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The Newcastle Knights have stunned the Melbourne Storm with two late tries seeing them run out a 32-30 victory.
The Storm will be shattered with that result. They’ve spent three weeks on the road, including a mini-camp on the Central Coast before the match tonight. They will be wondering how they threw this one away – poor decisions at crucial times cost them tonight.
They return home to take on the Sharks next weekend.
For the Knights they will be hoping to keep this home form going as they host the Warriors next. That should be an entertaining clash if tonight’s performance is anything to go by.
FINAL SCORE:
Knights 32
Storm 30
The Newcastle Knights are out to erase memories of a last-start thrashing, while the Melbourne Storm are hitting their straps at the right end of the season. Join The Roar‘s live coverage from 5:30pm (AEST).
Last start, the Knights were woeful in Cairns, while the Storm got the better of a fired-up Tigers side in Campbelltown.
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The Storm have been a bogey team for the Knights in recent years, with the home side having lost seven of their last eight clashes against Melbourne, the lone win coming in last year’s finals.
Wayne Bennett has made a number of changes to the side that was thrashed by Souths last-start, opting for experience rather than youth.
Jarrod Mullen, Kade Snowden and Akuila Uate have all been named in the starting side, with the game’s most experienced utility player Kurt Gidley shifting to the familiar position of fullback.
Chris Houston has been named as 18th man, while youngsters Sione Mata’utia, Jake Mamo and Joseph Tapine will return to the National Youth Competition after getting a taste of first grade.
Despite having a short turn-around after playing against the Tigers on Monday night, Craig Bellamy has named an unchanged starting side. He has however added two players to an extended bench as cover, with Dayne Weston and Kurt Mann both travelling with the squad.
The Storm are likely to face a hostile reception from the Newcastle faithful as this is the first time the two teams have met since Alex McKinnon’s injury in March.
In a season where the referee’s performance has been under scrutiny virtually every week, perhaps this one will be watched most closely of all.
Prediction
It’s difficult to pick a winner here. The Storm are in stronger form, with their ‘big three’ seemingly recovered from a gruelling Origin campaign, but the Knights will be playing this one on pure emotion.
If they can control that emotion, they have the players who can put points on the board, which will put them on course for one of the upsets of the season.
In saying that though, their defence will have to improve dramatically – they were woeful against the Rabbitohs, and at times seemed uninterested in defending their line.
It’s been a tough season for the boys from the Hunter, and it will be their heads that dictate their performances for the rest of the season.
The sixth placed Storm are hitting form at the right end of the season as they tend to do, and probably have too much class for the Knights.
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