NRL 2021: Storm 66 defeat Tigers 16 after ridiculous first half blitz
How can Storm score 12 tries and their star winger not contribute one? That the Tigers kept Josh Addo-Carr quiet meant nothing as they deal with the fallout from another humiliating loss.
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The Melbourne Storm gave new meaning to the word ‘massacre’ by blowing the woeful Wests Tigers away 66-16 with an opening onslaught of breathtaking proportions to record their incredible 12th win on the trot.
The Tigers spent a relaxing time on Noosa beach on game day morning but once the game kicked off they were swamped by a sea of purple. In the opening 18 minutes the Tigers had the ball for a combined 20 seconds. As lamentable as the Tigers were, credit must go to the scintillating Storm.
By the 15th minute, when rampaging beast Nelson Asofa-Solomona crashed over, Melbourne led 30-0. It was sheer perfection. One point per minute is impressive, but for the opening 15 minutes the Storm were going at two per minute.
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As the terrible Tigers prepared to restart, which they got plenty of practice at, a punter in the stands called out to Josh Addo-Carr: “Come on Josh, I need you in the multi mate.”
The NSW winger heard the quip and grinned from ear to ear.
The Storm started off playing Harlem Globetrotters style with flick passes, 20-metre cut-out balls and razzle dazzle all-round. Brandon Smith scored in the second minute and the floodgates opened.
Nicho Hynes and Cameron Munster had both scored by the ninth minute.
The Tigers incredibly didn’t have the ball until the eighth minute but soon lost it.
Dale Finucane (12th minute), Asofa-Solomona (15th) Reimis Smith (27th) and Felise Kaufusi (37th) had all crossed by half-time when the game was well and truly over as a contest with the Storm leading 40-0.
It was enough for coach Michael Maguire to walk out his team during the halftime break, taking his staff with him as he left his players in the rooms alone to figure out their problems themselves.
The carnage continued in the second half with the Storm running in a further five tries to record the highest score they have ever put on the Tigers, eclipsing a 64-0 win in 2001.
“I don’t think I have ever seen a game like that,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy said.
“Everything went right for us and everything that could go wrong for them did.”
In a sour note for Melbourne, their starting hooker Brandon Smith did not return after the break after suffering a cork to his calf, while centre Reimis Smith limped off after scoring his second try.
Tom Eisenhuth also left the field in the second stanza with a dislocated elbow.
Asofa-Solomona was binned for a late tackle on Joe Ofahengaue which had everyone at the ground bemused, including Fox League commentator Warren Smith who said “well that wasn’t on the play we just saw, that had to be on a play earlier in the set”.
DALE’S AUDITION
With Blues forward Jake Trbojevic ruled out of Origin II with injury, the door is open for Storm warhorse Dale Finucane to get another call-up.
He did his best to bash it down against the Tigers.
From the opening whistle he was a powerhouse with and without the ball and even unfurled a superb offload to put Munster over.
Finucane missed the opening Origin game of the past two series before being recalled by Brad Fittler for the subsequent matches.
Former NSW forward Luke Lewis said on ABC Radio that Finucane would be his choice to come into the side because of his toughness and uncompromising style of play.
“I couldn’t think of a better player than Dale to be going in there,” Bellamy said.
“NSW have got some really good players in that position and I thought he was unlucky not to be there originally. This year Dale has gone to greater heights in my eyes. Any rep team he is available for, I would be picking him in.”
TERRIBLE TIGERS
The finals hopes of the Tigers are a pipe dream.
Now four points outside the top eight, Michael Maguire’s men must find a way of stringing multiple wins together or face missing out on the top eight for a 10th consecutive season.
After back-to-back wins over the Dragons and Panthers in round 12 and 13, there was hope a turnaround was in the wings, but a terrible leaky defence continues to haunt the Tigers who have now conceded 30 points or more in nine of their 10 losses this year.
Without arguably their best player in Adam Doueihi against the Storm, they were always up against it, but to dish up what they did was completely unacceptable.
Maguire said he said absolutely nothing to the players at half-time.
“They are men and they spoke about it themselves,” Maguire said.
Whatever they said, it didn’t work.
“They are gutted,” Maguire said when asked how the players felt at the end of the game.
“We got blown off the park to start with. You’ve got to arrest that, but we weren’t smart.”
The Tigers have a lot to work on, starting with their defensive effort.
“We have to learn how to stop the momentum of the opposition and you do that through your defence,” he said.
STORM SURGE
The Storm recorded their 12th consecutive win for the third time in their history and are on the cusp of a club record 15 wins in a row, which was achieved across the 2012-2013 seasons.
Considering the adversity they once again face, while based on the Sunshine Coast away from their home in Melbourne, it is a remarkable achievement.
“Tonight we equalled the club record (in one season) of 12 wins on the trot and the only Storm team to have done that was the 2011 side,” Bellamy said.
“That was after the salary cap scandal and that side in 2011 was one of the most untalented Storm sides and had a lot of grit. These guys today are really proud of that.”
The Storm can lay claim to being the ‘Kings of Queensland’ after recording their 24th win on the trot in the state dating back to 2017. Now back on the top of the table, their next big test awaits four days after Origin II when they take on the Roosters at the SCG.
ORIGIN ROLL CALL
All eyes from an Origin perspective were on the Storm’s five representatives in the Maroons and Blues team. Queensland quartet of Harry Grant, Christian Welch, Cameron Munster and Felise Kaufusi all appeared to come through the game unscathed, as did Blues winger Addo-Carr.
Tigers and Maroons forward Joe Ofahengaue didn’t see much action. Welch and Grant were both used off the bench by Craig Bellamy while Munster guided the Storm around with aplomb in his best game since returning from a foot injury in Origin I.
STORM 66
Tries: Jahrome Hughes 2, Reimis Smith 2, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Tom Eisenhuth, Dale Finucane, Harry Grant, Nicholas Hynes, Felise Kaufusi, Cameron Munster, Brandon Smith
Goals: Nicholas Hynes 9/12
TIGERS 16
Tries: Luke Garner, David Nofoaluma, Tommy Talau
Goals: Luke Brooks 2/3
Crowd: 5,328 at Sunshine Coast Stadium
Referees: Gerard Sutton
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