MELBOURNE STORM 34 d BRISBANE BRONCOS 32
Melbourne Storm celebrate a try.Credit: Getty Images
KEY POINTS
WINNING IT WILD: The Storm opened the season with an 8-0 shutout of reigning premiers Penrith Panthers and just a month later have comeback to beat 2023 grand finallists Brisbane Broncos 34-32 in a shootout. Storm coach Craig Bellamy had a bewildered smile on his face post game about the chaos he had just watched. Jahrome Hughes was brilliant in attack setting up two tries and scoring another, Cameron Munster was strong in his season debut after a groin injury and his young forwards, led by Eliesa Katoa who scored two tries, remained in the fight, even when the Broncos had plenty of strong moments. But what Bellamy wants to see in the coming weeks is a more consistent identity from his side who are 3-1 [win-loss]. Maybe they will be high-scoring or maybe defensively dour but it’s not clear if they will pick one style and stay with it. “Obviously, we can [win] both ways but I would like to choose which one we are going to be so I could have a few more tactics around it,” Bellamy said. “We’ve fought and that’s been great. But we’ve been a bit inconsistent. I hope for my sake we can be a bit more consistent.”
HUGHES, COATES A STELLAR DUO: Just a couple of weeks after his flying try to win the game, Storm winger Xavier Coates was at it again taking a leap into the side of Broncos winger Deine Mariner and pulling in a towering high kick from Hughes to score his first try on the night. Mariner was seen rubbing his hip for several minutes after the play. But Coates repaid the favour deep into the second half when he tried to kick on an awkwardly placed high ball from Hughes, only this time he kneed it towards the try line and Hughes, who had chased his kick, was first to touch the ball down. After a couple of years playing together, their ability to play off each other is only getting better and better.
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WISHART’S WONDER TRY: Bench utility Tyran Wishart was only on the ground for 10 minutes of game time but he made the biggest play of the night. Wishart was thrown into the middle despite being a lightly built utility as the Storm were looking for someone to find some gaps in the defence. With the Storm close to the try line seven minutes from time, Wishart wedged himself between two defenders and then found a way to force the ball to ground. Bellamy admits he wasn’t convinced it was a try until several replays in. “For a small guy like that to get between those guys and put the ball down. It was a big play. A big play,” Bellamy said. For his trouble, Bellamy then benched Wishart for the closing stages to get another bigger forward into his middle.
KEY STATS