Tactic that brought Melbourne Storm undone in NRL grand final
MELBOURNE have created a dynasty on being an immaculately tuned unit, but one key part of their game plan against the Roosters might have foreshadowed their downfall.
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“SPEND your life targeting Cooper? I don’t understand, he was making his tackles.”
South Sydney coach Anthony Seibold may have indirectly given the Melbourne Storm a key piece of information last week that ultimately could have cost them the NRL premiership for not taking.
The Rabbitohs were the Sydney Roosters’ preliminary final victims, and Seibold laughed after the match when asked why his side didn’t target an injured Cronk.
A week later mastermind Craig Bellamy did exactly that, aiming his attack at the former Storm halfback.
Bellamy’s move isn’t one to be critical of, it appeared an obvious tactic for any coach, but in hindsight it may have had a truly detrimental impact for Melbourne in the decider.
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Melbourne’s left edge boasted Queensland five-eighth Cameron Munster, young strike centre Curtis Scott and prolific try-scorer Josh Addo-Carr.
The focus was always on exposing the one-armed Cronk.
Melbourne’s few attacking opportunities on the Roosters tryline came in the opening quarter of the match.
On each occasion Billy Slater zeroed in on his great mate.
The meticulous Storm unit directed everything at the battered Rooster, and it threw their movements completely out of synch.
Every time the play lost its way, and rarely was Cronk forced to even make the tackle.
Melbourne have created a dynasty on being an immaculately tuned unit.
The doubt over the durability of Cronk’s shoulder was enough to bring their attacking structure undone.
One raid resulted in Slater coming within inches of being penalised for a shepherd, it was a timing issue the star fullback is notorious for perfecting.
The play broke down, and the ball was eventually turned over.
The same result came from several early attacking opportunities, each stifled from desperate attempts to bulldoze Cronk.
Each came in a 25-minute period to open the match, a period dominated by the Tricolours that set the platform for the victory.
From there the Roosters dominated field possession through the middle third of the encounter, and it wasn’t until late in the game that Melbourne earned another opportunity on the tryline.
Again, they eyed Cronk.
This time, it was a rampaging Nelson Asofa-Solomona, the biggest player in the NRL.
Again, Cronk proved unbreakable.
Melbourne should have known better than to doubt a man who led the purple army to seven grand finals.
Instead, they questioned him, and it brought them undone.
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