conservative game plan in the first half, but two more tries to Melbourne through Josh Addo-Carr and Felise Kaufusi3 had the home team up 16–0 up inside of 20 minutes.4 The set play to set up Addo-Carr’s try coming through some slick passing from Cameron Munster, Tohu Harris and Billy Slater. Kaufusi’s try also coming via another try assist from Slater, who threw the last pass to send the edge forward through a yawning gap to score. The fullback hadn’t scored a try in Melbourne for a long time, but was certainly assisting a few to start the 2017 season.
After withstanding a bunch of pressure from the Storm, Newcastle would get on the scoreboard through a try to Ken Sio in the 28th minute. The winger diving over in the corner for a spectacular finish after some good work from Gagai in the lead up. The try causing consternation for the fans in the stands as the club had promised free doughnuts should the Knights be held scoreless in either half.5
The Knights almost went back to back through Sio but the movement was called back for a forward pass (or two). That scare seemed to refocus the Storm in the last part of the first half, the home team controlling the ball and field position as the Knights ill-discipline cost them with Lachlan Fitzgibbon sent to the sin bin in the 37th minute after a string of infringements. Melbourne though were unable to capitalise when Brandon Smith was ruled to have promoted the ball in a double movement. Smith’s eagerness to score letting the Knights off the hook to end the half.
Coming back from the break, Melbourne were able to break the resistance of the visitors. After setting up two tries in the first half, Billy Slater scored his 176th career try in the 43rd minute grabbing a Cronk grubber kick to crash over adjacent to the posts. That try awarded by the video referee, was Slater’s first at AAMI Park since round 15 in 2014. Two further tries with Vunivalu and Slater both completing doubles came after Fitzgibbon returned from the sin bin to end the match as any kind of contest. Slater’s second try turning back the clock with his speed through the middle shredding the Knights defence off the back of a Cronk inside pass.
After coming on for Slade Griffin, Brandon Smith was given an extended run in the second half and would get over the line for a try on debut. It was a simple crash over play from dummy half, but it provoked exuberant scenes on the field.
At 36–6 Melbourne subbed off Cronk for a rest, with the only interest in this match remaining was whether the Storm could reward the fans with free doughnuts by keeping the Knights from scoring…
But it wasn’t to be. The visitors finally getting tackled inside the red zone for the first time in the 72nd minute, scoring a couple of plays later when Slater failed to get the ball dead from a Gagai kick, Fitzgibbon falling on the ball before the dead ball line.
Melbourne might not have been able to provide free doughnuts for everyone, but there was one more moment of fun to send the Storm fans home happy, with Cheyse Blair scoring Melbourne’s eighth try of the night just before full time on the back of a bullet pass from Cameron Munster down the left edge.
The 40–12 result was Melbourne’s biggest win of the season to date, with the Storm passing 40 points for the first time against the Knights since 2011. It was a great debut for Brandon Smith, capped off with his first career try. He would go on to do some good things for Melbourne, then mysteriously disappeared off the face of the earth after the 2022 season.
Melbourne – 40 (Vunivalu 2', 50', Slater 43', 53', Addo-Carr 14', Kaufusi 17', B Smith 62', Blair 79' tries; Munster 4/8 goals)
Newcastle – 12 (Sio 28', Fitzgibbon 72' tries; Lamb 2/2 goals)
Stat attack
Melbourne have played twice before on 9 June, losing 18–0 to the Titans at Robina in 2008 when Melbourne, missing a bunch of Origin players and were coached by Stephen Kearney with Craig Bellamy absent on Origin duty for NSW. Melbourne defeated Cronulla in 2013 38–6 at AAMI Park.
The Storm have won the last four matches against the Knights at AAMI Park. Newcastle have won just twice from 12 visits to the venue, having won only five matches from 23 visits to Victoria.
Newcastle’s win in the 2013 semi final at AAMI Park was their first win in Victoria since 2004, ending a string of 11 Melbourne victories.
When Adam Gee is the referee, Melbourne have lost seven straight matches including three consecutive losses against Penrith.
