Cameron Munster delivers for Melbourne Storm against Cowboys
A birthday double for Cameron Munster has all but guaranteed a top-two finish for Melbourne Storm.
A birthday double for Cameron Munster has all but guaranteed a top-two finish for Melbourne, helping his side to a resounding 36-20 win over North Queensland.
Playing in front of a sold-out Sunshine Coast Stadium of 4056 fans, the Storm put on a clinic against the Cowboys to put them four points clear of third-placed Roosters with two matches of the regular season to play.
It was Melbourne‘s 15th win of the season but the start did not augur well for the high flyers.
North Queensland fans were cheering on an upset when talented youngster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow opened the scoring for the Cowboys in the fifth minute.
But their lead was short-lived as the Storm went on the attack and scored five unanswered tries. It looked almost too easy.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui both barged over the tryline to get Melbourne rolling, before Munster strolled through a yawning gap untouched to score his first four pointer. He leapfrogged a Cowboys defender in the second half to bring up his double.
A second-half fightback from the Cowboys gave the visiting side a glimpse of hope but it was too little, too late. They can blame their first-half defence. With 31 missed tackles in the first 40 minutes, it was simply not good enough and Melbourne made them pay.
The Cowboys tightened up in the second stanza, missing just eight tackles and looked a lot more dangerous in attack.
Valentine Holmes, Esan Marsters and Jake Clifford showed glimpses of their potential to outscore their opponents 16-12 in the second half.
Marsters played one of his better games to finish with 149 running metres, a try and a try assist.
The Cowboys’ cause was not helped by Josh McGuire. The firebrand was sin-binned in the seventh minute by referee Grant Atkins for dissent.
It proved costly for the Cowboys – who were leading 4-0 at the time – and the Storm were able to put on two tries against a 12-man defensive line.
Errors have haunted the Cowboys in 2020 and it’s one area they need to fix.
Among those at the sold-out Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday afternoon were a number of Melbourne’s Queensland-based old boys.
The likes of Michael Crocker, Stephen Kearney, Matt Geyer and Marcus Bai were sitting on the northern hill to cheer on their former club.
The Courier-Mail
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