Widdop puts down a simple one, and party time starts in Melbourne.
Smith adds a further two.
Storm have truly blown this open. Vunivalu strides free from a scrum play, goes the distance.
Saints try the short kick-off, knock on. Scrum for the home side.
Smith nails the kick.
That is game! Ran hard, ran straight, scores.
Storm cutting the Dragons up now. Macdonald forces it dead.
Smith makes it ten the difference.
Storm slice through again, Blair finishes it well.
Smith from besides the sticks, goals.
Storm strike back again! Offloads broke the play up, Hughes spied a gap and stormed through.
Manic play on last there, the kick goes to Melbourne but swarming defense from the Dragons forced the error.
Widdop misjudged the kick there, goes out on the full. Lovely pressure from Jacks.
Widdop to hand St George the lead again.
Set play from the scrum! Dufty burned his defender, flicked it to Mann, the winger plants it down.
Hoffman spills it coming out. Dragons have it right back.
Smith misses again.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Storm catch the Dragons again on last.. Tonumaipea just got it down.
BUNKER TIME! Young Tonumaipea might have got it down
The two sides trading sets atm. Locked into a wrestle.. until then.
Nicholls chips one down the right, and Hughes is stopped. Storm having to do hard yards currently.
Besides the posts, Widdop locks us up again.
That was a set move! Widdop went out to Lafai, inside to Leilua who strolls over.
PENALTY DRAGONS! Work on Dufty. Big set for the Saints on the attack.
RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Storm go the power route.. Tui Kamikamica drops it.
BUNKER TIME! Tui Kamikamica tries to plant it..
PENALTY STORM! Mann works on the man on the ground.. then is marched ten.
Dufty with a slips catch! Croft grubbered through for himself and the Dragons custodian takes it well.
Smith takes the gift two.
Inspired by the FIFA World Cup, Dufty plays a through ball.. that remarkably Nicholls takes. Offside. Storm will shoot for the easy two.
Has everyone caught their breath? we're back for the second half. Storm with first use.
Smith nails the kick. Storm ahead by four at the half.
Storm run it left on last, the ageless Hoffman sliced through, dummies and holds off the defender to score
Magic from Widdop.. somehow the ball refused to go dead! Storm rucking out the last few tackles.
Dragons have been 17/17 for their handling this half. Brilliant effort in what has been an absorbing game. Storm rucking it out.
Another from the sideline, Widdop swings it over.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! The ball shot behind the Storm attack, Scott tried to run it out, is collected by Aitken, who strips it, rolls over.. TRY!
BUNKER TIME! Stuff happened..
Smith from midrange, fades it.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Quick hands from the Storm, allowed Blair to get a smooth put down.
BUNKER TIME! Blair has streamed across, but we're checking it.
Hughes stabs one behind, Macdonald misses it and luckily Dufty is there to scoop it behind.
Nightingale takes Bromwich ball and all forces a knock on.
PENALTY STORM! Hughes is tipped over, easy call. Storm now right on the attack.
From the left sideline, this time.. Widdop strides in.. nails it.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Just add that to the highlight reel. Macdonald has had some brilliant putdowns this season, that might top the lot!
BUNKER TIME! Widdop again, drifted left threw a massive spiral that McDonald might have got down.
PENALTY DRAGONS! Delayed penalty to the Saints for the work on Graham. The warhorse prop is battered like a late-round boxer.
Easier kick for Smith, and he nails another.
..they take advantage right away. Quick play the ball, Croft went through a gap for the four-pointer.
Smith tries one of his sneaky 40/20s from dummy-half and the bounce favours the storm..
Widdop slides one straight between the post!
That was slick! Dufty used the speed to get through the gap then some quick passing sees Mann fly across!
PENALTY DRAGONS! The visitors needed that, caught the Storm offside. Whole set inside the Storm half.
Stimson cuts through, as the Dragons can't seem to find the advantage line. They get lucky from a Smith knock on, of the Cameron variety.
Dragons looking slightly rattled currently. Storm had them pinned then Nicholls drilled a kick right into Hoffman, then Dufty had to launch one deep.
Cameron Smith nails his first kick of the night.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! No dramas here, it went back off Vunivalu and Scott is on-spot to put it down.
BUNKER TIME! Ryley Jacks put some wicked bend on this kick, and caught out the Saints.
PENALTY STORM! Dragons getting up quick in defense, as Graham puts a hand on the ball.
Lucky break for the Saints. Hoffman is ruled to have touched the last tackle kick before Mann then an unlucky one, as Jacob Host is helped from the field.
Shaky first kick in the top grade for Nicholls gifted Storm seven tackles. Hughes responded with an ill-timed kick himself, as the Dragons get the extra tackle.
What a strange sequence of events. Cameron Smith's kick-off is wrestled for by Vunivalu and Dufty, the latter took possession then gets it stripped. Penalty. Dragons right on the attack.
KICK-OFF! Here we go! The start of Round 17 is on.
Here come the Dragons onto a lush AAMI Park, in their traditional red v jersey. Next out is the home side decked out in purple themselves through the lasers as we get set for kick-off!
Welcome to a slightly skeletal top of the table clash, the Dragons taking on the Storm down in bleak city. The Dragons haven't won in Melbourne since the 1999 semi-final, now this might represent their best chance to do so! For the Storm, after a close fought victory against the Roosters, banking more points without their origin stars is vital.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Matt Cecchin, Gavin Reynolds
Touch Judges: Phil Henderson, Michael Wise
Video Referee: Henry Perenara, Luke Patten
MELBOURNE STORM (52)
Tries: Curtis Scott, Brodie Croft, Cheyse Blair (2), Ryan Hoffman, Young Tonumaipea, Jahrome Hughes, Ryley Jacks, Suliasi Vunivalu
Field Goals:
Conversions: Cameron Smith (7/9)
Penalty Goals: Cameron Smith (1/1)
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (30)
Tries: Kurt Mann (2), Nene Macdonald, Euan Aitken, Luciano Leilua
Field Goals:
Conversions: Gareth Widdop (5/5)
Penalty Goals: