Melbourne winger Suliasi Vunivalu grabs four as Storm boot Manly Sea Eagles

MELBOURNE proved last week’s loss was just a minor blimp on their premiership quest by thumping Manly as Suliasi Vunivalu dined out against a weakened side.

MELBOURNE proved last week’s loss was just a minor blimp on their premiership quest by thumping Manly 38-18.

Towering winger Suliasi Vunivalu dined out on a weakened Manly side to score four first half tries in Melbourne’s seven tries to three romp in front of 8241 people at Brookvale Oval.

While halves Ashley Taylor and Nathan Cleary may fight it out for the rookie of the year award, Vunivalu did his chances no harm by climbing to the top of the try-scorers list with 21 tries from 16 games.

After a blistering first half, Vunivalu was starved of opportunities after half-time. Storm coach Craig Bellamy praised the winger.

“He was tired there at one stage with Josh Starling running him down,” Bellamy said.

“Everyone got a shock. There were a few things fell for him. The try right on half-time, it wasn’t a kick where we wanted it. He had to catch it and do a bit of work. He is a real good player.”

The game was a shadow of the heated clashes these two once bitter rivals contested in the past decade, but it did get testy towards the end of the match.

Already missing the likes of Brett Stewart, Dylan Walker, Steve Matai and Brenton Lawrence, Manly’s side was further decimated by the late withdrawals of Darcy Lussick, Jamie Lyon and Api Koroisau but were gallant in defeat.

Suli Vunivalu of the Storm scores a try.

So dire has Manly’s situation become they rushed in back-rower Frank Winterstein, who had unsuccessfully tried to make Australia’s sevens Olympics team, into the squad after just a handful of training sessions, having last played in the NRL with Canterbury in 2008.

There are fears Lyon may have played his last game after hurting his hamstring at the captain’s run on Friday.

Melbourne now sit three points clear of Cronulla on top of the premiership ladder, having bounced back from their loss to Canberra last Monday which ended the Storm’s six game winning streak.

The victory secured a top two finish.

“The thing I was happy about (was) we had more energy than the last two or three weeks,” Bellamy said.

“Something we needed to pick up on. We had good control of the game at half-time. We didn’t quite complete well enough in the second half to really put the knife in.”

Cameron Smith showed his intent by kicking a 40/20 in the opening set of the game, with the Storm hooker and halfback Cooper Cronk tearing apart the Manly defence.

Cronk finished the match with four try assists.

The Storm scored twice inside the opening 15 minutes before taking a 26-6 half-time lead. Manly coach Trent Barrett said his side struggled with the ruck interpretation of the referees.

Cameron Smith of the Storm scores a try.

“It was hard to fault the effort,” Barrett said.

“12-all in the second half was pleasing. The three tries on last plays in the first half, two non-compete on kicks and one on the corner really hurt.

“We did a few things defensively that we haven’t done for eight or nine weeks which is why we have had such a good couple of months. They crept back into our game.”

MELBOURNE 38 (S Vunivalu 4 K Bromwich F Kaufusi C Smith tries C Smith 4 T Harris goals) bt MANLY 18 (B Parker 2 J Taufua tries M Wright 3 goals) at Brookvale Oval. Referee: Chris James, Henry Perenara.

Originally published as Melbourne winger Suliasi Vunivalu grabs four as Storm boot Manly Sea Eagles