S27E22 Preview – House of the Dragons

August comes with a view from the top

Aug 01, 2024

The Dragons return to Melbourne for the first time since May 2022. Will they be the fearsome creatures of myth and legend, or will they be confused and lost in a Storm?

Seventy Ten.

Until ANZAC Day in 2022 those words meant only one thing to Melbourne Storm fans.

My photograph of the scoreboard on the old MCG Olympic Stand at the completion of round 5, 2000.

S03E05 – Melbourne Storm vs St George-Illawarra Dragons

The cover headline from Big League said it all in the lead-up to this match:

Grand final replay: What’s gone wrong?

After beating St Helens in the World Club Championship in late January, Melbourne returned to the southern hemisphere and promptly lost their first four matches of the 2000 season. The loss against the Warriors overshadowed by the tragic passing of football manager Mick Moore, whose legacy at the Storm lives on to this day.

Those four straight losses on the road saw the Storm plummet to 14th and last1 on the NRL ladder and the reigning premiers looked in trouble ahead of their first match in Melbourne. The round 4 30–22 loss to Penrith especially riling up coach Chris Anderson:

We got back in the game and then we just did a heap of dumb stuff. That's what's so disappointing. It's probably the dumbest loss we've ever had. We just lost our heads and made too many mistakes down our end ... the simplest part of our football and we just couldn't get it right.
It's a matter of hanging in there and working hard. There's no secret formulas. You've got to hang in and work hard and ground it out. When you lose confidence, it's a tough job.

The Dragons were also struggling, losing three out of their first four matches to start the season, their only win coming in round 2 at Wollongong against the Cowboys. After a narrow loss to the Northern Eagles in round 4, these quotes from Dragons five-eighth Anthony Mundine about the 1999 Grand Final added spice to this match:

I don't really feel they deserved to win but they got the win. I see us as being the champs and we are going down there to try and prove that, not just to ourselves but everybody else.2

Mundine’s words certainly had an impact in the media, helping hype up the match which was the first NRL match to be played at the MCG.3 Despite projections of a crowd of more than 30,000 to be in attendance, a wet Melbourne Friday evening greeted the teams.

Teams from Big League — both teams were as per program.

Before the match Glenn Lazarus went around the MCG on the back of a ute holding the premiership trophy and the prematch fireworks filled the stadium with smoke. The old Ponsford Stand wasn’t opened for this match, with most patrons gathered in the Great Southern Stand. Melbourne wore the same specially designed jerseys worn in the World Club Challenge with the reflective silver lightning bolts. Those bolts seemed to dazzle their opponents.

My mind’s eye had some very accurate memories from attending this match, as I don’t think I had seen a replay of this one since 2000.4 Melbourne started ferociously, forcing a shank from Nathan Brown at the end of the Dragons set and an error on half way. Immediately on the attack, Melbourne scored on their first opportunity, Tony Martin sizing up a chance down a short side from dummy half, sending Marcus Bai into a gap on the left flank. Bai easily brushing off Luke Patten to score adjacent to the posts.

Melbourne’s physical start was paying dividends, a Brett Kimmorley kick trapped Patten in the ingoal and from the line drop out set, under fire rookie five-eighth Tasesa Lavea stepped through the line in the right channel to extend the lead to 12–0 inside the first ten minutes. The visitors had no answer to the Kimmorley and Scott Hill show, the playmakers combining with Robbie Ross in the middle of the MCG for Kimmorley to score Melbourne’s third try. Even when the Dragons completed a set and had a deep enough kick to put pressure on Ross at the back, the fullback had the pace and skill to link up with Bai and Martin on the left, Martin throwing the last pass back to Ross for another try, completing a 90m kick return without being tackled to take the lead to 24–0 inside 20 minutes. It was an absolute carve up with the Storm playing some wonderful rugby league for a perfect start.

The Dragons did have a try in the first half, capitalising on an error that gave them field position inside the Melbourne red zone, a zero tackle kick from Brown was marked by Lee Hookey out wide to score, on the visitors first real chance in the wet conditions.

