NRL 2021: Melbourne Storm edge out tenacious Titans to extend historic winning streak

They were made to work for it, but the Melbourne Storm have extended their winning streak by polishing off a tenacious Titans outfit.

Thursday night’s win ensures the Storm will remain atop the NRL ladder at the end of round 23. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The Storm made history by equalling the Roosters’ 46-year-old winning streak after being stunned into gear by a Titans outfit that threatened to pull off the upset of the season.

Chasing the 1975 Eastern Suburbs record of 19 wins on the trot, the Storm were error riddled and complacent in the first half before big guns Cameron Munster and Harry Grant turned it on after a halftime rev-up by coach Craig Bellamy to secure a 34-20 win.

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Melbourne lost winger George Jennings who reaggravated the PCL in his left knee, but the Storm got a huge lift from starting fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, who had his best game since returning from a lengthy concussion layoff.

Bellamy fired the first pre-finals warning shot to rivals by resting powerhouses Justin Olam and Brandon Smith for the Titans clash, along with giving Dale Finucane and Jahrome Hughes an extra week’s rest after both suffered concussions the previous week against Canberra.

It was a sign the premiership and not the record was paramount.

There are remarkable parallels with the Roosters team of 1975 with Melbourne winning the opening game of the season, losing the next two and then winning 19 in a row just as Eastern Suburbs did.

The only symmetry that will matter for Bellamy now though is if his team can go back-to-back as the Roosters of 1974/75 did.

Jayden Campbell scored his first career double to give the Titans a four-point halftime lead. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Munster magic

Munster said during the week that the Storm probably needed to have a loss before the finals to reignite their premiership tilt, and he almost got his way as the Titans led 16-12 at halftime thanks to a double by rookie fullback Jayden Campbell.

It was the mercurial Storm five-eighth, who in reality hates losing, that got them going in the second half. He burrowed over to score early and was heavily involved in tries to Josh Addo-Carr and Nicho Hynes to stamp his class on the match. When Munster cut through to set Addo-Carr up for his 23rd try of the year, it was game over.

Paps power

Playing his first starting game at fullback since Magic Round, last year’s Clive Churchill Medal winner showed glimpses of his best. Papenhuyzen ran with confidence for 130m, but it was his two line break assists and try assist that showed he had his timing in attack back. Bellamy now has the great headache of whether to start Papenhuyzen or Hynes, who played halfback, in the custodian’s role.

Titans tightrope

The Titans, who lost co-captain Kevin Proctor to a shoulder injury, have not beaten a current top six side this year but are still provisionally inside the top eight with their finals hopes hanging in the balance. Remarkably, if all the favourites win this round they will still be in the eight at the end of round 23, but next Thursday’s clash with Newcastle on the Sunshine Coast is now a do or die showdown.

Munster scored one try to go with one try assist and two line breaks. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Bellyache’s headache

The return to form of star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has given Storm coach Craig Bellamy the best headache he could hope for as Melbourne fire up their premiership tilt.

The 19-game winning streak of the 1975 Roosters has now been matched by Melbourne, courtesy of the 34-20 win over the Titans, and Bellamy has some big decisions to make ahead of the finals.

They are tough decisions other coaches would relish having. Papenhuyzen, who had his best game since round 10 at starting fullback against the Gold Coast, will fight it out with Nicho Hynes for the starting custodian role.

Hynes, who played halfback against Gold Coast, has been a revelation at fullback this year but could revert to the bench. Maroons hooker Harry Grant, who was strong against Gold Coast as starting hooker with Kiwi international Brandon Smith rested by Bellamy, will also come into contention to start in the finals after coming off the bench for most of the year.

So how does Bellamy see the headache?

“We haven’t got Hynes or Papenhuyzen. We’ve got Hynes and Papenhuyzen,” Bellamy said.

“With Grant and Smith, it is not ‘or’ either. It is ‘and’. All those guys are going to be in our 17.

“I can’t remember in my time as a coach of having the luxury of having two players in key positions who do what these blokes do for us.”

Bellamy said Papenhuyzen took “steps forward” against the Titans.

“We see improvement in him and improvement in the combinations with players we have in there, but I was really happy with how he played,” he said.

“I hope in the next couple of weeks he will keep improving and be cherry ripe for September.”

Only Hynes and Reimis Smith have played in all 19 of the Storm wins in the sequence. It is no coincidence both are two of the NRL’s most improved players this season. Bellamy’s ability to turn good players into outstanding game breakers is another Melbourne trait that has kept the club at the top of the pile for so long.

Now Melbourne will build towards the finals and try to ensure every player is fit and available for a September assault on the title.

The Storm remain on track for a fourth minor premiership in the past six season to go with their 2016, 2017 and 2019 achievements.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Melbourne Storm edge out tenacious Titans to extend historic winning streak