Storm players congratulate Kevin Proctor after scoring a try. Source: Stefan Postles / Getty Images
RABBITOHS fans beware the Storm are back and they are coming to get you.
1 Tries 12 | |
|---|---|
| Anthony Milford 7' | Sisa Waqa 4' |
| Mahe Fonua 15' | |
| Will Chambers 22' | |
| Mahe Fonua 32' | |
| Billy Slater 35' | |
| Kevin Proctor 40' | |
| Mahe Fonua 43' | |
| Will Chambers 49' | |
| Billy Slater 55' | |
| Tohu Harris 61' | |
| Sisa Waqa 66' | |
| Sisa Waqa 76' | |
0 Conversions 10 | |
| Cameron Smith 6' | |
| Cameron Smith 23' | |
| Cameron Smith 36' | |
| Cameron Smith 40' | |
| Cameron Smith 44' | |
| Cameron Smith 50' | |
| Cameron Smith 56' | |
| Cameron Smith 62' | |
| Cameron Smith 68' | |
| Cameron Smith 78' | |
The two NRL powerhouses will go head-to-head in what promises to be one of the games of the season in Melbourne next Friday night.
But while the Rabbitohs will go into the blockbuster coming off a demoralising 30-12 defeat to North Queensland on Saturday night, Melbourne turned on their best effort in months with a thumping 68-4 victory over Canberra on Sunday.
The Storm raced in 12 tries to one to hand Canberra their biggest ever defeat.
The Raiders previous worst loss was a 54-3 belting by Parramatta way back in 1982, the club’s first year in the competition.
Melbourne’s home grown winger Mahe Fonua and Sisa Waqa both finished with hat-tricks while Billy Slater and Will Chambers crossed for doubles.
Slater’s two tries moved his career tally 151 and counting as the Storm produced a statement of intent that their premiership defence is well and truly back on track.
The premiers went into the game having lost four of their last five but this win consolidates the Storm’s place in the NRL top four on 29 competition points.
The Raiders are still in seventh spot on 24 competition points.
Plenty of people were starting to question if the Storm still had it in them to defend their title this year after a tough run through Origin but if the win over the Raiders doesn’t answer that nothing will.
Skipper Cameron Smith and halfback Cooper Cronk were both brilliant but they had plenty of support.
The Storm held a commanding 32-4 lead at the break on the back of six first half tries and Fonua’s freakish performance.
Sisa Waqa opened the scoring for the Storm after just four minutes to claim a 6-0 lead before Anthony Milford turned a back-tracking Fonua inside out in the 7th minute to bring the Raiders back to 6-4.
The Storm suffered another setback when Maurice Blair was stretchered from the field in the 11th minute with a suspected neck injury but Melbourne medical staff seemed confident the injury was not serious.
But after a slow start Fonua turned on an incredible show.
He scored two tremendous tries, set up another with a remarkable show of athleticism and topped it off a wonderful try-saving tackle on Sandor Earl.
But it was the try Fonua set up for Will Chambers in the 21st minute that was without doubt the highlight, bringing back memories of Greg Inglis’ effort in the Centenary Test.
It came after Ryan Hoffman put through a grubber kick that looked dead for all money. Milford certainly thought it was well and truly over the dead ball line.
But jumping from the field of play, Fonua regathered the ball and in mid-air threw it back over his head for Chambers who simply had to ground the ball for an amazing try.
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