Winger Grant Anderson starred in Melbourne’s 24-8 win over the Sydney Roosters but suffered a potentially serious injury in the final act of the game at AAMI Park.
The Storm kept their recent domination of the Roosters intact to string together a fifth straight win in a performance set-up by Anderson’s attacking and defensive heroics.
But the 24-year-old ended Saturday night’s match writhing in pain on the ground after landing awkwardly when he attempted a chip-kick near the sideline in a bid to complete a hat-trick of tries.
The finish soured what was another clinical performance by the Storm, who completed a 10th win in their last 11 starts against the Roosters.
The ladder-leaders never trailed, surging to a 10-0 lead, but the Roosters threatened late when Dominic Young gave the visitors some life when he crossed in the 67th minute.
Anderson pulled off a spectacular try-saving tackle when he prevented Young from scoring again seven minutes later.
That effort meant the Storm couldn’t be beaten, with Sualauvi Faalogo coming off the bench in the dying stages to pull off a crowd-raising try.
Melbourne were missing captain Christian Welch but only had stand-in captain Harry Grant backing up from State of Origin III duties compared to the Roosters’ four.
Roosters winger Dominic Young braces for contact as the Storm make a two-man tackle.Credit: Getty Images
In his first game back after serving a four-game suspension for his hit on Reece Walsh in Origin I, Roosters flyer Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was placed on report for a knee lift on Storm winger Will Warbrick.
Suaalii has a history of raising his knees, copping a three-game ban last year and avoiding another suspension for the same charge in May in a match against the Warriors.
Jahrome Hughes sent a scare through the Storm camp when he clutched his leg in the second half, but the halfback played out the match in a sign the injury might only be a corked thigh.
The result improved the Storm’s season record to 14-3, while the Roosters sit fourth, three games adrift.
Cook sinks boot into Tigers to keep Souths’ season alive
A week after Wayne Bennett stopped a mini-revival he had supposedly started, South Sydney kept their season alive with a high-scoring victory.
The crucial result, a 42-28 win against Wests Tigers at a windswept Industree Group Stadium at Gosford, was achieved in peculiar fashion. Three of the Rabbitohs’ seven tries were set up by, of all people, winger Taane Milne.
Souths five-eighth Cody Walker was gifted a try against the Tigers – and celebrated accordingly.Credit: Getty Images
A week after goal-kicking proved the difference, Damien Cook, of all people, converted all but one of them. Celebrating his 200th appearance in cardinal and myrtle with another surprise stint in the centres – a reshuffle was required after Richard Kennar was forced off due to concussion – Cook landed seven of his eight attempts.
Given some of them were converted from the sideline, he made a strong case to replace Zac Lomax as goal-kicker when he returns to St George Illawarra next year.
“Goal-kicking was the difference today in our favour. I was pleased to see him do it,” said Rabbitohs interim-coach Ben Hornby.
“It was so important. He played in the centres as well, it was massive for us.
“To be able to put Cookie out there, he can do a job for you. To kick the goals, it was fitting for his 200th South Sydney game.”
The result means the Rabbitohs, at least mathematically, remain in the finals race.
For the Tigers, although another loss may suggest otherwise, the performance ended a reasonably good week for Benji Marshall’s men.
It began on Wednesday, when Jarome Luai produced a performance commensurate with the status and salary he will be commanding upon his arrival at Concord.
Tallyn Da Silva is among the best of generation next at the Tigers.Credit: Getty Images
And then the young cubs the club is banking on to lift them from the cellar showed there may finally be better days ahead. The best of them was Tallyn Da Silva. Filling the enormous shoes of injured captain Apisai Koroisau, Da Silva scored a try and had a hand in several others.
“I said to Tallyn, ‘I thought you announced yourself in the NRL today,’” said Marshall.
“We knew he had that in him and he showed in the first half and second half glimpses of what he can do.”
Other youngsters had their moments. Lachlan Galvin and Jahream Bula, based on patches of football they produced, could provide the Tigers a world-class spine when Luai takes control of it from next season.
Three Fainu brothers – Sione, Latu and Samuela – took the field at the same time to challenge the Hopoates as the most talented family in the game.
The Tigers produced brilliance and brain explosions in equal measure. The most costly came from winger Luke Laulilii, who squandered a late lead when he dropped the ball cold to gift Cody Walker his second try.
And when Aidan Sezer again found himself in the sin bin for a hip-drop shortly afterwards, any hope of a comeback was snuffed out. The Tigers scored enough points to win another game, only for ill discipline to keep them rooted to the bottom of the ladder.
“We’re at a stage now where we just can’t find a way to put games away or control the game to a point where we win,” Marshall said.
“We were ahead there at the back end and found a way to throw it away. We’re learning, and that’s on me as a coach, that’s what I need to teach these guys what to do.
“In the long run, there are some green shoots there.”
– Adrian Proszenko
Walsh inspires Broncos to rebound win
Reece Walsh has bounced back from his State of Origin disappointment to breathe life into Brisbane’s season as they snapped their six-game losing streak with a 30-14 win over Newcastle.
With captain Adam Reynolds back from a bicep rupture and Walsh firing, the Broncos finally looked like last year’s grand finalists again on Saturday as they kept their finals hopes alive.
Reece Walsh tries to break free from a Bradman Best tackle.Credit: Getty Images
Desperate for victory and with the majority of their Origin stars backing up, Brisbane were as impressive as they have been at any point in the past three months.
The win in Newcastle moved them back to 11th on the ladder and ahead of the Knights on for and against, as part of the logjam of teams fighting for finals spots.
Making matters worse for the Knights, NSW Origin star Bradman Best limped from the field early in the first half with another hamstring injury and did not return.
But there are no such woes for Brisbane after their first win since May 17.
with AAP
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