With a four point advantage as at Friday, albeit mid round, and a massive for and against advantage, there’s little doubt that the Melbourne Storm will be the minor premiers in 2017.
Despite there still being two months to go before the grand final, there’s also a growing likelihood that they will go one better this year.
It’s nearly impossible to find a chink. A couple of internationals in the forward pack plus some seriously big units, a representative player or two in the centres and two of the best finishers in the NRL in Vunivalu and Addo-Carr.
That’s before you add in Melbourne’s big three of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater. Their form at the moment is ominous. Cameron Munster didn’t play in Townsville yet the Storm’s backline didn’t miss a beat.
Can anyone beat them? Melbourne will remain short priced premiership favourites but I think the answer is yes. History would seem to agree. Other than the salary cap years, the Storm have won the minor premiership in 2011 and 2016. Neither of those sides went on to win the big one. So, if Melbourne are to lose in the grand final, who is capable of beating them?
The real contenders are few. North Queensland Cowboys showed last night that they will beat most teams but the absence of Johnathan Thurston really showed towards the end of the game when the Cowboys had chances but couldn’t crack the line. His composure will be missed. The loss of Andrew McCullough for the Broncos is massive and I think will prove too much of an obstacle for Brisbane to progress far in the finals.
(AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Two of the Storm’s four losses were to the Sydney Roosters and the Parramatta Eels with the scorelines being 25-24 and 22-6 respectively, although Melbourne were without the State of Origin players. While the same could obviously be said of the Roosters, at full strength, the Storm should be able to get past both of these teams, although the Eels could well be the form team coming into the semi-finals.
In regular season games unaffected by Origin, the Storm have lost twice. One of these losses was an high scoring 38-36 loss to the Gold Coast, as part of the double header in Brisbane. The other was way back in Round 6 when Cronulla beat the Storm 11-2 in a very soggy affair in Melbourne, and it’s the Sharks who are probably the only team capable of beating the Storm in the NRL grand final.
One of Cronulla’s strongest traits is the ability to stay in touch with the game, no matter what the opposition is doing. This happened in the 2016 grand final where the Storm hit the front and the Sharks were struggling to get their possessions right. They hung in there, Fifita scored a fantastic solo try and the rest of the game was based around their scramble in defence.
If they do meet in the grand final, it will likely come down to the battle of the packs. Melbourne’s pack has plenty of go forward but they seem to struggle with Cronulla’s experience and mobility. If the Sharks can control the ruck, Cooper Cronk will have one eye on the ball and one eye on Wade Graham coming in at pace.
Melbourne’s backs are probably better on paper so Cronulla’s best chance is to play them through the middle.
There is plenty of water to go under the bridge yet and Cronulla are no certainties to make the top four. However, if Melbourne make the grand final in October, you can bet there is one team they would rather not be playing.
Angus
Guest
Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Storm haters GROW UP AND GROW A PAIR FFS!!!!!!
kk
Roar Pro
Took the Q early days for a nice result. Hope you're right Nat.
Nat
Roar Guru
Of course the Broncos can! Now with a quick, creative halves, Boyd linking with Jet or Oates and a mobile rep quality pack. Now featuring a decent goal kicker. Just the team to mess with Storm structured game.
Chook
Guest
I still reckon Bellamy needs to take some ownership of that salary cap rort. You cant tell me he didn't know
Chook
Guest
No,,,not this year. Put a sniper in the Grandstand, that may work. Failing that we just have to say our prayers and hope they suffer a few key injuries between now and Grand Final Day
Doc79
Guest
Anyone but the Storm. There they were just this week celebrating with a reunion of their 2007 ill-gotten premiership through deliberate systemic rorting of the cap. Stripped of 2 titles and then they go on to openly state, 'No one can take that away from us.' Still no ownership of their cheating behaviour and to this day make out they are the victims. Says it all about them.
jacksyd
Guest
If the Roosters make the GF and Ashley Klein is the ref, they are specials.
Sharkattack
Guest
I cannot see the Storm missing this year.
J.C.
Roar Pro
Absolutely, the combination of the big 3 is the best 3 combination that the Nrl has ever seen. In reality no one can beat the Melbourne Storm, but like last year it only takes one off game to cost a club a premiership. I hoping that they get the fairy-tale finish for Smith and Cronk.
Swannies
Guest
Storm will go down in history as one of the greatest teams since the Eels in the early 80s. We have been lucky to see two greats in action together...Smith and Cronk. Like Stirling and Kenny.
Duncan Smith
Guest
As the Melbourne spine has nearly 100 origin games between them, you'd think that would be enough to get them home this year when the pressure's on.
Duncan Smith
Guest
Parra have a soft run into the finals and played the Storm minus origin players. You wouldn't want to get carried away if you're backing the Eels to win it.
AJL.
Roar Pro
Unless someone takes out Smith and Cronk, you can start engraving the trophy. That loss to the Roosters was with the Storm resting their Origin players, and the Roosters backing up. And Melbourne still forced golden point.
Nodge
Guest
The only ones that can stop the storm are the refs. When the refs start reffing how they should and stop letting storm get away with their ruck indiscretions, then maybe other teams can start matching them.
Thomas C
Guest
You can lose to a team on their day, but I think the most likely scenario for taking the storm out would be if they lost Cameron smith or Cronk to injury (most of the other teams have a key injury or two) or if they were low on energy following a really brutal game the week before (like some of those broncos/cowboys clashes). Watching them play the cowboys was fascinating as even losing and absent a couple key troops, the cowboys played hard and with a little more polish would have put on a few tries.
kk
Roar Pro
In racing parlance, The Storm is the only G1 horse in the race with a couple of G2 standard as opposition. The rest are G3 at best. Class will prevail.
Oingo Boingo
Guest
A funny old game is rugby league, you'd have to say the Storm are faves at this stage , but plenty of favourites don't walk away with the chocolates . Parra have snuck up on everyone late in the season and might just prove to be a bit more than nuisance value. It's better to be running into form now than in April ...StGeorge ! The Roosters played an awesome 20 minute period to get on top of the Cows last week and if they can play like that for 80 , no one will beat them , but that's another 60 minutes away . You'd have to expect Bellamy's boys to be there on the 1st , but stranger things have happened.
Bunney
Roar Rookie
I think the Sharks and the Broncs are the two teams below the Storm, and the Broncs have no idea how to beat the Storm. Anything can happen, but the Storm taking all is the most likely scenario.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Definitely agree about the Sharks. They are a tough team and if they're there again will be hard to beat. I also think the Roosters at full strength can beat anyone on their day. Just a correction, Roosters had their Origin players backing up when they beat the Storm earlier in the year. (except for Boyd who was injured) Also I think Taukeiaho fit and firing is pretty much a goal kicking Taumalolo clone and will make a big difference. The game next week is going to be a cracker. I also think the Broncos play a stifling defensive game that can beat the Storm when they get it right and have their top side on the park. Ben Hunt seems to have added a dimension in attack from 9 which was devastatingly effective against the Titans.
David Holden
Roar Guru
Written before. This time last year, the Sharks got smashed by Canberra at home so I actually tipped it to happen again last night. The Sharks probably need to win 3 from the last 4 to make the top 4 and next week's match up against the Broncos will be pivotal. The Sharks away form this year is much better than at home.