Melbourne Storm vs New Zealand Warriors: NRL live scores, blog, highlights

Roar Guru

25th April, 2018

3747 Reads

When: 7pm AEST, Wednesday evening
Where: AAMI Park, Melbourne
TV: Fox League
Online: NRL Live, Foxtel app or Foxtel now
Betting: Melbourne Storm: $1.48; New Zealand Warriors: $2.75.

Storm
1 Billy Slater, 21 Young Tonumaipea, 3 Will Chambers, 4 Curtis Scott, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Ryley Jacks, 8 Tim Glasby, 9 Cameron Smith (c), 10 Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 11 Felise Kaufusi, 12 Ryan Hoffman, 13 Kenny Bromwich

Interchange: 14 Brandon Smith, 15 Christian Welch, 16 Sam Kasiano, 17 Joe Stimson

Warriors
1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c), 2 David Fusitu'a, 3 Peta Hiku, 17 Anthony Gelling, 5 Ken Maumalo, 6 Blake Green, 7 Mason Lino, 8 Bunty Afoa, 9 Issac Luke, 10 Agnatius Paasi, 11 Simon Mannering, 12 Isaiah Papali'i, 13 Adam Blair

Interchange: 14 Jazz Tevaga, 15 Sam Lisone, 16 Albert Vete, 17 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad

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Billy Slater. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

David Holden

Roar Guru

25th April, 2018

104

3747 Reads

Match result:

Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith was asked in the lead-up to their Anzac Day match if a win over NRL premiership contenders the Warriors meant the Storm were back.

» Click here to read the full match report

Final score
Melbourne Storm 50
New Zealand Warriors 10

Match preview:

ANZAC Day’s second match between the Storm and Warriors promises to be classic between two in-form teams at AAMI Park in Melbourne. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 7pm AEST.

After an indifferent start to the season getting used to life without Cooper Cronk, the Storm have returned to something close to their best over the past 2 rounds with comfortable wins over the Knights and Broncos.

Ryley Jacks has slotted in well at half back whilst the key playmakers in Cameron Smith, Cameron Munster and Billy Slater are all in good form.

However, the Storm will be down on troops, with Jesse Bromwich out with a knee injury and Suliasi Vunivalu forced out with muscle soreness, replaced by Young Tonumaipea. Both are significant losses.

The Warriors have their own injury problems, with Tohu Harris missing the match against his former club due to concussion and Shaun Johnson still not returning from a groin injury.

Johnson’s absence didn’t impact the Warriors last round, with a 20-12 win over the previously unbeaten Dragons providing further proof that the Warriors are the real deal this season.

Johnson’s replacement, Mason Lino, would now be on the radar of a number of NRL clubs after his performance last weekend.

Blake Green is arguably the buy of the NRL season to date, providing much needed structure to the Warriors team.

Recent history has seen the Storm win the past four matches, including the last two ANZAC Day clashes.

Prediction
This is truly a toss of the coin with the significance of the occasion not lost on either team. The Warriors will be keen to claim another big scalp but I think this Melbourne Storm at home will do just enough.

Storm by 2

104

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