The Melbourne Storm have reconfirmed their reputation as the most clinically ruthless team in the NRL after their 40-12 demolition of reigning premiers, the Manly Sea Eagles, last night. In a performance that will have both the Bulldogs and the Rabbitohs scratching their heads, the Storm shook off any remnants of their uncharacteristic late season form slump and will surely go into next weekends grand final as favourites after thumping two premiership heavy weights on their way to the big one.
For Manly’s part they turned in one of their worst performances in a season that has exceeded expectations. With Cooper Cronk capitalising on a Tony Williams fumble to crash over in the corner after only 5 minutes, Manly never seemed to recover with the 12-6 half-time score doing little justice to the manner in which the Storm bluntly dictated terms and was further aided by Cameron Smith’s three missed conversions. Seconds halves have been the Sea Eagles weakness for most of the season so they were in need something special if they were going to reverse the trend against a white hot Storm. Jamie Lyon’s second try kept them in the contest but uncharacteristic mistakes, 16 errors and missed 34 tackles, gifted the Storm too many opportunities. Doubles to Billy Slater and Cronk, and a clean pair heels from in form centre Will Chambers saw the Storm at their attacking best.
The Storm will watch tonights final eagerly. They clearly have the wood on Souths and would be pretty stoked if the Rabbitohs could pull a err, rabbit, out of the hat with an upset against the Dogs. The Dogs belted the Storm in Mackay not so long ago on the back of Benny Barba’s best game, and that’s saying something, but that was a Storm team down on confidence and form. After their last two wins, they look the goods indeed.
