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.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage from 6pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Apologies Renegade, it was the 2004 season where there were 15 teams in the comp and Storm had a bye in Round 1 and lost their first game in Round 2. You are correct they won their round 1 game in 2003 where it was Bellamy and Slaters debut. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nrl-2004/results.html
Alex L
Roar Rookie
That's what I was saying -- putting one of Graham or Tolman to the bench and letting big Kas (or even Fualolo) start, I think Graham would be a better choice on the bench as his ball playing late in the half can be nasty for opposition teams to try and deal with when there's a bit of tiredness but as captain that won't happen. Most teams have 2 players who can manage a longer shift in the middle, the Storm for example would use either Bromwich or Finucane for 50-60min stint without a rest -- and just on that topic, losing Finucane for T-Rex is enough to make me want Hasler given the axe... Eastwood is being used in a way that doesn't quite make sense to me; he's not got the stamina for a long shift anywhere, and he was never best adjusted to the left side of the field (his only step is off the right foot), so the left edge seems the wrong place for him -- it's probably his last NRL season but I wonder if more couldn't be got out of him.
BigJ
Roar Guru
that is awesome, thank you Ill really appriecate that. No doubt lamb is the best and the others i had are on the list so that is encouraging. I'll do some research, compare stats and do the list, should be out in a couple of weeks.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Never saw the grub comment. If anyone called you that they are wrong. You are just a passionate bloke expressing his opinions.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Scott - not saying Mbye had a great game, but being there what I liked was that he was running the team. He was behind the line directing the forwards and running the show better than I've seen.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I'm definitely going to have to watch the replay Stu...particularly Lichaa. I'll come back to you...
The Barry
Roar Guru
I was pretty happy with the Dogs bench. Fualalo was outstanding - he looks to have improved dramatically in the off season. Kas played his normal role and RFM was good. Elliott got less than ten minutes. Did nothing wrong but what's the point? I'd prefer they played say Garvey or Abbey. Having someone like that sniffing around the middle of the ruck in those conditions would have added much more value.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Tolman's a very good player but do you need two workhorses in the front row? I'd prefer Kasiano to start with Graham and bring Tolman on after 20 minutes. Dogs win the minor premiership and made the GF with Tolman and Kas starting and Graham on the bench. Far better balance. Eastwood offers little. A couple of strong runs a game but not much more. Slow, shocking lateral movement. He's been a great clubman but is time up? ESL Beast.
The Barry
Roar Guru
In no particular order (other than number 1) 1. Terry Lamb - 3 premierships, captain for one, injured so missed a fourth, 1 dally m, four other top three finishes, three dally m players player awards, more positional dally m's than any other player, rothmans medal winner, only player to play every game on a kangaroo tour, leading tryscorer on a kangaroo tour, NSWRL leading tryscorer twice, leading point scorer once, two tries in his first game, two tries in his last game, 164 tries...as a five-eighth, held the record for most first grade games, currently second for most NRL games, 1442 career points, OAM recipient, local junior. Steve Mortimer Steve Price Les Johns Hazem El Masri Dr George Peponis James Graham Frank Sponberg Johnny Greaves Eddie Burns Honourable mentions David Gillespie Chris Mortimer Jim Dymock Paul Langmack Chris Anderson Darryl Halligan 6 x Hughes' Peter Tunks SBW Andrew Ryan probably some more... Hope that helps...
Alex L
Roar Rookie
That was meant to be one of Graham or Tolman.
BigJ
Roar Guru
Your opinion of all time if you could please that would be great. Yes all teams would be since their inception into the comp. Obviously since the club has an over 8o year history it would be difficult to compare players from the 30, 40 and 50's as there is no footage of this to the the players of the 60's onwards but im going to give it a red hot crack.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
With a pack as hefty as the Bulldogs you don't expect them to be strong in round one; the big lads need match fitness, that said I'd much prefer to see one of Graham revert to that iron man bench role Graham used to occupy than the current run Tolman into the ground through the hardest part of the game method. I think the criticism of the halves is a bit short sighted, you don't get good kicks from slow ball and the forwards never got on top of the ruck speed with slow play the balls exacerbated by the conditions which were quite heavy even before the rain came in.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Do you mean current players or all-time? I'll assume all time because that would be a more interesting article. I've only seen players from 1980s onwards...
Renegade
Roar Guru
Are you sure Joe? I'm pretty sure 2003 was Bellamy's first game as coach and Slater debuted with a hat trick against the Sharks... sharkies were up by a big margin at halftime and the storm reigned them in from memory. In fact, I don't think Bellamy has ever lost a round 1 game..
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Being at the game and watching are different experiences, I hope I was wrong in my analysis. Let's both watch it again tomorrow and reconvene. I thought lichaa was awful. Stifles the attack so much with the dramatic pause from dummy half and Lee the only spark in attack. The team wasn't good enough last year, we add Lee and think that will make a big difference. Major changes needed. Tenth is a fair assessment for. 2017.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
The quality of lichaa's passes from dummy half is disgraceful, his listless tackles, especially in the first ten were astonishing and the less said about the kicking game the better. I actually think lichaa could be a good player, yet in the structures Hasler has in place, he is hamstrung.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Agree 100% yet after five years at the helm the roster is haslers. You can't say des ain't your problem. He is. It's his choice to assemble the side he has. We completely agree, the roster is his and it is poor. This is not a knee jerk reaction to the situation, I have written about this for two years and despite my love for the dogs, seeing them lose based on poor development makes me happy. Happy in that we can can get rid of the fool who is pursuing a useless agenda of forward power in light of the changing face of the NRL.
Joe
Roar Rookie
2003 they had a bye first week but lost first game on week 2. If you count week 1 results then its 16 years.
BigJ
Roar Guru
you lot all need to tackle a bull, wrestle a croc and harden up. Barry on another unrelated topic, dont know if you read it on my other article, but im wanting to do a top ten player list for each team and would value your opinion on what you think are the Bulldogs top ten players please??
The Barry
Roar Guru
If I picked up every grammar error of yours I'd be here 24/7. I only pick the select few that tickle my fancy. For instance your post above is laden with grammatical mistakes and I've left them all alone. I'm more than happy to concede when someone know more than me... just because that's not you doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I enjoy different opinions to mine. It's what makes this interesting and why I love the roar. I particularly enjoy that my opinions are different from yours. I've disagreed with plenty that you've written. But you've disagreed with plenty of mine. There's nothing wrong with that - but don't play the victim card. I have never said that you (or anyone else) is not entitled to their opinion.