- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
In a game we have become used to seeing on Anzac Day, this year the Melbourne Storm host the New Zealand Warriors on Easter Monday at AAMI Park. Join The Roar from 4:45pm (AEDT) for live scores and coverage.
The Storm have started their season with unconvincing results, with two wins against the Dragons and the struggling Sharks, and losses against the Sea Eagles and a demoralising one-point loss against the Cowboys last Monday night in golden point.
The Storm currently sit seventh, and have neither been impressive nor overly disappointing. But they need to create a buffer for the inevitable lull they will suffer over the Origin period.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have also recorded two wins and two losses. They started the season with a loss at the hands of the undefeated an unrelenting Knights, before recording a win in Canberra against the Raiders. After this they managed to beat the Eels in their first home game of the season before going down to the Broncos last weekend.
The Storm have named an unchanged team from the side that went down to the Cowboys, however having to name your side less than 24 hours after playing means there could be a few late changes, and Craig Bellamy has added Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Hymel Hunt to an extended six-man bench.
The Warriors have named Ngani Laumape to have his first NRL game of the season as a replacement for Matthew Allwood. Meanwhile, Ben Henry will miss the rest of the NRL season after rupturing his ACL. Sebastine Ikahihifo has been named to start in his place off the bench in jersey 15, while Sione Lousi is added to an extended five-man interchange.
If the Warriors can find consistency they will challenge for the premiership, but if not they will continue to be defined by odd moments of brilliance and too many that just aren’t good enough.
This game should be won in the battle of the halves. Cooper Cronk versus Shaun Johnson is one of the most mouth-watering battles in the NRL, and Cronk has been well backed up by Blake Green so far this year as has Johnson by Chad Townsend.
Prediction
Storm with home ground advantage and knowing how important it is to start winning should prove to be too strong for the Warriors in a close one. Storm by 8.
Whichever way this one turns out it should be a cracker, so join The Roar from 4:45pm (AEDT) for live scores and coverage, and if you’re following along be sure to leave your comments and thoughts.