Melbourne Storm defeat North Queensland Cowboys: Five things we learned

THE Cowboys and Storm are good enough to be grand final rivals and why NSW should be worried. Here’s what else we took from Storm’s 15-14 victory.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona gets crunched by Jake Granville and Ben Hannant.

THE Cowboys and Storm could square off again in this year’s NRL grand final. Saturday night’s blockbuster at Suncorp was played with a finals-type intensity and proved Melbourne are a legitimate title contender. The Storm strangled North Queensland out of the contest with their incredible defence, a crucial aspect of premiership contender.

LACHLAN Coote suffered a setback in his bid for a maiden NSW Origin jumper. Coote has been a revelation this season but it was his uncharacteristic spilled bomb that helped the Storm to a 12-8 half-time lead. Coote was by no means poor but with a stack of fullbacks vying for NSW selection, the Cowboys custodian cannot afford to put a foot wrong over the next fortnight.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona gets crunched by Jake Granville and Ben Hannant.

NSW coach Laurie Daley should be a worried man on the eve of the 2016 Origin series. Queensland halves Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk were in supreme form for their respective Cowboys and Storm sides. Thurston was as competitive as a drover’s dog, making a superb trysaving ankle-tap on a runaway Suilasi Vunivalu. Cronk, meanwhile, expertly controlled the Melbourne side and his kicking game had the accuracy of an SAS sniper.

Melbourne have put together one of the most imposing front row rotations in the NRL. They have arguably the world’s best prop Jesse Bromwich (194cm) starting and giants Jordan McLean (196cm) and Nelson Asofa-Solomona (201cm) coming off the bench. They are relentless through the middle of the field.

Cameron Smith didn’t allow Johnathan Thurston an inch of space.

They have been the two constants during Queensland’s decade of State of Origin dominance but Storm skipper Cameron Smith did Johnathan Thurston no favours. Smith crunched Thurston every time he kicked the ball and it definitely affected the Cowboys halfback’s placement.

Originally published as Melbourne Storm defeat North Queensland Cowboys: Five things we learned