The Wests Tigers have recorded another big upset in Round 2 with a win over the Melbourne Storm, and spoiled Billy Slater’s 300th game while they were at it.
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Final score
Melbourne Storm 8
Wests Tigers 10
All eyes will be on arguably the greatest fullback the game has ever seen when Billy Slater lines up for his 300th game for the purple and silver, as the Melbourne Storm take on Wests Tigers on Saturday night at AAMI Park. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match starting from 7:30pm AEDT.
The Tigers enter this game roaring with pride, coming off a convincing first-round win over premiership contenders the Sydney Roosters.
The Tigers will look to build off a strong performance to make it two wins in a row and continue a hot start to the season.
Facing the outfit that is Melbourne however is a formidable task particularly at AAMI Park which they have made their own cauldron over the past decade.
The Storm look to continue another strong start to the season and promise the Melbourne faithful nothing but success in celebrating a landmark occasion for one of the club and the game’s greatest ever.
Look to see more strong performances from the likes of Corey Thompson, Josh Reynolds and Russell Packer for the Tigers.
An interesting matchup will be the pitting of Packer against Nelson Asofa-Solomona, both with plenty to prove to their respective squads.
Melbourne welcome the return of Slater, shifting Cameron Munster back into the halves. Look to see a big game from the duo, combining with Cameron Smith and Brodie Croft to put on a spectacle that any Rugby League fan can be pleased to see.
Melbourne Storm have won 13 of 13 games when leading the West Tigers at half time.
Prediction
It is too hard to go past Melbourne in this one, despite the strong start to the year from Ivan Cleary’s new look Tigers.
Billy Slater will play his 300th game and like the professionals they are, Melbourne will celebrate this milestone with a convincing victory.
Vunivalu will score a double and Munster will cause plenty of headaches for the Tigers defence.
Melbourne by 18.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match starting from 7:30pm AEDT.
Bart Simpson
Guest
Reality will set in next game when Bennies Colts put 40 on the Tigers
Mark Young
Roar Guru
How clever do you look right now!!
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Get a life Erickson!
Griffo
Guest
They don't have much in the way of attack but their defence has been so solid the last two games that they've only needed to score one try in each game to win. So I disagree with your assertion that they'll win the spoon because their attack only needs to improve to the point that they score two or three trys a game and they'll win a good number of games.
souvalis
Guest
Reminded me a lot of the ‘16 GF and the total team effort of the Sharks to pip the Storm..they were all heroes ! Really makes the notion of the ‘soft draw’ the myth that it really is....
uglykiwi
Roar Pro
To win this game against the referee(s) was incredible: I am not a tigers supporter...don't care who wins... but the refs tried!!!!! To get the storm up!!
JoM
Guest
Storm look ordinary without Cronk
DP Schaefer
Guest
Wow, what a result. That's more impressive than words can say. The next comp favourite and premiers, at home, lopsided penalty count, with major injuries to your team, already filled with 'average players'. Wow
JoM
Guest
Tigers won by playing football and not milking every point they got
JoM
Guest
You should have quit while you were ahead
Jacob Cocciolone
Roar Pro
Game Summary Full time at AAMI Park. The Wests Tigers have secured their second upset in two weeks with a victory over the Melbourne Storm. Melbourne Storm don't lose milestone games, yet were not able to taste success in Billy Slater's 300th game. The Tigers have my Broncos next week for their first game of the season at home. The Broncos are in for a hell of a game, that's for sure, with the Tigers coming off two eye-openers. A game filled with whistles, the Tigers gave away a mammoth 18 penalties to the Storm, whom conceded only 8, highlighting just how lopsided possession was in favour of Melbourne. It was a very uncharacteristic performance from the Storm, riddled with errors. Brodie Croft would rather forget this game, but young halves must learn the hard way in order to come of age. Storm looked lost in attack with the inclusion of Slater still trying to gel with those around him to start the season. Munster looked much more damaging in his role at fullback last week. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back, which they will - it is the Melbourne Storm after all. Standout performances from the likes of Benji Marshall, Corey Thompson, Luke Brooks and new captain Russell Packer, paved the way for Ivan Cleary and his side to start the year two from two. Marshall looks like a new player, eager to forge the finishing touches on his career at the Wests Tigers on nothing but a positive note. Packer is a player that every NRL side should look to have in their team. Everyone has a past, we get that with the particular focus on Matt Lodge, it is how you look in the mirror and turn your life around that will define you and your legacy. Much will be written about this game and the Tigers and how they 'spoiled' Melbourne's celebrations for one of their prodigal sons, yet the season is still in its opening with some teams still yet to wake up. Champion teams have off days too and whether this Tigers team can withstand the test of time, is only something that we will have to wait and see. I don't know about you, but it is exciting to see the premiership so wide open this year. With so much player movement, big upsets over the first two rounds and teams starting to click together, yes I'm talking about the Warriors, we can be excited about the NRL this year.
Dodgy dragons
Guest
Great win tigers, it would have been an utter joke if they had lost that game with the amount of penalties against them. The better team on the night won without the help from the refs thank god
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
Good on you Joe. Only the true Tigers faithful would have thought the Tigers would be 2-0 after facing the Roosters and Storm in consecutive weeks. Ivan Cleary is an amazing coach and the Tigers are really playing for him. Good luck to Benji. The bloke is a legend.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
Refs did their best to hand it to the Storm - 18 penalties to the Storm to 8 for the Tigers - and a 9-1 penalty count to the Storm in the second half. But the footy gods were smiling tonight and the best team won.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Outstanding performance by the Tigers. Knocked off the two premiership favorites two weeks in a row. That can't be coincidence. Ivan Cleary has got this team singing from the same song sheet and the main line is defense. Storm had every advantage playing at home, Billy's 300 and even the refs came up with some seriously home side decisions. If I were to single out one player it would be Benji who managed that game and put up those kicks that had the Storm on the backfoot all day but really every Tigers player out there played there part and put in a great performance. Hats off to the Tigers, they were just too good tonight and well deserved Victors. Have to say though, who saw that coming after two rounds the Tigers would be at the top of the ladder with the Warriors, Dragons and Panthers.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Hats off to the Tigers. They kicked our arse fair and square. I would have rated them 100/1 tonight, but they did it. Well done boys.
Matt P
Roar Rookie
Mate, give it up. You've done nothing but talk rubbish, grow up.
jimmmy
Guest
18 to 8 is extremely extreme EJ but the right result in the end.
Tom
Guest
If anyone genuinely believes the Tigers committed 10 times more penalty offences than the Storm that second half, I have a bridge on Sydney harbour to sell you. Gutsy as performance by them to overcome that though.
Josh
Guest
You've deservedly lost. Move on champ.