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The Melbourne Storm have stamped their authority on the 2017 NRL season, knocking off the Dragons by 12 points on Sunday.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
St George Illawarra Dragons 22
Melbourne Storm 34
The game of the round comes to Wollongong this Sunday afternoon, as the second place St George Illawarra Dragons play host to the first place Melbourne Storm. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 4pm AEST.
The Dragons have been in good touch early this season, but they dropped a heartbreaker last weekend to the Roosters, as a Mitchell Pearce field goal in golden point sealed the deal.
It ended a fairly sombre day for the Dragons, as they lost five-eighth Gareth Widdop just before half time to a knee injury.
Widdop has arguably been the key to their fast start, so the next six weeks will provide the biggest test of the Dragons’ season so far.
The Storm won on ANZAC Night, rallying against the Warriors to record a 20-14 victory.
It was a late try to Josh Addo-Carr that sealed it, but the Warriors certainly made them work.
Craig Bellamy will certainly be expecting a better performance this weekend, as they have shown some chinks in the armour the last couple of weekends.
The Dragons will obviously lose Gareth Widdop for this clash, with Kurt Mann the man to start at five-eighth.
They have added five men to the last weekend’s side, with Blake Lawrie, Jacob Host, Jai Field, Luciano Leilua and Taane Milne set to fight it out for Widdop’s spot in the 17.
Just one change to the 17 from last weekend for the Storm, as Kenneath Bromwich has been named to return to the side.
Despite his man of the match performance last weekend, Nelson Asofa-Solomona still can’t force his way into the starting side.
Joe Stimson, Mark Nicholls, Young Tonumaipea and Curtis Scott have been added to the side, but it would seem unlikely for the Storm to make an unforced change.
The loss of Widdop has taken some of the intrigue out of this game, although Kurt Mann was more than serviceable in the second half of last weekend. Whether Mann can stand up in the #6 jersey might be one of the big keys to this game.
Prediction
As well as the Dragons have been traveling, the Storm are clinical. It’s hard to see them dropping this one.
Storm by 8
Preview prepared by Joel Erickson.