NRL 2021: Melbourne Storm beat Penrith Panthers 37-10 in Round 20
Storm’s relentless surge towards back-to-back titles continued, while big questions are being asked at Penrith.
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The Melbourne Storm’s relentless and unstoppable surge towards back-to-back titles continued with a steamrolling of a Panthers outfit that can’t welcome Nathan Cleary back from injury quick enough.
The Storm blitzed the Panthers with the ball and pulverised them without it in their 37-10 win at Suncorp Stadium. Another minor premiership looks a mere formality.
Craig Bellamy’s superstar team is in the midst of one of the great purple patches in premiership history. After a club record 16 consecutive wins, the Storm now have the 19-game sequence of the 1975 Roosters, one of rugby league’s best ever teams, in their sights.
Melbourne lost half Jahrome Hughes to a calf injury and he could miss next week’s clash with Manly.
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This was always going to be a test of character for the Panthers without Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Brian To’o, James Fisher-Harris and Api Koroisau. The Storm went bang, bang, bang early and knocked the stuffing out of them inside 20 minutes.
The 13th try of the season for Reimis Smith, a cracker to rookie Dean Ieremia after a speculative Josh Addo-Carr bomb and Ieremia’s second on the end of a training drill took the Storm to a 16-0 lead as Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster picked the Panthers apart on the edges.
The Panthers had the ball for multiple sets but they looked slow as wet weeks. The pattern continued in the second half with Ieremia notching a hat-trick.
Leremia super stoked to get a hat-trick 😂
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Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said the display was “not good enough”.
“They scored too easily and too often. Throughout the night our defensive resolve wasn’t good enough,” Cleary said.
“We have certainly got a few gears left in us and when we get everyone back I would expect better.”
Ominously, Storm coach Bellamy said his side also had another gear.
“Especially with our attack,” he said.
“Our defence was great, and that wins a lot of the big games.”
On Hughes’s injury, Bellamy said it was “not great”.
“I don’t think he will miss six weeks but he might miss a game,” Bellamy said.
PURPLE REIGN
The stars are aligning for the Storm to go back-to-back for the first time in their history.
Melbourne’s juggernaut rolls on relentlessly on the back of Craig Bellamy re-signing for five years, Ryan Papenhuyzen committing his long-term future to the club and fit and firing Harry Grant now back on deck.
LETHARGIC LUAI
Penrith playmaker Jarome Luai has struggled since returning from a knee injury and had just three runs for 15m against the Storm.
He needs to regain his spark when Cleary returns as the Panthers attack has been clunky and ineffective in the past fortnight since Luai’s return.
Ivan Cleary said his son was not going to be rushed back to action.
“It is only five weeks [since the injury] today and it was a six-week injury at least,” he said.
“If we were playing semi-finals now he would probably be playing but we want him to be able to play at his best. He is coming along really nicely but we aren’t going to be taking any risks.”
Grant gets OVER!! 🔥
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DEADLY DUO
There is no more dangerous one-two punch on an NRL bench than Papenhuyzen and Grant and both are regaining their groove.
Papenhuyzen ran with more confidence and zip than he did on his return from a lengthy concussion the previous week.
Grant scored a second half try and was a constant threat with two line breaks and seven crafty runs.
“I thought Harry was really good for a guy who has had six weeks off and I thought Paps looked a lot more confident, and in the next couple of weeks he will improve even more,” Bellamy said.
“He looked pretty hesitant last week I thought, and he thought that himself.
“He is slowly but surely building himself up and we will give him the right amount of minutes and hopefully he will be flying at the end.”
PANTHERS PERPLEX
The Panthers were understrength but there is one big difference between these two sides. When Melbourne are down on troops — and this year that has included the likes of Papenhuyzen, Grant and Munster all out at once — they still dominate their opposition. Penrith look vulnerable and struggle without their stars.
After winning their opening 12 games this season the Panthers have lost three of their last seven and been unimpressive in several narrow wins.
Cleary and the rest of the cavalry will be back and Tevita Pangai Jnr looms on the horizon, but the Panthers have plenty of work ahead to bridge the ever-widening gap between them and the defending premiers.
Luai handed keys to underdog Panthers
— Nick Walshaw
NSW Origin star Jarome Luai has been ordered to step up and own the “big moments” as his side looks to overcome the longest odds of any Penrith side in six years.
Set to face defending premiers Melbourne on Saturday without a host of stars, including halfback Nathan Cleary, captain Isaah Yeo and suspended No.9 Api Koroisau, the Panthers are a whopping $6.50 with the TAB.
It is not only the longest Penrith have been in any premiership match betting since 2015, but the first time they have been outsiders since the 2020 NRL grand final.
Yet, while his beloved Mt Druitt may be suffering a Covid lockdown, 24-year-old Panthers livewire Luai has been urged by coach Ivan Cleary to break out and own what would be one the Panthers’ greatest upset wins.
Elsewhere, coach Cleary also revealed utility Tyrone May will likely miss up to five weeks after suffering a knee injury in their Round 19 win over Brisbane, while Yeo is recovering “really well” from a concussion suffered in the same match, despite the skipper’s publicised history with head knocks.