Team line-up
Sualauvi Fa’alogo
Grant Anderson
Reimis Smith
Nick Meaney
Xavier Coates
Tyran Wishart
Jahrome Hughes
Tui Kamikamica
Harry Grant ©
Christian Welch
Shawn Blore
Eliesa Katoa
Josh King
Bronson Garlick
Trent Loiero
Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Alec MacDonald
Joe Chan
Jack Howarth
Young Tonumaipea
Dean Ieremia
Kane Bradley
Referee: Adam Gee (Bunker: Ashley Klein)
Preview
Melbourne Storm vs Newcastle Knights
— AAMI Park, 2:00pm Sunday 9 June 2024
After a weekend on the couch, Melbourne are top of the ladder… stupid bye points. I reject this reality and substitute my own. Melbourne are second by win percentage, fifth in attack, and third in defence.6 Newcastle are sitting in the mediocre part of the NRL ladder, with the exception of their extremely lacklustre attack, which ranks as badly as the Tigers and Rabbitohs.
My disappointment was immeasurable and my day was ruined by the allocation of the match officials for this match. Sigh. Let’s hope against all exposed form that Melbourne can overcome both the Knights and this fuckery.
Melbourne have named the same starting forward rotation that wasn’t great against Manly a fortnight ago. Can only hope that the middle forwards can provide a platform for Jahrome Hughes to get to work on the right edge, and for Tyran Wishart to offer something going left. Should Harry Grant and Xavier Coates back up from their midweek exhibition win against the state that includes The Bad Place, Melbourne’s kicking game will be important to direct kicks towards Coates, given the right flank will be a little different in the absence of Will Warbrick. Lurking on that edge instead will be Grant Anderson. Against the Knights in round 2, that edge was badly caught out by Kayln Ponga for Newcastle’s second try. While Ponga won’t be there this week, the fact remains that Melbourne’s right edge has struggled in defence this year against good teams moving the ball to their left.
Whether the Knights can be called good though is far from certain. They were dire against the Bulldogs last weekend, the 32–2 loss was especially bleak in the rain at Newcastle. Adam O’Brien has named the same 17 that took the field that night, and his team needs to show something lest he be the third coach to be relieved of his duties this season. That loss was the Knights first after a string of reasonable form that included wins against Redcliffe and the Wahs.
For Melbourne Bronson Garlick is a strong chance to make his first appearance for the season, resuming his bench role in relief of Harry Grant and wherever else he might be needed. After a delayed start to the season, he’s been in good form for the Bears and will be looking to make an impact. The use of Melbourne’s bench will be interesting to see again this week, especially after Alec MacDonald’s recent work in media street and feature in the advanced stats over at the Rugby League Eye Test’s midseason report.
In any event, these are the games Melbourne needs to win should the 2024 season be successful. Coming after a bye and at home, the Storm should be able to get the job done against the Knights.
What else is going on?
Liam over at Maroon Observer has the best breakdown on the farcical notion of the potential of a PNG-based expansion NRL team. Go have a read. Part of me wants to write the story about the equally fantastical notion of a second Melbourne Victorian NRL team, but I threatened to write that last year and only just saved myself from digging that well of weirdness. Suffice to say a second Melbourne NRL team is as likely to happen as [insert your own far-fetched notion here].
The Storm Jersey Flegg Cup squad squeaked home for a 22–18 win over Manly at Seabrook Reserve last Saturday afternoon, and will be the curtain raiser for the NRL match at AAMI Park on Sunday. Kickoff is 11:30am against the 8th-placed Panthers.
After knocking off Manly Blacktown with second half tries to Dean Ieremia and Bronson Garlick, the North Sydney Bears head to Penrith for a Sunday afternoon (1:40pm) match against the fourth placed Panthers. The Bears are currently sitting in second position on the NSW Cup ladder at the halfway mark of the season.
In Queensland, the Falcons have their second bye within a month after taking out the James Ackerman Cup 28–20 over Redcliffe. The Tigers will be looking to bounce back after a 20–10 loss against the Blackhawks in Townsville, this week facing off against Wynnum Manly Seagulls on Saturday (3pm kick off).
The Lightning fell just short against the Fever last weekend, and will need a win against the Swifts to maintain their place in the top four. The Swifts had a loss to the Mavericks last start, so it will be a tough battle at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Melbourne had one just once from the previous ten occasions where Cameron Smith was missing.
Smith had just turned 21 two days before.
In his 50th Storm appearance.
Cameron Munster was kicking the goals for Melbourne this night, the first
The first Friday of June is apparently National Doughnut Day.
My reality also decided that points difference is an imperfect stat, so I calculated both the AFL style percentage and the SANFL percentage for the comedy. Melbourne are fourth by those methods.