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Melbourne Storm had a comfortable 22-4 win over St George-Illawarra in the first ever NRL match to be played in Napier.
>>MATCH REPORT: Storm shine in Napier to down Dragons
Hometown hero Tohu Harris had a hand in two tries as the Dragons slumped to their seventh straight loss.
Melbourne Storm 22 def. St George Illawarra 4
New Zealand league fans get to see a bonus match as the Melbourne Storm play ‘hosts’ to the St George-Illawarra Dragons at McLean Park in Napier. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 5:30pm AEST.
The Storm were stationed in the top four only a month ago, but four straight losses over the Origin period saw them drop down to fifth. However, they seemed to come back into some form last weekend, as they celebrated Cameron Smith’s 300th game in style with a 52-10 rout over the Panthers.
A win in this game would put pressure on the Rabbitohs in fourth place, and the Storm’s superior for-and-against may still have them on the inside track for a double chance come finals time.
The Dragons were the talk of the competition two months ago, as a long winning streak had them in serious consideration to finish in the top two. However, a six-game losing streak means missing the finals altogether is a real possibility.
Another loss would leave them a game outside the top eight, and with the teams above them in pretty good form at the moment, this almost becomes a must win game if the Dragons want to play September football in 2015.
The Storm have named the same 17 from their big win over Penrith, meaning Mahe Fonua will come off the bench, and Richard Kennar retains his spot on the wing. Ryan Hinchcliffe is named to start at lock, while Christian Welch retains his spot in the 17.
The Dragons have also named the same 17 from last weekend, although there are rumours that Dylan Farrell may force his way back into the side, with Justin Hunt being the man most likely to drop out of the side. Drew Hutchison and Mark Ioane have both been named on an extended bench.
Prediction
The Dragons are a team in a spiral at the moment, and this is the not the game you want to see with a seven-game losing streak on the line. The Dragons were a lot better against the Rabbitohs last weekend, but their attack still lacks an edge, and it’s tough to see where they’ll find a game-winning scoreline.
Storm by 8
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