The Melbourne Storm became the first rugby league club to represent Victoria when they were introduced to the NRL in 1998. It only took a year for the Storm to win their first Premiership with victory against the Dragons in front of over 100,000 people at Stadium Australia. Since then, Melbourne have become the dominating force in the NRL, winning their second Premiership in 2007 and making two more Grand Finals in 2006 and 2008.
Melbourne have performed a Houdini act to get out of jail against a Newcastle side determined to repay their supporters’ faith, notching an unconvincing 20-14 NRL victory at Energy Australia Stadium.
Storm five-eighth Brett Finch strolled through some threadbare defence from dummy-half to set up a 70th-minute winning try for centre Dane Nielsen after the Storm [...] Read article
Melbourne Victory have turned to Melbourne Storm’s NRL premiership skipper Cameron Smith for advice ahead of Saturday night’s A-League grand final against Sydney FC at Etihad Stadium.
Smith, who has captained the Storm to two NRL titles, including last season’s win over Parramatta, spoke ahead of Thursday’s training session.
“It was fantastic, he’s a well respected guy, [...] Read article
Melbourne captain Cameron Smith concedes he hasn’t done enough on the training paddock to help compensate for the loss of halfback Cooper Cronk.
But he has vowed to right those wrongs ahead of next weekend’s NRL meeting with Newcastle.
Deputising for the injured Cronk in the No.7 jumper, Test hooker Smith struggled with his short kicking game [...] Read article
Melbourne launched an effective if unspectacular defence of their NRL premiership by overcoming a committed Cronulla side 14-10 at Toyota Park on Saturday night.
Just as they did against Leeds in winning the World Club Challenge earlier this month, the Storm looked a long way from the well-oiled machine which won last year’s title, with the [...] Read article
Melbourne are bracing for a torrid start to the NRL season as reigning premiers, world champions and major drawcard, but Storm coach Craig Bellamy is confident his stars can overcome a limited off-season.
The likes of Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis had only a short break over the summer given they played in last [...] Read article
There are three groups of clubs heading into the 2010 NRL season, the contenders, the dark horses and the battlers. The contenders have recent history and the cattle to suggest they could be slugging for the title. The dark horses have the capability to surprise people and the battlers will be hoping 2010 represents a [...] Read article
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy is not a man to reminisce or rest on his laurels. He allowed himself to watch one replay of Melbourne’s 2009 grand final triumph over Parramatta and then it was back to the future.
And, as usual at the Storm, it’s looking bright.
They’ve started 2010 on a high, winning their first [...] Read article
Not even Melbourne can produce subzero temperatures, sleet and North Sea mists on game day. But this is the World Cup Challenge – the Northern England challenge.
And most Australian teams, through indifference (the NRL premier assumes it is the world champion) and because their English opponents treat it as an international and as validation [...] Read article
He had plenty to say at halftime but by the end Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson was speechless as he attempted to explain the phenomenal Jarryd Hayne effort which lifted the Eels to a 24-20 come from behind win over bitter rivals Manly.
On a day more suited to the beach than a game of footy in [...]
The Sydney Roosters’ stunning turnaround has continued with a commanding 44-32 victory over a flat Wests Tigers in the NRL clash at the Sydney Football Stadium.
In sapping mid-30s temperatures which were always going to test defences, it was the Roosters who came home the strongest after they were down 12-0 after just 13 minutes.
A blitz [...]
Captain of the NSW State of Origin team? “Outrageous”, says Sydney Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce.
The 20-year-old’s starring role, including two tries, in the Roosters’ heat-affected 44-32 NRL win over the Wests Tigers on Sunday may have backed up former Blues and Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart’s claim that Pearce is the best option to have the [...]
Manly coach Des Hasler has joined the chorus of criticism against referees after a blatant forward pass left the Sea Eagles rooted to the foot of the NRL ladder.
The Sea Eagles joined Canterbury, South Sydney and Cronulla without a win after two games in a 24-20 loss to Parramatta at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday, but [...]
I was sitting in the grandstand at the SFS trying to enjoy a Shiraz from a plastic cup as I watched the Roosters towel up the Tigers, and then my iPhone vibrated. It was a mate from Melbourne who texted: “What about that forward pass, it has to be the lowest game on earth”.
I thought [...]
There is often no better sight in rugby league than to watch the NRL’s most exciting players pull out their bag of tricks on a Sunday afternoon.
Yesterday’s action saw Jarryd Hayne, Mitchell Pearce and Todd Carney become the latest players to add to the many moments that make Sunday football so special.
Out at Parramatta stadium, [...]
You’d be forgiven for thinking someone is playing a cruel joke on the Roosters; that they’ve tipped the competition table upside down so that they appear to be on top.
And unless the Roosters improve on yesterday’s effort and learn to go on with a win, that cruel joke could very well become a reality.
Don’t get [...]
Melbourne have performed a Houdini act to get out of jail against a Newcastle side determined to repay their supporters’ faith, notching an unconvincing 20-14 NRL victory at Energy Australia Stadium.
Storm five-eighth Brett Finch strolled through some threadbare defence from dummy-half to set up a 70th-minute winning try for centre Dane Nielsen after the Storm [...]
North Queensland have launched a bold rescue mission to overrun Penrith 28-20 in their round two win at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday night.
After coming short of gunning down a 24-0 deficit against the Broncos last weekend, the Cowboys were again staring down the barrel at 14-0 down in greasy conditions as Cyclone Ului edged [...]
A Manu Vatuvei hat-trick helped the Warriors notch their maiden win for the 2010 NRL season and extend Cronulla’s losing streak to a sorry dozen matches on Saturday.
Vatuvei’s impressive performance at Mt Smart Stadium backed up his opening-round brilliance, when he bagged two tries in a 24-18 loss to Gold Coast.
The big winger has now [...]
