The Melbourne Storm overcame an early setback to cruise to a 48-18 win against the Sydney Roosters, booking their place in the NRL grand final at AAMI Park on Friday night.
Despite a rocky start with prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona being sin-binned just seconds into the match for a high tackle that sidelined Roosters prop Lindsay Collins with a concussion, the Storm quickly regained their footing. Even after conceding an early penalty and try, Melbourne bounced back with four unanswered tries, showcasing their resilience and attacking prowess.
Star halfback Jahrome Hughes delivered an impressive performance, scoring a hat-trick and making a final case for Dally M Medal honors. Meanwhile, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Cameron Munster each contributed two tries, playing crucial roles in Melbourne’s dominant display.
However, the Storm’s victory comes with a few injury concerns. Hughes, instrumental in the win, appeared to suffer neck and back issues, and versatile center Nick Meaney left the field early with a possible knee injury. Asofa-Solomona also faces potential disciplinary action for his opening tackle, adding uncertainty to Melbourne’s preparation for their fifth grand final since 2012.
After Asofa-Solomona’s sin-binning, the Storm fell behind but quickly turned the game around once back at full strength. Hughes and Papenhuyzen repeatedly exploited gaps in the Roosters’ defense, with Hughes contributing three tries in the first half, while Xavier Coates set up another with a clever play that led to Jack Howarth’s first finals try.
Leading 22-6 at halftime, the Storm faced a brief challenge when the Roosters scored back-to-back tries after the break, narrowing the gap to a converted try with 30 minutes left. But Hughes completed his hat-trick, and Papenhuyzen’s second try, combined with Harry Grant’s dummy-half magic, gave Melbourne breathing room before Munster sealed the game with two late tries.
“Obviously we didn’t start well, but we showed our resilience,” said Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy. “At halftime, when they were coming back, I thought they might overtake us, but we managed to turn it around.”
The match also marked the end of an era for the Sydney Roosters, with several key players departing, including Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Luke Keary, both heading to the Super League, along with Joey Manu and Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i shifting to rugby union.
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