NRL 2021: Melbourne Storm beat Sydney Roosters 20-4 | Match Report

The Storm copped a nightmare start to 2021 and came out with a 4-2 record. And while there were fears for one star’s health last night, things are looking scarily good for the champs.

Harry Grant ignited Melbourne’s attack when he came on the field, scoring a try to seal the win. Picture: Getty Images.

Melbourne Storm has survived its early season barrage in remarkable shape, with the reigning premier set to be at full strength for its ANZAC Day blockbuster at AAMI Park.

Storm will enjoy a well-earned nine-day break before facing the New Zealand Warriors in the annual ANZAC night drawcard in Melbourne.

Star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen hurt his AC joint on Friday night but Storm coach Craig Bellamy does not expect him to miss any game time.

The reigning premier’s gritty 20-4 win over the Sydney Roosters on Friday night means it is now 4-2 after a difficult start to the season

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Ryan Papenhuyzen lies on the ground after hurting his knee. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“We expect (co-captain) Dale (Finucane) to come back next week,” Bellamy said.

“I think Brenko (Lee) is playing his second game this week so we’ll just see how he pulls up.

“I’d rather have those problems than trying to find someone, but I’ll probably be coming back here in four weeks’ time and we’re trying to find a couple of players.”

Hooker Harry Grant – who along with fellow star Cameron Munster was cleared of requiring HIA inspections on Friday night after receiving head knocks – starred off the bench in his second game back from a knee injury.

He is pushing his case to pinch the No.9 jersey from Brandon Smith, but Bellamy said he liked them working in tandem.

“Harry was wonderful for us last week and he was wonderful again (against the Roosters),” Bellamy said.

“But I thought Brandon was strong for us and they did a real good job in the first 20 minutes of the second half when they were going in tandem.

“Our improvement can come from the combinations of those two guys with the rest of the team and particular the spine and I think there are some good times ahead for this team.”

Bellamy said it was at this stage a week by week proposition.

“With Brandon starting it takes the edge off Harry, but we might swap it around,” Bellamy said.

“Because Brandon does a great job in his other role (loose forward) as well, we will take it week by week.

“They are still working on their combinations in every training session and every game.

“Harry has only played four games for the Storm and has missed a lot of training with his injury after the trial.

“You would like to think those combinations will get stronger and stronger the more they train and the more they play.”

PLENTY OF BELLYACHE HEADACHES

Does premiership centre Brenko Lee, who is set to return from a hamstring, steal one of either Reimis Smith or Justin Olam’s starting spots?

Should Grant start at hooker and force Smith to the bench?

On Grant’s performance on Friday night, you would say that is a lock.

“I remember talking to Matty Johns about him and I hadn’t seen a lot of Harry play,” Michael Ennis said on Fox League.

“It was back in 2019 and he said that Grant was playing that well in the Queensland Cup that he could play Origin.

“He said he is that good a player and in the space of 12 months he is one of our elite dummy halves. He looks like he has been playing for a decade. He provides everything that you need in and around the ruck.

“It’s as good a performance as I’ve seen from a number nine in a long time.

“Harry Grant, his injection, and I say that as a young man, we saw Cameron Smith do it for so long. But this is his fourth game with the Melbourne Storm. By no means are these combinations in concrete. It’s not what we’ve seen from Smith for the last 15 years so long where he’s played with so many of them for so long. He’s hardly been here.

“He’s pulled the Roosters apart, he’s blown them to smithereens around the ruck and you can just see the body language there from the Roosters middles, he is destroying them.”

Broncos legend Corey Parker said it created a conundrum for the master coach.

“The conundrum for Craig Bellamy is that Harry Grant is an 80 minute player,” Parker said.

“He wants to go the 1-2 punch with Brandon Smith and then bringing Harry Grant on, or start with Harry Grant and have Brandon Smith as the good leg speed coming off the bench but it’s not a bad conundrum to have.”