While May started at No.7 in the Broncos win, his injury means Luai now moves into the halfback role, with Matt Burton going from centre back to five-eighth. Yet Cleary left no doubt as to who he wants to run the side against Storm in their hyped showdown.
“Jarome’s got more responsibility this week,” he said. “It’s a big role for him and I’m looking forward to watching him take it on. Nathan is obviously our first-choice halfback and runs the show. But Jarome has done it before too so he knows what to do.
“It will be a different look to when Nat is there, but I feel we can get enough done to win this game. Jarome was a little quiet last week and he knows that. But he doesn’t shy away from the big games. Or the big moments. And that’s why we love him so much.
“I always like watching Jarome play and this weekend is a great challenge for us.”
Elsewhere, the Panthers are also without winger Brian To’o (ankle) and star prop James Fisher-Harris, who returned home for the birth of his child, a boy, this week.
Quizzed on the challenge of playing Melbourne without so many Origin and Test stars, Cleary said: “As long as I’ve been coaching, whenever you play the Storm it’s always a challenge.
“They have always been a benchmark team.
“At the top of the table or near enough for 15 years. It’s no different this week.
“They’re probably stronger than we are in terms of first choice team but there are plenty of clubs going through the season without certain players. It’s just our go at the moment.”
Meantime, Cleary also suggested finishing the NRL season inside the top two may not carry the same weight as previous seasons if the competition remains in Queensland.
“It might not be as important as it was,” he said. “The big benefit of finishing top two was always a home final in that first week of the playoffs.
“And while there is still a fair amount of uncertainty, looking at the way Sydney is going I can’t imagine we will be going back there in a hurry. But in saying that, you want to be going into the finals in good form. And we will be looking to do that.”
Cleary reveals plan for Pangai Jnr ‘experiment’
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary says the Tevita Pangai Jnr “experiment” will kick-off next week against the Sydney Roosters, admitting his biggest test is getting the 117kg recruit up to speed defensively.
After welcoming Pangai Jnr into the Panthers’ Sunshine Coast bubble on Thursday, Cleary decided 48 hours was not enough time to ready him for Saturday’s clash against Melbourne.
Already, Penrith are facing the reigning NRL champs without a host of stars including Nathan Cleary (shoulder), Isaah Yeo (concussion), Api Koroisau (suspension), Brian To’o (ankle), Tyrone May (knee) and James Fisher-Harris, who headed back to Sydney for the birth of his child.
Yet coach Cleary said the Broncos import would be parachuted into the side for the following week’s Round 21 match against the Roosters.
While the Tongan international has endured a tumultuous six years at Red Hill, which included his 2020 suspension for a Covid quarantine breach, the Panthers believe they can get the best out of their $120,000 recruit, who has long been touted as one of the game’s best young forwards.
Asked why he would be the one to get the best out of a footballer who comes with more than a few question marks, and was only recently dubbed a “risky” signing by NSW Origin great Laurie Daley, Cleary replied: “It’s really around Tevita fitting into what we already have here.
“And he’s already said that’s what he wants to do.
“He arrived Thursday and that was a big (training) day for us.
“So he saw lots. Felt lots in terms of how we do things. That’s the first part.
“It’s also not just about what I do, it’s everyone. He’s only been here a day but has tried to absorb how we do things.”
Asked why he wasn’t rushed in for Saturday’s game against the Storm, Cleary said: “The way the contract went, he wasn’t available for this weekend.
“He could only get here yesterday (Thursday) and we decided that wasn’t soon enough to get ready for a game. So he will be available for next week.
“He can’t train until Monday with the team but he’s already brought some new energy into the camp and I’m looking forward to getting him into the team.”
Signed to the Canterbury Bulldogs on a three-year deal from next season, Pangai Jnr suddenly looms as a genuine X-factor addition to a Panthers side plagued by withdrawals.
With Fisher-Harris having returned to Sydney for the birth of his child this week, he will have to go back into quarantine before returning to Queensland’s NRL bubble.
Quizzed on the role Pangai Jnr would play in his absence, Cleary said: “We’ve got systems already in place and we won’t change those too much for one player coming in.
“But within those systems we encourage our players individual talents as well.
“We also have to get him used to our systems, particularly defensively. That will take a few weeks. It’s a good little experiment.
“Tevita hasn’t played for four or five weeks so we will have to ease him into it and see where he is at. And we will work things out as we go along. We have a plan, for sure.”
HOW UNWANTED BRONCO CAN BE PANTHERS’ X-FACTOR
— Peter Badel
Brisbane prop Payne Haas has spoken of his disappointment at the swift departure of Tevita Pangai Jr, declaring the unwanted Broncos forward can be the X-factor that helps Penrith to a premiership.
Pangai Jr will officially join the Panthers from Monday and will almost certainly be pitchforked into an injury-hit Penrith side for their round 21 fixtures against the Roosters on Saturday week.
