Melbourne Storm vs North Queensland Cowboys highlights: Storm by 6

Roar Guru

10th September, 2016

5423 Reads

Kickoff: 7:55pm (AEST)
Venue: AAMI Park
TV: Live, Nine Network and Fox Sports
Last meeting: Storm defeated Cowboys 16-8 (Round 21, 2016)
Head-to-head: 32 played - Storm 22, Cowboys 10
Storm last three games: 26-6 versus Cowboys, 16-26 versus Broncos, 38-18 versus Sea Eagles
Cowboys last three games: 32-16 versus Titans, 24-16 versus Bulldogs, 34-6 versus Warriors

Melbourne Storm
1. Cameron Munster, 2. Suliasi Vunivalu, 3. Will Chambers, 4. Cheyse Blair, 5. Marika Koroibete, 6. Blake Green, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Jesse Bromwich, 9. Cameron Smith (c), 10. Tim Glasby, 11. Kevin Proctor, 12. Tohu Harris, 13. Dale Finucane
Interchange: 14. Kenneath Bromwich, 15. Christian Welch, 16. Jordan McLean, 17. Ben Hampton

North Queensland Cowboys
1. Lachlan Coote, 2. Kyle Feldt, 3. Justin O'Neill, 4. Kane Linnett, 5. Antonio Winterstein, 6. Michael Morgan, 7. Johnathan Thurston (c), 8. Matthew Scott (c), 9. Jake Granville, 10. James Tamou, 11. Gavin Cooper, 12. Ethan Lowe, 13. Jason Taumalolo
Interchange: 14. Rory Kostjasyn, 15. Coen Hess, 16. Scott Bolton, 17. Ben Hannant

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The Cowboys were exposed without Thurston's leadership. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

Riley Pettigrew

Roar Guru

10th September, 2016

136

5423 Reads

Match Results:

The Storm have earnt a week off after a clinical performance against the Cowboys, resulting in a six-point win in front of a strong Melbourne crowd.

Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk put in big performances for Melbourne as they led them away, with the forwards dominating to take the victory.

Final score:
Melbourne Storm 16
North Queensland Cowboys 10

Match Preview:

A spot in the preliminary finals is up for grabs as the minor premiers, the Melbourne Storm, take on the reigning premiers, the North Queensland Cowboys, in front of a bumper AAMI Park crowd. Join The Roar from 7:55pm (AEST) for live coverage.

Two of the NRL’s masterminds, Johnathan Thurston and Cameron Smith, go head-to-head. Kiwi powerhouses Jason Taumalolo and Jesse Bromwich will collide. The football brains of Paul Green and Craig Bellamy will meet.

The footy finals have arrived, and there is plenty on the line.

Excluding Billy Slater, Melbourne are fully fit and bursting at the seams with star power, but they need to find the form that saw them go on an impressive mid-season streak.

Bellamy has made no changes to the side that secured the JJ Giltinan Shield last Saturday, with a 26-6 victory over the Sharks.

The key for the Storm is fullback Cameron Munster, for whom this finals series is his last chance to prove himself before Slater returns from injury next season.

Cooper Cronk also has a big role, facing off against four-time Dally M Medallist Johnathan Thurston.

Paul Green’s men need to make a big play if they are to earn a week off in their bid to become the first team since the Broncos of 1997-98 to go back-to-back.

The Storm have won 22 of 32 matches against the Cowboys, dominating encounters since they entered the competition in 1998. They last played in Round 21, with Melbourne recording a 16-8 victory in Townsville, having secured a 15-14 win in golden point 11 weeks earlier in a double-header at Suncorp Stadium.

Prediction
Melbourne to win a close encounter, securing a preliminary final in the Victorian capital for the second year in a row.

Storm by 6.

Join The Roar from 7:55pm (AEST) for score updates and debate in our live blog.

You can find Riley on Twitter @rileypettigrew

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