- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm put their top-four ambitions on the line when they clash in what promises to be the game of the round. Join The Roar from 7:30pm (AEST) for live scores and coverage of this Round 25 fixture.
Buoyed by a comprehensive victory over the Warriors last start, the Sydney Roosters are out to prove that the possibility of back-to-back premierships isn’t a pipe dream.
CATCH UP ON THE LATEST NRL HIGHLIGHTS
They face a formidable challenge in the Storm though, who themselves are no strangers to what it takes to win games at the business end of the season.
Trent Robinson’s charges have hit form at the right time of the season and have had a relatively good run with injury leaving them close to full strength as they head towards the finals.
Sonny Bill Williams will start for the first time since suffering a thumb injury with Frank-Paul Nuuausala shifting to the bench.
Aidan Guerra shifts to lock, Sam Moa will start at prop, and Dylan Napa goes to the bench in the only other changes to the side that thrashed the Warriors last week.
The Storm are in the midst of a draw that has kept them on the road for virtually a month and after another short-turn-around have opted to named an extended bench to cover all eventualities.
Their forward pack has been boosted by the return of Jesse Bromwich who has been named after missing the loss to the Panthers due to the birth of his child.
He has been a key-man for the Storm this season giving them plenty of go-forward and giving players such as Cooper Cronk the space to dictate terms in the middle of the ruck.
Jordan McLean will shift back to the bench in a direct swap with Bromwich.
They say the spine 1,6,7,and 9 are the players who have the most direct influence on the result in any game of modern rugby league, and this game provides intriguing match-ups between the men tasked to play these vital positions.
James Maloney is in fine form for the Roosters while Craig Bellamy seems to have worked out the secret for getting the best out of Ben Roberts.
Cooper Cronk’s broken arm seems to have refreshed the playmaker with him being in sensational form of late, while Mitchell Pearce is playing with increased maturity after his Origin demotion.
At the back the wily veteran Minichiello is keen to go out a winner, while Billy Slater has shown he is just as dangerous as ever with a starring performance against the Panthers.
Jake Friend is viewed in many circles as the heir apparent to Smith’s representative jerseys, and will be keen to put one over the Storm, Queensland and Australian captain with a big performance.
It’s worth tuning into this match to watch these match-ups alone. Throw in two huge forward packs and you have the ingredients for an entertaining game of footy.
Prediction:
Honours have been fairly even over the past few meetings between these two sides, and it could be the home factor that is enough to get the Roosters home.
Roosters to win in a tight one.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.