Storm 64 – Tigers 0
.After a disappointing few weeks for the Storm, they’ve bounced back with a vengeance today and put the Tigers to the sword. From the opening whistle, they were just a class above. We knew it wouldn’t take too long before Melbourne switched into gear, and they didn’t disappoint—putting on a show.
They are such a good team to watch in full flight, and their spine is unreal, which is nothing new, as they’ve had one of the best spines in the game for a long time now. But on days like today, it’s hard not to sit back and admire them taking the piss out of opposition sides.
Feel free to spray me, but I’m officially on the Ryan Papenhuyzen for NSW fullback train. The NRL is far better off when Papi is fit and firing, and I’m so happy he’s finally getting a free run from injuries. He was the star of the show today: scoring four tries, running for over 200 metres, two line breaks, seven tackle breaks, and landing 10 from 11 conversions—breaking a club record for most points in a game for the Melbourne Storm. What a day out for Papi.
I’d also like to give a wrap to big NAS. The only criticism of the Storm is whether they have a big enough forward pack when it comes to the big games. For example, in the grand final last year, they couldn’t win the middle of the field. Well, they will if NAS plays like that. As he should every week, they genuinely could not tackle him—it was men against boys out there. He just needs to cut out the dumb stuff in his game and run that hard every week.
Could you get a worse time to play the Storm? Coming off a golden point loss, with a day game at AAMI Park and the sun out. The Tigers walked into the belly of the beast and had no answers. They were never in this one. I don’t think anyone expected a Tigers win here, but it will be a reality check for this side. They aren’t the first team this year to get belted by Melbourne, and they won’t be the last—so it’s not end-of-the-world stuff, but they’ll need a big bounce-back next week.
Jack’s Dally M votes:
3 – Ryan Papenhuyzen
2 – Xavier Coates
1 – Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Let me know in the comments who your man of the watch was.
