Melbourne Storm
48
Match Complete
Canberra Raiders
2
| Y. Tonumaipea |  | 79 | ||
| N. Meaney |  | 76 | ||
| N. Meaney | | 75 | ||
| N. Meaney | | 66 | ||
| C. Munster | | 64 | ||
| N. Meaney | | 55 | ||
| H. Grant | | 54 | ||
| N. Meaney | | 49 | ||
| T. Loiero | | 47 | ||
| E. Katoa | | 37 | ||
| N. Meaney | | 34 | ||
| R. Smith | | 32 | ||
| M. Seve | | 27 | ||
| N. Meaney | | 13 | ||
| C. Welch | | 12 | ||
| 4 |  | J. Fogarty |
| 9 | Tries | 0 | ||
| 6 | Conversions | 0 | ||
| 0 | Penalty Goals | 1 | ||
| 0 | Field Goals | 0 |
Round 24 of the NRL premiership continues this afternoon when the Melbourne Storm take on the Canberra Raiders at AAMI Park in Melbourne. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 2pm (AEST).
After a dressing down in Western Sydney, Craig Bellamy will be working hard in the training paddock to ensure his playing group stops giving away soft penalties and cheap errors. The Storm continue playing the long game with Ryan Papenhuyzen as the star fullback is given another week to play Queensland Cup.
Xavier Coates and Jahrome Hughes return from their injuries, while Justin Olam remains being omitted within the Storm backline.
The Raiders have not won a game by more than 10 points this year, showing the men in green are happy to grind out tight victories. However, with a points differential of -74, the Raiders still sit outside the NRL top four.
Sebastian Kris is set to miss the rest of 2023 due to a hamstring injury as NSW u19 star Ethan Strange is set to make his NRL debut in the centres.
Prediction
There are two ways this contest will go. Either the Storm get back to winning ways and win convincingly to show to the rest of the competition that they cannot be ruled out.
Or, the Raiders will grind out a tight victory in a low scoring thriller and extend their AAMI Park winning streak to six games on the trot. After tossing a coin, I’ve decided to go with the latter. Raiders by 1
Game information
Venue: AAMI Park
Kick-off: 2pm (AEST)
TV: Fox Sports
Streaming: Kayo Sports, Foxtel
Odds: Storm $1.25 Raiders $4 – odds via PlayUp
Storm: 1. Nick Meaney 2. William Warbrick 3. Marion Seve 4. Young Tonumaipea 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Christian Welch 11. Trent Loiero 12. Tom Eisenhuth 13. Josh King 14. Bronson Garlick 15. Eliesa Katoa 16. Tepai Moeroa 17. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 18. Alec MacDonald 19. Reimis Smith 20. Jonah Pezet 21. Tariq Sims 22. Tyran Wishart
Raiders: 1. Jordan Rapana 2. Albert Hopoate 3. Ethan Strange 4. Matthew Timoko 5. Nick Cotric 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papali’i 9. Zac Woolford 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Corey Horsburgh 14. Adrian Trevilyan 15. Emre Guler 16. Pasami Saulo 17. Ata Mariota 18. Brad Morkos 19. Matt Frawley 20. Tom Starling 21. Trey Mooney 22. Utuloa Asouma
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Our attack is awful Taree - and Ricky and the attack coach has to take most of the responsibility. As does Jack Wighton who continues to make 3 or 4 errors per match. He simply isn't a 5/8 but Ricky stubbornly refuses to believe it. He botched a stack of opportunities in the game against the Tigers and in the first half today. I couldn't watch the second half - I just couldn't put myself through it and turned it off. Luckily Jack has done the honorable thing and made Ricky's decision for him by switching to Souths. Not sure I share your enthusiasm for Starling but Woolford has been pretty ordinary recently. Young Trevilyan looks like the best of all the hooker options. Agree that Mooney, Savage, CHN, Strange, Trevilyan, Mariota etc have to be playing week in week out. Jack and Jarrod are gone as will Elliot be shortly. Ricky needs to sort out full back ( Chevy Stewart?), 5/8 (Ethan Strange?) and 9 (Trevilyan to start and Starling off the bench?). And not sure Madge is the answer as coach. If we have someone at 6 who can control a game along with Fogarty at 7 we may have chance. Jack's been a millstone around our necks for months. And Ricky? I'd pay Billy Slater a lazy mill to come a nd coach us but he probably wouldn't be interested.
Taree Raider
Roar Rookie
Geoff, I feel your pain. Apparently Ricky was embarrassed by that performance. Surely his embarrassment is because he has finally realised that he is the reason why they play such a predictable game each & every week. I'd be embarrassed too if I had such a strong squad & that is how I Coached them. Ricky could become an ambassador for the club & Michael McGuire could take over. He could replace Guler with Trey Mooney, get rid of Woolford, bring back Starling, drop Wighton. Put Ethan Strange at 6, find out when Corey Harawira -Naera can come back into the team, tell Xavier Savage that we all love him & he is the future fullback of the club. Oh how I wish we didn't have Ricky Stuart as the coach. Hopefully we keep playing the same way. That way we won't have endure mediocracy into the final series. Let another team that can play with a plan & some variation play finals footy.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Do we care?
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
That performance by the Raiders was disturbing. That's the fifth terrible loss this year where they've been flogged. This wasn't happening in previous years. One silver lining - it wasn't at home so I didn't have to sit through it. Jack Wighton checked out a couple of months ago. He can't go quick enough. The senior players played very poorly. And now we learn Jarrod Croker has checked out as well. Will take a monumental effort to come back from this in the remaining 3 games.
Poss
Roar Rookie
Thanks Arnab great as usual.. :thumbup:
Poss
Roar Rookie
Yeah about time Luke...He was very lucky he didn't get sent off earlier...Better late than never I guess...
Phil
Roar Rookie
Thought that way too. Only the bottom three teams have a worse points diff than Canberra.
Arnab Bhattacharya
Roar Guru
Thank you all for joining the live blog. I’ll take a short break and will be back for Knights vs Bulldogs.
Brendon
Roar Rookie
It was knocked onto Smith first though. It was Strange into Smith that caused the knock on.
Arnab Bhattacharya
Roar Guru
FT MEL 48 CAN 2 Mentally, this is a massive win for the Storm. To have won by 46 points against a team that had beaten them at AAMI Park in their past five meetings including two finals games is huge. The Raiders had some momentum early, but they were never in the contest. Clueless in attack, woeful in defence and even worse when it came to ill discipline. The Storm are back in the top four and will definitely be aiming to stay there. Plenty to ponder in the nations capital as finals football is not certain for the Raiders.
Brendon
Roar Rookie
Haha, Rapana should have been in the bin twice earlier, what are you on about?
E-Meter
Roar Rookie
Thought Canberra were major imposters before this game. This just confirms it.
Phil
Roar Rookie
Ricky won't be happy.
79
Harrythecat
Roar Rookie
Ball clearly went back, Raiders on the wrong end of a call again. They were well beaten though.
Arnab Bhattacharya
Roar Guru
80’ Tonumaipea to take the conversion in his 50th game for the Storm. Connects well but cannot convert. Full time and the Storm win comprehensively!
Harrythecat
Roar Rookie
Raiders haven't had a call all day.
Arnab Bhattacharya
Roar Guru
80’ TRY STORM Hughes with a nice run. Storm shift left as they target where Timoko would’ve been. Tonumaipea dummies and scores! MEL 48 CAN 2
Luke S
Roar Rookie
Does that mean Canberra have 2 houses on Picadilly in Monopoly?
76