Melbourne though were causing havoc down the left flank with Ross, Martin and Bai, the Storm hitting back almost immediately. Aaron Moule and Richard Swain both went close, but it would be Danny Williams to score the try diving over from dummy half. St George-Illawarra couldn’t hold the ball, and they were being terrorised in both defence and attack. Ben Roarty was monstering Mundine. Kimmorley scored his second try after beating Lance Thompson and Brown in the middle to run away to the line.

Then this moment of absolute comedy came from a 20m restart.5

Immediately following Thompson’s fall, Melbourne took an easy two points after Solomon Haumono was penalised for a strip, Lavea landing seventh straight kick for goal.

Just before half time, Melbourne scored their best try of the night, a supreme passing try that went through eight pairs of hands, Hill finishing a razzle-dazzle football movement, the Storm’s support play and skills making the visitors look like a rabble. Lavea missed his first kick for the night with Melbourne heading back to the dressing rooms up 42–4.

With the weather worsening after the break, the Dragons tried to match Melbourne’s intensity, but they couldn’t stop Kimmorley again in the middle with their defence falling for a dummy and step, Noddy setting up Swain to score untouched. The diminutive halfback was on fire, picking hole in the Dragons defence seemingly at will, another try assist coming when he put Lavea through the line to score. The Junior All Black would leave the field soon after though with a corked thigh.

Right on the hour mark, Melbourne hit 60 points for the third time in the club’s short history, Hill and Kimmorley again setting up plays at will against flimsy defence. It would be Moule crossing for Melbourne’s 10th try of the night. Everything was going Melbourne’s way and the longer this match went on, the more it looked like they had slain a dragon for every insult that had been thrown at the club in the lead-up. Roarty scored a try in a sequence that began with Hill taking an intercept deep in Melbourne’s half to bring up the Storm’s highest ever score, surpassing the previous highs of 62 points.

There was a consolation try for the Dragons in the final ten minutes, a cheeky kick from prop Corey Pearson found Trent Barrett who kicked again and got a favourable bounce to score under the posts, Thompson converting to take the score to 64–10.

That wasn’t the last score of the match though with Melbourne ending a magical night on a high when Hill offloaded to Ross for the fullback to run straight past attempted tackles from Nathan Blacklock and Mundine to send the score to 70–10.

It was the first time a team had scored 70 points in the NSWRL/ARL/NRL competition since the 1970s, and still stands as Melbourne’s highest score in a match tied by the same score reached against the Warriors in 2022.

In the post match Chris Anderson probably smiled:

We didn't lose faith. I knew we were a great football side. We didn't get down on ourselves, stayed positive and hung in there. Mundine's comments didn't help them. He usually backs up everything he says but he didn't do it tonight.

Then Carlton coach David Parkin spoke to Roy Masters after the match:

I have never seen intent like that in any game of football for a long time. It was obvious the Storm had a mission. It was the most defined exploitation of a team I have seen. We saw a team pulverised, demoralised. We saw the way the Storm just ran through some of the tackles at the end. Rugby league is different to our game but it appeals to different aspects of our make-up.
The power was ferocious and the crowd loved it.

Match worn Russell Bawden jersey and my match ticket

Melbourne – 70 (Kimmorley 13', 29', Lavea 8', 53', Ross 17', 76', Bai 2', Williams 26', Hill 38', Swain 45', Moule 60', Roarty 69' tries; Lavea 8/9, Geyer 3/4 goals)

St George-Illawarra – 10 (Hookey 21', Barrett 74' tries; Thompson 1/1, Bartrim 0/1 goals)

In the return match between these teams in round 18 at Wollongong, the Dragons would hand out their own thrashing to Melbourne, inflicting what remains tied for the club’s heaviest defeat, winning 50–4.6 But by that stage of the season, the Dragons had already shown coach David Waite the door in favour of Andrew Farrer and Mundine had quit rugby league to take up boxing.

St Merge would miss the finals in 2000 finishing ninth and wouldn’t make a Grand Final until a certain team was excluded from competing for points in 2010. Melbourne would make the 2000 finals but were eliminated while flying home from their week one loss to the Knights in Newcastle.

