Melbourne Storm hold on to beat Newcastle Knights after trailing at half time

NEWCASTLE jumped from the blocks and led at half time in Melbourne, but the home side proved too good as the Storm notched their 300th victory.

THE enigma that is Cooper Cronk both stunk and shined as he scored a double in Melbourne Storm’s come-from-behind 18-14 win over Newcastle at AAMI Park.

Cronk was unusually below par with his passing and kicking for much of the game but scored his team’s opening four pointer and a second late in the game to get Storm within reach of the visitors who lead from the outset.

Inside the final 20 minutes, and trailing 14-6, Cronk seized on an all-out solo effort from Will Chambers that netted Melbourne a rare repeat set.

Storm went forward with renewed energy and Cronk found a grand-canyon sized gap to run through and score his second.

It got his team within two points as the game ticked in to its final 15 minutes.

Back to back penalties against Newcastle allowed Storm skipper Cameron Smith an easy two points to tie things up just three minutes later and suddenly Melbourne had energy unseen for the previous hour.

Rushing and rushing then reaped a victorious reward as winger Richie Kennar, replacing suspended Marika Koroibete, found himself unmarked out wide and he waltzed in to score with six minutes to go.

It was a win from nowhere, after an ugly hour of mistakes and missed passes in which no side really ever had any real momentum.

The Knights had made the most of their limited scoring chances to net two tries, and held sway at 14-6.

In attack Melbourne played like a team short on ideas as the big boys tried to barge over again and again with the odd kick used to mix things up.

Whether it’s the lack of Billy Slater’s bursts of brilliance from out the back or a thirst for safety first, Storm is exhibiting a general malaise with the football that has netted juts two tries in

Melbourne’s past two outings.

Cooper Cronk of the Storm scores a try.

Storm assistant coach Adam O’Brien fronted the post-match press conference with coach Craig Bellamy spending most of the week out of Melbourne after the death of his father-in-law.

O’Brien said with the Storm having racked up four wins and one loss to start the season there was still some good signs.

“We’re still not playing real pretty with the footy but we’re finding ways to win,” O’Brien said.

“There’s certainly some willingness from the group to defend and that’s the pleasing part but we’re under no illusion we’ve got some work to do with our attack.

Halfback Cronk conceded during the week that his lacklustre form was, at least in part, due to his lack of a signature on his next contract.

Usually dynamic, his passing play continues to border on directionless. He’s playing like a man who, as he said during the week, is “umming and ahhing”.

Ill-discipline also remains out of control for Craig Bellamy’s men, who continue to infringe right when their team needs it least.

The penalty count was slightly lopsided (11-7 against Melbourne) but in a classic case of how, not how many, Storm gave up yardage when they had Newcaslte on the back foot again and again.

The Knights opened the scoring after 13 minutes when, after a penalty, a perfect kick from halfback Trent Hodkinson was taken by late inclusion Akila Uate.

The Fijian leaped high over Tohu Harris, landed untouched, offloaded to Jacob Saifiti who scored too easily.

An arm-wrestle, in which errors flowed and neither team looked in any sort of flow, continued, with an errant pass behind his back to no-one from Cronk saved from harm by a Knights knock-on in trying to recover it.

Tyler Randell of the Knights runs through the line.

Melbourne finally hit the scoreboard in the 20th minute, through Cronk, who scooped up a pass from centre Will Chambers, who rolled it back along the ground as he was tackled for the halfback to collect.

After taking two points courtesy of another penalty the Knights had their first half-tome lead of the season at 8-6.

Just under 20 minutes of scoreless football followed in the second before Kobin Sims outstretched Melbourne’s Cameron Munster to score Newcastle’s second try which gave his team an eight-point lead before Storm mounted their comeback.

MELBOURNE 18 (C Cronk 2 R Kennar tries C Smith 3 goals) bt NEWCASTLE 14 (J Saifiti K Sims tries T Hodkinson 3 goals) at AAMI Park. Referee: Henry Perenara, Chris Sutton. Crowd: 11,443.

Originally published as Melbourne Storm hold on to beat Newcastle Knights after trailing at half time