Ironically, the clash will take place at Suncorp Stadium — the very venue Pangai Jr has called home during his turbulent six-season, 96-game stint with the Broncos.
Haas was so desperate for Pangai Jr to remain at Red Hill he personally asked Broncos recruit Adam Reynolds to speak to Brisbane bosses about keeping the Tongan Test ace at the club next season.
But with Brisbane hierarchy adamant Pangai Jr can benefit from a fresh start, Haas has come to terms with the decision and believes the 25-year-old can wreak havoc for the Panthers in the playoffs.
“At the start it was pretty hard to take,” Haas said of Pangai Jr’s release to the Panthers.
“We are pretty close mates, me and Tevita, and to see what happened was hard, but at the end of the day, it’s a business in rugby league and I’m glad the Broncos did it in a respectful way.
“I am just happy that Tevita has his future sorted and I hope he does well at Penrith.
“Tevita will bring a lot to their team, he has aggression and he will bring some flair and variety to the Panthers.
“Nathan Cleary (injured Panthers halfback) is the best player in the comp and when he comes back they (Penrith) will be pretty hard to beat.
“When he goes to Penrith, Tevita only needs to work on his defence and Cameron Ciraldo is a good defence coach at Penrith.
“Tevita is one of the most damaging ballrunners in the comp, but his effort on effort, he just needs to work on that.
“Penrith will suit him well for the next few months and then he can take it to the Bulldogs next year.”
It is understood the Panthers plan to use Pangai Jr as a shock weapon off interchange. The 113kg hulk is capable of operating as a wide-running back-rower but prefers a Jason Taumalolo-style role producing explosive charges as a middle forward.
Penrith halfback great Greg Alexander backed his signing but hopes Pangai Jr, who developed a bad-boy reputation at the Broncos after some off-field dramas last year, buys into the Panthers’ culture.
“I think Tevita can be a real X-factor for the Panthers in the run to the finals,” Alexander said.
“With James Fisher-Harris missing for a few weeks, I think it’s a good signing, as long as Tevita is ready to do what is best for the team.
“I can’t imagine a player coming in on his own to a club that is well run and has a pretty special feeling among the players and affecting that too much.
“I can’t imagine someone like Tevita coming in and destabilising the place. I just hope Tevita makes the most of his time at Penrith and uses the experience to be the best player he can be before he goes to the Bulldogs.
“There is no doubting his physical gifts. He is an explosive athlete and he has the ability to pass before the line and in defence, he has an offload in his game, so I think Tevita can create something for the team and I’m sure his attitude would be good.
“I don’t mind the idea of signing Tevita for a short period. For whatever reason, Tevita wasn’t wanted by the Broncos and I don’t know if he was going to play another game for them, so I don’t see a problem with Penrith picking him up.”
HOW DEPLETED BRONCOS CAN TAKE DOWN TAUMALOLO
—Chris Honnery
Brisbane forward Ethan Bullemor believes a depleted Broncos forward pack can still match it with a Jason Taumalolo-led North Queensland side in Friday’s Queensland Derby at Suncorp Stadium.
The Broncos will be without forward leaders Tevita Pangai Jr (Panthers), Matt Lodge (Warriors), Patrick Carrigan (knee injury) and Tom Flegler (suspension) this week as concerns turn to Brisbane’s low forward stocks.
Only two of Brisbane’s engine room – skipper Alex Glenn and prop Payne Haas – had more than 50 games of NRL experience in last week’s game against Penrith.
Friday’s clash is set to be another battle of the forwards, with the rampaging Taumalolo proving the difference in the previous Broncos v Cowboys match earlier this year.
The 28-year-old bulldozed his way over the tryline in the 74th minute to set up a grandstand finish for Valentine Holmes to kick a late field goal and hand the Cowboys a 19-18 win.
Despite concerns around the Broncos pack, Bullemor said he was looking to turn Friday’s match as an opportunity for Brisbane’s young forwards to stamp their authority.
“While we will miss them (Flegler, Lodge, Pangai Jr) for sure we’ve got what it takes to match with them,” Bullemor said.
“A lot of us are early in our career but the boys have been improving every week.
“We’re definitely up for the challenge and gives us an opportunity to show what we can do and stamp our mark.”
Friday’s game is also set to spark a fresh battle between the two Queensland clubs, with former Brisbane wunderkind Tom Dearden coming up against his old teammates for the first time.
Dearden was earmarked as Brisbane’s future playmaker before the 20-year-old joined rivals North Queensland earlier this year on a three-year-deal.
Bullemor said there was no hard feelings against his former teammate but admitted the Broncos would need to nullify his impact on the game.
“For a lot of our boys, Tommy is a really good mate and someone I’ve known for a long time,” he said.
“I don’t think it changes too much (now that he now plays for the Cowboys).
“It will be good to see him and catch up but it’s just another game.
“We’ll do our best and make sure we contain him.”
The Broncos have been on the losing end of the XXXX Queensland Derby in their previous two meetings — with their last win coming before the Covid era in Round 1, 2020.
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