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The Melbourne Storm have opened their 2017 NRL campaign with a hard-fought six-point win over the Canterbury Bulldogs at the Belmore Sports Ground.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Canterbury Bulldogs 6
Melbourne Storm 12
The Melbourne Storm start the season as favourites when they make the tough trip to Belmore to face the Canterbury Bulldogs. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 6pm (AEDT).
The Storm came up painstakingly short in 2016, going down in the grand final against the Cronulla Sharks, despite having chances to put it away on the bell.
There are some notable absentees from the Storm second row heading into the new season, with Tohu Harris in New Zealand and Kevin Proctor on the Gold Coast. Kenneath Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi have been strong previously off the bench, but will need to step it up a gear to cover those big-name losses.
What we do know is that Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith will lead the way and, more than likely, make Bromwich and Kaufusi look like world beaters.
Billy Slater is also due back this season, but it won’t be at Belmore. Instead, Cameron Munster is likely to continue at fullback, despite being named in the halves, paving the way for journeyman Ryley Jacks to make his debut.
The loss of Blake Green is a big one, so the pressure on Jacks to complement the game of Cronk is enormous.
For Canterbury, it was a tough 2016 campaign. Despite finishing in seventh position, their roster promised so much more and with rumours surrounding the future of coach Des Hasler, they must make a strong start to the season.
The Bulldogs are lucky enough to have a reasonably settled side. Their spine of Will Hopoate, Josh Reynolds, Moses Mbye and Michael Lichaa is unchanged, while the Morris brothers have been named to play on the same side of the field.
The Dogs pack will again be led by James Graham and Aiden Tolman, while Josh Jackson, David Klemmer and Sam Kasiano bring the reinforcements.
The question mark for Canterbury is their depth off the bench, where they look inexperience, for which Melbourne could make them pay.
Having a settled spine isn’t necessarily a good thing for the Dogs either. Their attack struggled last year and it will be given a proper workout in their season opener.
Melbourne will be defensively fantastic, as they always are, and unless Canterbury are patient, as Cronk and Smith will be, then errors are bound to be made and the scoreboard will go in the wrong direction for the home side.
Prediction
The Storm are in for another strong season and despite playing away from home should get things underway with a win.
Storm by 10.
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