S28E16 Preview – Hangin' at Homebush
Melbourne return from a bye to head to Western Sydney to play South Sydney. Makes sense.
Did the Storm hit Accor Stadium a week early?
With Alex Johnston fast approaching Ken Irvine’s tryscoring record having gone past 200 career tries earlier in June, my interest was piqued about how he’s gone against the Storm.
Unsurprisingly he’s scored a bunch of tries, scoring 13 tries in his 14 appearances against Melbourne. Scoring two tries on four occasions,1 meaning he’s only gone five matches against the Storm without scoring. His record compares to a few Storm players: Billy Slater (15 tries in 22 appearances against Souths), Matt Geyer (10 tries in 11 appearances), Ryan Papenhuyzen (nine tries in seven matches), with Josh Addo-Carr (13 tries in nine appearances) the outlier thanks to his six tries against the Bunnies in 2021.
The one stat that can’t be denied about Alex Johnston though — Souths have won just three matches in which he’s played against Melbourne. It wasn’t until 2018 in Johnston’s fifth match against the Storm that he tasted success, Souths first win against the Storm in five seasons.
S21E21 – South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Melbourne Storm
The teams came into this match with Melbourne on an eight-match winning streak which saw them take the top of the ladder from Souths who had dropped just below the Storm on points difference.
Johnston would start at fullback for the Bunnies with Adam Doueihi coming onto the wing, while Melbourne were without Suliasi Vunivalu who was replaced by Cheyse Blair.
Your correspondent was not at Stadium Australia for this Friday night match, instead there was increasing frustration watching the match via the small screen in row MM at the back of the MCG.
That frustration started as early as Melbourne’s first set with the ball. Nelson Asofa-Solomona gave away possession and then compounded his error by giving away a penalty for Adam Reynolds to take the two to open the scoring in the third minute.
Melbourne should have scored a long-range try in the sixth minute, but an electrifying break down the right channel ended when Will Chambers couldn’t find a pass. In an attacking set that followed a penalty, Dale Finucane crashed over from close range, beating two tacklers to get the ball down over his head.
That try was just a momentary break from the frustration. Ryan Hoffman knocked the ball on from the restart trying to collect a bouncing ball, gifting Souths attacking field position. A string of penalties awarded against the Storm piled on the pressure, but the defence was able to hold firm despite being stretched thin on both sides of the field. More penalties against Melbourne proved too much to take, Cody Walker throwing a killer pass to Hymel Hunt to score in the corner. The former Storm player getting the ball down under pressure from Jahrome Hughes.
Melbourne were able to retake the lead a few minutes later thanks to the finishing of Josh Addo-Carr. The winder finishing a move down the left that involved crisp passes from Cameron Smith, Cameron Munster and Billy Slater, launching himself to score in the left corner. Smith the maestro in the middle, timing his passing to perfection.
Again Melbourne couldn’t hold the ball from the restart. He wasn’t shown on the broadcast, but I’m sure Bellyache was not well pleased. The defence was able to withstand the pressure they had put themselves under2 and eventually extended Melbourne’s lead to 16–6 ten minutes from half time.
The try coming under the posts through Curtis Scott who finished a bust made by Addo-Carr who had drifted into the middle of the field to take a dash from dummy half. It looked too easy for Melbourne as the outside backs went to work. Melbourne’s three visits to the South Sydney half resulting in three tries.
It could have been four tries but for a blunder from the referees in awarding the ball to Souths from a clear knock-on after the ball pinballed around just metres from the tryline. A penalty and a further penalty for backchat getting the Bunnies out of trouble.3
Those ill-gotten penalties gave Souths the field position to attack the Storm line and this time they wouldn’t be denied. Damien Cook sending Sam Burgess to sniff out the white line and score adjacent to the posts to send the teams to the sheds at 16–12.
The first half didn’t end without some idiocy when the fools in the NRL Bunker pressed the wrong button to award Souths a try from a clear knock-on. Thankfully even these referees knew it was a mistake.
More mistakes from the officials after the break cost Melbourne attacking position, but the narrative of the second half was that this match was the Damien Cook show. Souths got the better of the grind as Melbourne’s discipline waned, taking the lead when Doueihi got on the end of a passing play to score on their left.
