THURSDAY March 20th AAMI PARK,MELBOURNE,7pm
Round 3 of the NRL season is set to kick off, but the impact of a wildly off-target prediction from Round 2 is still being felt. As expected, many teams are looking to bounce back, and there have been a few upsets in the matches. Given these results, how should we evaluate the teams’ form moving forward?
Meanwhile, Nelson Asofa-Solomona is expected to make his return to the NRL. Over the weekend, he was reported for a hip-drop tackle on a PNG player during a Queensland Cup match. However, the QRL match review committee issued only a warning. This will be NAS’s first NRL appearance since last year’s playoffs, where he was suspended for a high tackle on Lindsay Collins, missing out on both the Grand Final and the Pacific Championships. It’s likely that he will be named in the squad to replace Lazarus Vaalele. Other changes seem unlikely, as Craig Bellamy will likely stick with the strong line-up that scored 56 points against the Eels in Round 1.
MELBOURNE STORM
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. Grant Anderson 3. Jack Howarth 4. Nick Meaney 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero 14. Tyran Wishart 15. Alec MacDonald 16. Tui Kamikamica 17. Lazarus Vaalepu 18. Bronson Garlick 19. Joe Chan 20. Kane Bradley 21. Coby Williamson 22. Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Changes from last round:
Out: Will Warbrick (wing)
In: Grant Anderson (wing), Bronson Garlick (reserve), Joe Chan (reserve), Kane Bradley (reserve), Coby Williamson (reserve), Nelson Asofa-Solomona (reserve)
PENRITH PANTHERS
1. Daine Laurie 2. Casey McLean 3. Izack Tago 4. Paul Alamoti 5. Brian To’o 6. Jack Cole 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Brad Schneider 15. Isaiah Papali’i 16. Liam Henry 17. Luke Garner 18. Blaize Talagi 19. Trent Toelau 20. Matt Eisenhuth 21. Luke Sommerton 22. Thomas Jenkins
Changes from last round:
Out: Dylan Edwards (fullback)
In: Brad Schneider (bench), Isaiah Papali’i (bench), Blaize Talagi (reserve), Trent Toelau (reserve), Luke Sommerton (reserve), Thomas Jenkins (reserve)
Changes: Daine Laurie (bench to fullback), Matt Eisenhuth (bench to reserve)
Fullback Dylan Edwards suffered a groin injury during the match against the Roosters and is expected to be sidelined for 2-4 weeks, according to the club’s announcement. In his absence, Daine Laurie—who also stepped in at fullback last season when Edwards was unavailable—is likely to wear the No. 1 jersey, including for the upcoming clash against the Storm.
Meanwhile, new recruit Isaiah Papali’i, who missed the Roosters match due to a hip injury, is expected to return for this game. As a result, either Matt Eisenhuth or Liam Henry could be left out of the squad. Additionally, promising young talent Blaize Talagi is edging closer to his club debut. If Laurie moves to fullback, there’s a chance Talagi could make the bench and wear the No. 14 jersey.
Referees, Adam Gee, Touch Judges, David Munro, Phil Henderson, Bunker, Chris Butler.
The Storm players enjoyed their bye week, but they were surely keeping a close eye on the Panthers vs. Roosters match. Like many others, they must have been surprised to see the usually rock-solid Panthers defense crumble, conceding seven tries to the Roosters.
Coach Craig Bellamy will no doubt be analyzing the game footage in detail, looking for ways the Roosters exploited the Panthers’ weaknesses. He’ll be assessing whether the Storm can adopt a similar attacking approach to break them down. That said, the Panthers will be desperate to avoid back-to-back losses and won’t go down without a fight. Even so, based on recent form, the Storm seem to have the upper hand in this matchup.
Key Stats & Milestones
- The Storm have won eight from nine against the Panthers at AAMI Park.
- Panthers winger Brian To’o has scored nine tries in 12 games against the Storm.
- Storm winger Xavier Coates has scored 31 tries in 28 games at AAMI Park.
- Panthers captain Nathan Cleary requires 14 points to break the club’s point scoring record.
- Halfback Jahrome Hughes will make his 150th appearance for the Storm.
Here’s the scope on Friday’s game!!
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