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The Melbourne Storm have booked their spot in a second straight grand final with a thumping 30-point win over the Brisbane Broncos at AAMI Park in the first NRL preliminary final.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Melbourne Storm 30
Brisbane Broncos 0
Minor premiers the Melbourne Storm will look to make a second straight grand final when they host the inconsistent, but dangerous Brisbane Broncos in the first preliminary final. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:55pm (AEST).
Playing at home, and with Cooper Cronk in his final season for the club, the Storm have everything working in their favour, motivation-wise.
Of course, they don’t need to be motivated by Cronk – they have revenge on their mind after being beaten by Cronulla in the 2016 grand final.
For the Broncos to win, a lot if going to need to go right.
What Brisbane can look to is that the Storm produced one of their worst – and it still wasn’t bad – performances of the season against the Parramatta Eels in a Week 1 qualifying final.
They scraped away with the win in Cameron Smith’s 356th game, but you’d expect Craig Bellamy made sure the wake-up call was well and truly received.
Brisbane themselves weren’t exactly good in a qualifying final loss to the Sydney Roosters. It was a case of who could find the more impressive way to lose, as the match went from one fumbling error to the next.
Wayne Bennett was less than impressed sitting in the coaches’ box, and it’s been the story of his side’s year. Despite finishing third, they never set the world on fire, dropping games they should have been winning and having constant questions asked, especially over their defence.
The Broncos had to turn it around last week back at home, and to their credit they did, beating the Panthers 13-6 in a tight affair. It wasn’t pretty, but their defence and effort were much improved.
They need to keep improving this week, and may do so with Darius Boyd back in the side. Tevita Pangai also re-joins the bench, while the Storm are unchanged.
It’s worth noting that the Broncos have won just two of seven finals matches against Melbourne, and only one of their last five head-to-head battles.
Prediction
The Storm are too strong, too classy and at home. If they don’t win, it’ll be the biggest choke in rugby league’s recent memory.
Unfortunately, it could get a bit messy as well.
Storm by 16.
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