The home team extended their lead 10 minutes later when Cook took advantage of the dominance established by his middle forwards to score a try. It was a solo effort from the hooker, grabbing the ball from the ruck and dashing 40 metres to score after beating four would-be tacklers who all failed to stop him.
Melbourne were being out enthused and were seemingly endlessly defending, hardly touching the ball. They were doing their best to stay in the match, but despite the efforts of Slater and Smith, Souths were able to put the result beyond doubt when Walker put Johnston into a yawning gap in the left channel for the finisher to stream past Blair and Chambers.
Cameron Smith would leave the field with an ankle injury following the try,4 and there was time for a late consolation score from Addo-Carr after Melbourne finally reached the Souths 20m line for the first time in the 78th minute. The Fox scoring a nifty try after kicking it inside as he was about to be tackled into touch, grounding the ball after collecting a ricochet after reentering the field of play.
South Sydney – 30 (Hunt 15', S Burgess 37', Doueihi 53', Cook 62', Johnston 73' tries; Reynolds 5/6 goals)
Melbourne – 22 (Addo-Carr 19', 77', Finucane 7', Scott 30' tries; C Smith 2/3, Stimson 0/1 goals)
Both teams would finish level on points at the end of the 2018 season with the Roosters taking the J. J. Giltinan Shield on points difference, with Cronulla the fourth team of the quartet all on 34 points. Finishing in second Melbourne beat Souths in an epic qualifying final at AAMI Park… but that’s a story for another time.
Stat attack
Melbourne have played four times before on 21 June, winning at Olympic Park against North Queensland (48–20 in 2008) and Wests Tigers (14–22 in 2009), but losing 14–12 to the Broncos at AAMI Park in 2015. Last year the Storm beat the Dolphins 30–24 at Suncorp Stadium.
Round 16 is one of Melbourne’s least successful, losing 11 times during the previous 27 seasons. The Storm lost eight of 10 round 16 matches between 2008 and 2017, but have lost just once since in 2022.
Wayne Bennett’s teams haven’t beaten Melbourne since 2016, losing five times with the Broncos, six times with the Rabbitohs, and three times with the Dolphins.
Overall Melbourne have played 52 matches against Wayne Bennett coached teams, winning 37 times, losing just 14 times with one drawn match back in 2000.
Souths have won just six of 42 matches against Melbourne, but have won three of those matches at Stadium Australia in 11 previous matches.
Players that have played for both teams in matches between these teams include Mark Nicholls, Jaiman Lowe, Garret Crossman, Jeff Lima, Michael Crocker, Matt King, David Kidwell and Greg Inglis.
Team line-up
Ryan Papenhuyzen
Grant Anderson
Jack Howarth (surely he plays after attending #wrongpriorities frequent flyer camp)
Nick Meaney
Xavier Coates (pending #wrongpriorities)
Cameron Munster (pending #wrongpriorities)
Jahrome Hughes
Stefano Utoikamanu (pending #wrongpriorities)
Harry Grant © (pending #wrongpriorities)
Josh King
Shawn Blore
Eliesa Katoa
Trent Loeiro (pending #wrongpriorities)
Tyran Wishart
Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Tui Kamikamica
Bronson Garlick
Ativalu Lisati
Alec MacDonald
Sualauvi Fa’alogo
Joe Chan
Lazarus Vaalepu
Keagan Russell-Smith
Kane Bradley
Referee: Peter Gough (Bunker: Chris Butler)
Preview
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Melbourne Storm
— Accor Stadium, 7:35pm Saturday 21 June 2025
Again the team list sent out on Tuesday afternoon will likely be somewhat meaningless come Saturday evening. Who knows who of the Origin contingent will back up after a camp, a match on a sodden field, and a transcontinental flight.
If Alec MacDonald is back to full fitness, I would expect him to come back into the line-up, while there is still no signs of Will Warbrick returning anytime soon. The rest of the team should be well golfed rested after their bye week away.
