Melbourne streak ahead of the pack following 14-12 victory over the Roosters
Melbourne’s 14-12 victory over the Roosters in Adelaide didn’t just secure some matter of vengeance for their grand final loss, it opened up a six-point buffer on the top at the ladder.
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Update: Melbourne have opened up the biggest lead of the season atop the NRL ladder after edging the Sydney Roosters 14-12 in a tense grand final rematch. Both teams scored two tries apiece on Friday night at Adelaide Oval, however it was the boot of Cameron Smith that proved the difference.
The Storm captain was a perfect three goals from as many attempts, while Roosters centre Latrell Mitchell nailed two of his three looks at goal. Scores were locked at 12-all at the 64-minute mark when Smith drew a penalty and converted from in front in what ended up as the match-winning points. Brett Morris and Boyd Cordner both had chances to steal the game at the death but were denied by some desperate cover defence.
The gritty victory not only extends Melbourne’s winning streak to six, but lifts them six points clear of both the Roosters and South Sydney. The last team to hold a six-point lead after 15 rounds were the Storm in 2012, and they went on to claim the premiership against Canterbury.
Ironically, the loser of the corresponding game between the two teams at the same venue have gone on to lift the trophy the past two years.
It was also the fourth time in their past five clashes that the game wasdecided by three points or less, including a one-point thriller earlier this year. And the crowd of 16,297 witnessed another closely fought battle. “We put ourselves in a good position with the way we defended in the first half,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy said.
“And we continued that in the second half even though we had more ball. As the other games have gone here, they’ve been so close and so tight. “I think the Adelaide public like these two games coming over here.”
All eyes were on Mitchell in the lead-up, after he was controversially dropped by the Blues after Origin I a fortnight ago.
And while the Roosters star was solid in the unfamiliar position of five-eighth, Storm youngster Ryan Papenhuyzen stole the show.
He finished with a game-high 224 metres and scoring a try, and but closely followed by Dale Finucane’s 171 metres and 33 tackles.
Eight changes were made to the Roosters’ line-up before kickoff, but they started strongly and took an early lead through a penalty goal. Not even a long-range try to Papenhuyzen in the 17th minute halted their momentum, with Daniel Tupou and Joseph Manu crossing for a two-try lead.
However, the Storm ensured the scores were locked at 12-all at the break when Brodie Croft pounced on his own grubber moments before halftime. Little separated the two sides thereafter, with the Roosters defending their line stoutly despite giving up cheap possession in their own territory. Smith’s penalty goal was the only score of the second half.
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Roosters coach Trent Robinson lamented their inability to seize their chances in a game that afforded few of them.
“We couldn’t ice those opportunities and they defended well as well when we did break them open,” Robinson said.
“There was three opportunities there and that was the story of the game. They get a penalty and that’s the difference in the second half.”
MELBOURNE 14 (B Croft R Papenhuyzen tries C Smith 3 goals) bt SYDNEY ROOSTERS 12 (J Manu D Tupou tries L Mitchell 2 goals) at Adelaide Oval. Referee: Grant Atkins, Peter Gough. Crowd: 16,297
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