NRL Round 20 2024: Melbourne Storm win 24-8 over Sydney Roosters
Melbourne have extended the gap at the top of the NRL ladder, with a convincing win over fellow premiership heavyweights the Roosters, but the victory may have come at a cost.
Unheralded Storm winger Grant Anderson played the game of his career before suffering a knee injury on the final play of the game as Melbourne strengthened its grip on top spot on the ladder with a commanding 24-8 win over an inform Sydney Roosters at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
Anderson was instrumental for the Storm with two first half tries and a last gasp try-saving tackle on Roosters winger Dom Young in the second half to stave off a potential Roosters fightback.
Agonisingly for Anderson, it ended in pain as he appeared to hyperextend his knee on the final play of the match, forcing him to leave the ground in the hands of the trainers.
The Roosters were so conscious of the threat of the 24-year-old that he even drew a professional foul from Victor Radley, which saw the veteran Rooster binned for 10 minutes,
The Roosters fell foul of the law with two sin bins and never recovered.
It was the Storm’s sixth consecutive win, moving them six points clear of second placed Penrith Panthers, and fifth in a row over the Roosters, as their recent dominance in the head-to-head battle continued.
Roosters young gun Joseph Suaalii, returning from a four-game ban, was reported for a knee lift, while Storm forward Joe Chan was placed on report twice.
The Storm produced the more enterprising play of the first half and deservedly went into halftime 14-4 up.
Conversely, the Roosters were flat-footed on defence, with their flakiness conceding a succession of tackle breaks.
It turned into the Anderson show.
The Storm winger’s first half play was arguably the best 40 minutes of his career to date.
Anderson’s best try came on the back of a sloppy pass from captain Harry Grant, where he scooped the ball up from around his ankles to score.
With the Roosters making inroads on the deficit with a Daniel Tupou try following a spectacular pass from Luke Keary, Anderson connected on a cross field kick from Ryan Papenhuyzen to score.
With Storm seemingly in control, Alec MacDonald butchered an attacking move one metre out with a careless play the ball, before Chan found himself in the sin bin for a shoulder charge on Radley.
All of a sudden, the Roosters had hope, but their hopes were dwindling when Connor Watson pulled back Howarth and wound up in the bin for 10 minutes.
Howarth was a menace on the left with 210 run metres.
Tedesco seemed to have crossed for the Roosters, but Tupou was adjudged to have interfered with Grant in the lead up.
Meaney extended the Storm’s lead to 14 after Papenhuyzen was ever-so-briefly tugged back by Nat Butcher.
Sua Faalogo put the icing on the cake with a try after coming on in the 77th minute.
KING’S DOMAIN
Storm forward Josh King has long been lauded for his workmanlike effort, but in recent weeks he has turned into a real eye-catcher, whether it is his try-scoring exploits or now his proficiency by foot.
King produced one of the most creative grubber kicks that skirted the dead-ball line and curved to Anderson for what would have been a try, only for senior review official Ashley Klein to call play back for a finger-tipping knock on from Eli Katoa.
King’s kick even impressed Storm half back Jahrome Hughes, one of the best kickers in the NRL.
“One of the best tries that never happened, I think, Kingy’s one,” Hughes said. “It even had that little banana on it, he must’ve been practising!”
"The delicacy! The little bend!"
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) July 20, 2024
If only this was ruled as a try! 😩
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SWEAT ON SUAALII
Roosters centre Joseph Suaalii could face another stint on the sidelines.
The 20-year-old star centre was placed on report for a knee lift on Storm winger Will Warbrick.
It is the last thing that Suaalii, who returned from a four-game suspension for a dangerous high tackle, wanted in what has been a stop-start final season with the Roosters before he crosses to rugby union.
Storm forward Joe Chan is another who will be nervous after being put on report twice.
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