For 30 minutes against the Bulldogs, Souths looked decidedly mediocre. Then the storm hit Accor Stadium, the teams left the field, and on resumption the Bunnies looked better. Rugby league is a strange game. That they still were defeated is probably testament to the under-strength Bulldogs more than anything Souths had to offer. They also suffered a blow with Jayden Sullivan, Jye Gray and Keaon Koloamatangi all added to their injury list, although Koloamatangi has been named as a reserve. They’ve also named Cody Walker and Campbell Graham as reserves which means that they might be close to returning from injury layoffs.
I guess it all means that we have absolutely no idea who might take the field for either team this week. The only certainty is probably that Alex Johnston will score a try for Souths at some point.
That uncertainty also stems from the presence of the pensioner in the opposition coaches’ box. Wayne Bennett might not have won a premiership with a team legitimately under the salary cap since Tina Turner was the face of rugby league, but his teams always have something different to encounter. There’s always a scheme lurking.
Returning to Accor Stadium for their only regular season visit and their first since the 2024 NRL Grand Final shouldn’t pose the Storm too many issues… *checks the forecast* … wow no rain… that’s unusual.
If Melbourne are to keep touch with the other teams in the top four, this is a must win match. Dropping this one might not be catastrophic, but it would go a long way as to why the Storm might be in store for a tougher September than necessary.
I did enjoy this Origin report from Mike Meehall Wood at Love Rugby League, and this from Jason Oliver at Rugby League Writers.
Finding it amusing the discussions about #Kleined and the penalty count. Remember:
That’s the thing when you know that Ashley Klein is the referee. You know that #Kleined is a state of existence. It’s going to happen and you can’t stop it, only wait for the next dodgy decision to instead go your way. I’m not sure that there’s a fan base that enjoys having their game officiated by Klein, but you know that for most of the time, everyone is having a bad time.
What else is going on?
The Jersey Flegg Cup boys were handed a bit of a rugby league lesson at Seabrook Reserve last Saturday, thrashed 46–4 by the Raiders. That loss saw the team drop to third on the ladder behind the Raiders and this week’s visitors Cronulla to Broadmeadows. The Sharks thrashed the Silktails at home last weekend, so they will also be a strong test on Saturday afternoon (kickoff 2pm).
The Bears are at home on Sunday afternoon (kickoff 3pm) against the Newtown Jets. Norths got the job done last weekend at home against Canberra with Ativalu Lisati starting and playing 57 minutes at prop, while Gabriel Satrick came off the bench for a 28 minute stint. A win this week will go a long way to putting the Bears in the race for the NSW Cup finals, but a loss might just close the door already.
It was a gutsy 18–16 win in Port Moresby for the Falcons against the Hunters, a late Cody Hunter penalty goal the difference with only one try scored by the home team after half time had levelled the scores with ten minutes to go. Taking the points on the road without any Storm players might be the spur the team needs in the latter half of the season. Back home this Saturday evening (kickoff 5pm) they take on the Seagulls (Wynnum-Manly version) in what will be a classic battle of the birds.
Meanwhile the Tigers had a big 38–10 win over the Northern Pride to keep touch with the top eight teams in the Queensland Cup. Kane Bradley scored a couple of second half tries, while Keagan Russell-Smith will be practising his goalkicking after kicking just two from six attempts. Josiah Pahulu made his Easts Tigers debut, starting at prop and playing 46 minutes. This week the Tigers have the Hunters visiting Coorparoo on Sunday afternoon (kickoff 2:10pm) on what is the 9Now match if you don’t subscribe to Qplus.
A stumble for the Lightning against the Giants in The Bad Place on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps the lightning outside messed with the Lightning inside… or something like that. A 78–68 loss puts the pressure back on the Sunshine Coast girls ahead of the visit of the resurgent Melbourne Vixens this Saturday (first pass 5pm). Both teams are in the final four with four matches to play with the Adelaide Thunderbirds one game behind in fifth.
Including the last time he played against Melbourne in 2023.
There’s a line in commentary from Phil Gould that deserves more recognition: “If there was a gold medal for the fans who can boo the most, South Sydney would win it hands down. I know all fans boo, but I’ve never heard fans boo like South Sydney fans. They’re relentless, they do it every play the ball.”
No need to guess who the referee was (Klein) and who gave away the backchat penalty (Munster).
He didn’t miss any matches as a result of this injury.