NRL 2024: Melbourne Storm win 8-0 over Penrith Panthers as Craig Bellamy’s Round 1 record continues
The Penrith Panthers were unable to put an end to Craig Bellamy’s incredible 22-year Round 1 record after some brave Storm goal line defence – but coach Ivan Cleary had questions about a game turning point.
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Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has questioned the obstruction call in the lead up to Soni Luke’s disallowed second half try that proved to be a crucial decision in Friday night’s low-scoring 8-0 loss to Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park.
With the Storm leading 2-0, Panthers centre Taylan May breezed through the defensive line and put in a chip for Luke, who touched down.
It was ruled no try because earlier in the play, Panthers forward Lindsay Smith was adjudged to have obstructed Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes.
While there was likely no contact, Smith’s presence seemed to change Hughes’s direction as he attempted to make the tackle on Luai.
Cleary was not sold on the obstruction ruling.
“Well, I’ll be careful about this, but I think if there’s going to be an obstruction rule, someone has to be obstructed,” he said.
“They also said that Jahrome Hughes made a defensive decision, which once that happens … anyway.
“I guess it’s just one of those things, probably summed up the night really.”
It was far from a polished performance from the three-time defending champion Panthers.
Cleary was particularly unimpressed with the way his team finished the game as they squandered a multitude of chances.
“Obviously not a great performance,” he said.
“At the end we just panicked, well I don’t know if we panicked, but we were all over the shop really.”
Cleary was not looking to use the recent travel back from the World Club Challenge in England as an excuse.
“We played a good team who is hard to beat down here,” he said.
“They’re not going to lose too many games down here, well they usually don’t.
“If you don’t quite get it right, which we didn’t, you come up short.”
May seemed the most likely to break through the Storm defence with his speed and evasiveness tough to stop.
The 22-year-old’s performance at centre was one of the most encouraging signs of the night for the Panthers.
“He definitely looks very promising,” Cleary said.
Premiership hangover? Storm record survives as frantic Panthers falter
A tireless Melbourne Storm had to defend for their lives to upset three-time defending champion Penrith Panthers 8-0 in a sloppy but thrilling season opener at AAMI Park on Friday night.
The Storm’s historically impeccable defensive reputation came into question last season and it was in sharp focus over the summer after giving up 38 points to the Panthers in last year’s preliminary final.
Time after time, the Panthers asked questions of the Storm, particularly in the second half when they pounded their defence, but the home side put up a brick wall to produce one of their great defensive displays in recent times, incredibly holding the visitors scoreless.
A second half try to Reimis Smith gave the Storm the breathing space they needed to clinch an upset victory.
It ensured the Storm’s perfect round 1 record under Craig Bellamy would stay intact.
The Storm still haven’t lost a round 1 game since 2001 and this was arguably their toughest test against one of the great teams.
The first half was nothing of what you would expect from two teams laden with stars.
Error upon error piled up with the Storm going to half time with a deplorable 13/22 completion and the Panthers not much better with 17/23.
The Panthers errors stood out because it was their stars at fault for most of them.
Even superstar Nathan Cleary could not avoid a spillage.
His co-captain Isaah Yeo dropped the ball cold and Moses Leota had a nightmare start to his 150th game, penalised from breaking away from the scrum and later a dropped ball.
If it wasn’t handling errors, it was penalties, 11 in all, six conceded by the Panthers and five by the Storm.
It was only a matter of minutes before we saw the NRLs crackdown on obstruction come into play when Storm forward Josh King blocked Cleary on the last tackle play when Jahrome Hughes was attempting a clearing kick.
An impressive barnstorming run from forward Joe Chan, the son of former Storm player Alex, making his first start for the Storm, was fruitless because Christian Welch took out Panthers forward Luke Garner at the end of the play.
The only points of the first half came from a penalty goal through Nick Meaney.
The fleeting bits of quality came through the full back positions with Ryan Papenhuyzen and Dylan Edwards playing with confidence.
An old school 2-0 scoreline at half time summed up the first 40.
A piece of individual brilliance from Taylan May, who left Will Warbrick in his wake and put in Soni Luke to touch down, was ruled out for obstruction after Jarome Luai had run behind Lindsay Smith, shortly before Smith’s game-winning try.
Youngster Jonah Pezet put in a cross field kick for Xavier Coates, who padded the ball back to Smtih a try that saw Meaney add the extras.
In a low scoring game, it proved to be the backbreaker.
PAPS BACK
Ryan Papenhuyzen, returning from a broken leg, was unleashed as a starter and immediately thrust into the play.
The full back ran for over 100 metres in the first half and showed the speed and foot work that made him a must-watch player in the league.
Harry Grant led the way in his first game as captain with 44 tackles.
TAYLAN’S TIME
May had the biggest shoes to fill on the Panthers list, taking over from the departed centre Stephen Crichton.
A product of the Panthers development system, the 22-year-old impressed in the World Club Challenge and he put on a show in the season opener.
The excitement machine will have the turnstiles ticking at NRL grounds before too long.
Sunia Turuva was the only player to rack up over 200 run metres.
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