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Storm run over the top of Sea Eagles to make it 17 straight

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7th August, 2021
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Melbourne have joined rare company with their 17th NRL win in a row, fighting off arch-rivals Manly 28-18 at Suncorp Stadium.

In a headline clash that well and truly lived up to the billing, the Sea Eagles proved their status as title contenders as they held on and went blow-for-blow with the Storm for 70 minutes.

But Melbourne again showed why they’ve been so hard to beat this year, taking almost every opportunity in the second half to claim the win.

Prop Christian Welch was superb, Justin Olam scored a double, Cameron Munster was dangerous and Jahrome Hughes stood up when it mattered most.

The win makes the Storm just the fourth team in history to win 17 straight, joining Penrith from last year and Canterbury’s salary cap cheating season of 2002.

Only the Eastern Suburbs side of 1975 stand above them, with 19 straight on the way to that year’s premiership.

But of all the wins on Melbourne’s streak which dates back to March, this was one of their most challenging.

The Storm had all the ball in the first half but managed to crack to Manly line just once when Kenny Bromwich slid over.

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Instead, with 60 per cent of the ball and 16 play-the-balls in the red-zone to Manly’s nil, the game was level at halftime at 8-all.

The game swung when Jason Saab snatched an intercept on his own line and went 95 metres to score just before the break.

Then suddenly Tom Trbojevic entered the fray after the interval to help put Manly in the lead.

Contained well for the most part, Trbojevic sent Reuben Garrick over from the Sea Eagles’ first play-the-ball in Melbourne’s 20-metre zone.

The Storm had made a clear point to pressure Trbojevic and rush up on him, with the fullback still putting four players through gaps but quieter than normal.

It was clear Manly did, however, test the Storm with regular shifts and expansive play, but for all that they only had themselves to blame at crucial stages.

A Josh Aloiai error from the kick off after Garrick’s first try allowed the Storm to go level and a Trbojevic drop six minutes later let Olam put Melbourne back in the lead.

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Then when Trbojevic put Garrick over again to make it 18-16 when the try went unconverted, Manly gave away an obstruction on the attack.

From there the Storm held out, with Hughes icing the game when he bust free from his own end to set up a Munster try, before a late penalty goal.

The result moved Melbourne one step closer to the minor premiership, while another record awaits in the next three weeks if they keep their winning streak alive.

© AAP

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