Bellamy said he was likely to mix things up.

“We might swap it around, I’m not sure,” Bellamy said.

“We’ll take it week by week. They’re still working on their combinations every game and every training session we have. Harry’s only played four games for the Storm, he missed a lot of training with his injury after the trial, and you’d like to think those combinations are going to get stronger and stronger the more they train and the more they play.”

And there’s even more selection problems – if you can call them that.

Who makes way for Dale Finucane and does the Storm co-captain come off the bench or does he demand a starting spot?

Will man mountain Nelson Asofa-Solomona win back his starting spot?

They are all good problems to have, but some tough decisions still loom for the NRL master coach.

NEW BIG THREE FIRE

If the remarkable rivalry between Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters is not already considered the best in the NRL, it should be.

The scoresheet on Friday night – a 20-4 win to Melbourne in front of 15,087 at AAMI Park – doesn’t suggest it but it was a brutal contest.

It took until the 50th minute for the first try of the game to be scored through Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes.

Then Smith put superstar Papenhuyzen over, before Grant scored to seal a hard-earned win. Only a try in the final minute saved the Roosters from recording their first scoreless game in almost five years.

“Overall any time you get a win against the Roosters, you’re pretty happy with that,” Storm Bellamy said.

Harry Grant ignited Melbourne’s attack when he came on the field, scoring a try to seal the win. Picture: Getty Images.

“I think we needed to improve our defence after the last couple of weeks.

“But having said that I’ve probably always been more defensively-minded than attacking-minded, but if you’re going to go deep into the season you’ve got to have a good defence.

“With all due respect, we’ve had a real tough draw.

“The first six games we’ve played four or the top six sides and I don’t think any other side has done that. So it’s been a tough little period for us but I’m really happy in the way they stumped up tonight.

“We get a little bit of a rest now before Anzac Day so we’ll try and freshen them up a little bit and give them the weekend off.”

Storm went in short-priced favourite but they were always going to have to fight.

We shouldn’t have been surprised.

Since 2017, the two sides have met 10 times with Storm now winning six of those to the Roosters’ four. Three of those games have gone to golden point, and the two clubs have won six of the last nine premierships.

That is some rivalry.

The stunning defection of Cooper Cronk to the Roosters, and then steering them to a grand final win over his former club in 2018, probably cost the halfback a bronze statue outside AAMI Park alongside Cameron Smith and Billy Slater.

Could Papenhuyzen have won the battle for the NSW No.1 jersey? Picture: Getty Images

Some were disappointed to see Cronk didn’t receive one alongside his former big three just before the start of the season.

Was it a snub?

Perhaps.

Was it justified?

It depends on who you speak to.

There’s little doubt the sight of Cronk – with a busted shoulder – turning the screws on Storm in the 2018 grand final wearing the tricolours would still burn for some Storm people.

It has only added to this ongoing rivalry which shows no signs of slowing.

PAPENHUYZEN V TEDESCO

The much anticipated showdown between the game’s two best fullbacks this season was almost a fizzer.

Many were salivating at watching Roosters star James Tedesco and Papenhuyzen in the battle for the New South Wales’ No.1 Origin jersey. It was almost over after five minutes when the Storm speedster came from the field following a crunching collision with centre Josh Morris.

The Roosters only narrowly avoided an unwanted record, scoring late to avoid their first scoreless game in five years. Picture: Getty Images.

He was taken from the field for a HIA and to check on his shoulder, with Nicho Hynes brought on the field to replace him at the back. You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from the Storm supporters when the Dally M joint leader reappeared a short time later.

In the second half, the Clive Churchill medallist scored Melbourne’s second try. Later, Bellamy said his star fullback had hurt his AC joint but added he would not miss any games.

It was a hard night for the Roosters, but it’s fair to say Papenhuyzen outpointed the Blues’ fullback incumbent. Food for thought, Origin selectors?