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The Melbourne Storm have reminded the Newcastle Knights of just how much work is needed to reach their level after a dominant 44-12 victory at McDonald Jones Stadium this afternoon.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Newcastle Knights 12
Melbourne Storm 44
Wooden spoon contenders the Newcastle Knights host premiership favourites the Melbourne Storm in a contest that could be a lot closer than expected. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 3pm AEST.
Its a battle between first and last on the NRL ladder, but don’t be fooled into believing that today’s contest has a Melbourne win written all over it.
The Newcastle Knights are finishing the year strongly, courtesy of three straight wins over the Warriors, Dragons and Eels that now has them in a real fight against the Tigers to avoid the wooden spoon.
Knights coach Nathan Brown is eager for his troops to assess themselves against a team like Melbourne before the season ends, and today’s performance will provide a better indication as to where the Knights truly stand as a unit heading into next year.
The Storm were fortunate to secure another win at home against the Roosters last week, but as is often the case, Craig Bellamy’s men found a way to win, even when not at their best.
With that said, Melbourne may be due for a loss as the finals draw near, and it would not surprise to see Bellamy rest several of his star players during the last three rounds of the season in order to preserve them for September. The fact that Cooper Cronk will sit out today’s contest speaks volumes about Bellamy’s approach heading into the business end of the year.
The other major concern for Bellamy involves Melbourne losing form at the wrong time of the season, so the coach has to find a way to avoid the Storm losing momentum, while at the same time, resting his star players ahead of the finals.
Prediction
The Knights are a chance of causing the upset at home. They are playing with renewed vigour and should challenge Melbourne considerably this afternoon. The Storm are due for a defeat considering their unconvincing performance last week and may just slip up here.
Knights by 4