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Melbourne Storm vs Cronulla Sharks: NRL Finals highlights, live scores, blog

21st September, 2018
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Storm

22

Match Complete

Sharks

6

80
STO22 : 6SHA

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21st September, 2018
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Storm

22

Match Complete

Sharks

6

69V. Holmes
68L. Lewis
C. Smith64
C. Smith39
B. Slater39
C. Smith30
B. Slater28
C. Smith21
B. Croft19
C. Smith4

3
Tries
1
3
Conversions
1
2
Penalty Goals
0
0
Field Goals
0

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The Melbourne Storm will look to move one step closer to their third straight grand final when they host the Cronulla Sharks in the first preliminary final. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:40pm (AEST).

Melbourne are out to make their third straight grand final and come into this contest at home as heavy favourites.

On the back of a week off, they will be rested up and ready to fire. If making a grand final wasn’t enough motivation, Billy Slater is also playing his final game in front of his home fans before heading off into retirement.

While the Storm are rested and relaxed with Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Will Chambers also coming back into the fold after injury and suspension respectively, it’s a completely different story for the visitors.

The Sharks, who last played the Storm in a final when they won the 2016 decider in a thriller, will be without their experienced back row for this clash, and it’ll make the battle in the middle third that much harder to win.

Without Wade Graham and Paul Gallen, who withdrew last night with injury, as well as nursing a busted Luke Lewis, they will have major problems competing in the forwards.

With Josh Dugan also on the sidelines and not likely to be subbed in an hour before kick-off, they lose three international players and almost 700 games of NRL experience – that’s an advantage you can’t afford to give up against a Craig Bellamy-coached team.

Cronulla enjoy making games physical and winning the war in the middle of the ground, but without Gallen the challenge is going to be difficult. They will need to match it with the Storm’s forwards and try to control the ruck if they are a chance, with Chad Towsnsend and Matt Moylan then needing to stand up to direct the team around.

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The Storm do go in as favourites though, and the biggest task for them looms to be stopping Andrew Fifita.

Should they be able to do that, Cameron Smith’s ability to run the team out of dummy half and pick the right times to kick will be crucial, as will the support play and defensive organisational work of Slater.

With those two running the team, it takes the pressure off Brodie Croft and Cameron Munster, who should be able to play his natural, dangerous running game and take the Sharks big forward pack apart at the back end of halves.

Historically, the Sharks have won just two of nine games at AAMI Park, however, they were their last two visits there so they can take some confidence from that.

Prediction
The Storm have this one on paper. The loss of Gallen and Graham will be simply too much to overcome, and with Slater and Smith running the side, Cronulla will bow out of the competition.

Storm by 4.

Gameinfo

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Kick-off: 7:40pm (AEST)
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne, Victoria
TV: Live, Fox League, Nine Network
Online: Live, Foxtel app, Foxtel now, 9Now, NRL Digital pass
Betting: Storm $1.35, Sharks $3.25
Referees: Gerard Sutton, Ben Cummins
Overall record: Played 36, Storm 22, Sharks 14
Last meeting: Round 22, 2018 – Storm 14 defeated by Sharks 17 at AAMI Park, Melbourne
Last five: Sharks 4, Storm 1
Record at AAMI Park: Played 9, Storm 7, Sharks 2
Record in finals: Played 2, Storm 1, Sharks 1
Last finals meeting: 2016 grand final – Sharks 14 defeat Sharks 12 at ANZ Stadium, Homebush

Melbourne Storm
1 Billy Slater, 2 Suliasi Vunivalu, 3 Will Chambers, 4 Curtis Scott, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Brodie Croft, 8 Jesse Bromwich, 9 Cameron Smith, 10 Tim Glasby, 11 Felise Kaufusi, 12 Joe Stimson, 13 Dale Finucane
Interchange: 14 Kenneath Bromwich, 15 Christian Welch, 16 Ryan Hoffman, 17 Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 18. Brandon Smith 19. Jahrome Hughes 20. Sam Kasiano 21. Cheyse Blair

Cronulla Sharks
1 Valentine Holmes, 2 Sosaia Feki, 3 Jesse Ramien, 4 Ricky Leutele, 5 Edrick Lee, 6 Matt Moylan, 7 Chad Townsend, 8 Andrew Fifita, 9 Jayden Brailey, 10 Matt Prior, 11 Luke Lewis, 12 Kurt Capewell, 13 Paul Gallen (injured)
Interchange: 14 Scott Sorensen, 15 James Segeyaro, 16 Aaron Woods, 17 Jayson Bukuya, 18 Josh Dugan, 19 Ava Seumanufagai, 20 Joseph Paulo, 21 Kyle Flanagan

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