Stat attack

Melbourne have only played two previous matches on 3 August, losing heavily to the Broncos at Olympic Park in 2002, and against Souths at Homebush in 2018.
The Dragons have not won in Melbourne since winning in week one of the 1999 NRL finals series. Since then Melbourne are on a 16-match winning streak against the Dragons in Victoria.
With a win percentage of just 28.04% Melbourne are the Dragons worst opponent, the Red V have won just 11 of 41 matches and drawn once (2002).
In six previous matches at AAMI Park, the Dragons have scored 92 points and were restricted to just six points on their last visit in 2022.
Shane Flanagan has coached 15 matches against Melbourne, winning six times including two wins at AAMI Park with Cronulla (2017 and 2018).
Shawn Blore will line up for his 50th NRL match having played 33 matches with the Wests Tigers prior to joining Melbourne.

Team line-up

Ryan Papenhuyzen
Will Warbrick
Jack Howarth
Nick Meaney
Grant Anderson
Cameron Munster
Jahrome Hughes
Tui Kamikamica
Harry Grant ©
Josh King
Shawn Blore
Eliesa Katoa
Trent Loiero
Tyran Wishart
Lazarus Vaalepu
Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Alec MacDonald
Tristan Powell
Chris Lewis
Sualauvi Fa’alogo
~~Reimis Smith~~
Tepai Moeroa

Referee: Grant Atkins (Bunker: Matt Noyen)

Preview

Melbourne Storm vs St George-Illawarra Dragons
— AAMI Park, 5:30pm Saturday 3 August 2024

After Cameron Munster’s successful return from injury via the bench last week, he reclaims his number six jersey from Tyran Wishart, with the utility moving back to the bench. This means that Sua Fa’alogo will likely be turning out for North Sydney on Sunday. Also missing this week (again) is Christian Welch whose back injury must now be classed as a chronic case of old.

Returning from a shoulder injury is Alec MacDonald, meaning that Melbourne’s bench rotation is almost back to full strength. Maybe that means that Lazarus Vaalepu might see more than the 26 minutes he’s played across two matches so far for Melbourne. Having said that, if there ever was a match to sneak in another debutant before the business end of the season, Tristan Powell might be close to getting a game and potential NRL debut.

For the Dragons, Tyrell Sloan comes back in after being dropped for their match against Penrith. There’s other changes for the Shane Flanagan coached team but most of them are just exchanging one warm body for another.

Looking at the table, St Merge are still in contention for a finals berth, which is surprising for a team that famously can’t play. They have two (2) good players and Tom Eisenhuth. That’s kinda about it. If Melbourne can restrict the space afforded to Ben Hunt and limit any attacking opportunities to Zac Lomax, I doubt the Dragons have enough points in them to beat the Storm. Their forward pack should be of little concern to Melbourne, and as long as the Storm play something close to the level they’ve been playing most of season 2024.

What I would like to see again this week is a focus on defence and doing the little things right in attack. Nothing fancy, just some solid rugby league as we enter into August.

Finally, farewell and best wishes to Reimis Smith who was released just before the Super League transfer deadline this week. While it’s sad to see Smith depart, if he can take up a new deal in the northern hemisphere, that’s a good situation all around.

What else is going on?

Ahead of the main game at AAMI Park on Saturday, the Jersey Flegg squad will be in action against the sixth-placed Dragons (kickoff 3pm). If you’re around Swan St early, make sure you cheer the boys in purple on.

As alluded to, North Sydney play on Sunday this weekend, back at North Sydney Oval against the Dragons (kickoff 3pm). Reimis Smith, Dean Ieremia and Ativalu Lisati should all be running out for the top of the table Bears.

In Queensland, the Falcons have the weekend off, which means its only the Tigers who will be at home on Sunday against the Burleigh Bears (kickoff 2:10pm). The Bears will want to bounce back after a loss last week, while the Tigers finals hopes have been pretty much dashed over the past few weeks, having not won since their upset win over the Bears back in mid-June.

Interested to see that a bunch of Olympic rugby sevens players will be heading to the NRLW over the coming weeks, while there’s the Super Netball Grand Final on Saturday night (from 7pm) with the Thunderbirds hosting the Vixens.