Storm bury Warriors on Easter Monday

The Melbourne Storm have delivered a decisive victory over the New Zealand Warriors at AAMI Park today, downing their trans-Tasman opponents 30-14 in front of 18,179 fans.

It was a case of 'what might have been' for the visiting Warriors for much of the contest - some enterprising play getting them into the Storm half, but more often than not losing the ball through simple poor handling.

This would first cost them in the 22nd minute when Mahe Fonua crossed the line, scooping up a Will Chambers offload. Smith's conversion put the home side in front by six.

Marika Koroibete was already having a solid game before finding a gaping hole in the Warriors defensive line to double the Storm's advantage eight minutes before halftime. Before the siren sounded though, the Warriors would seek out the line and find it through Manu Vatuvei, who grounded the ball in the corner. The visitors' strike just before halftime meant the teams went to the sheds with Melbourne in front 12-4.

The Storm came back from the sheds with the better running of the sides and the result was a superb team try for Melbourne through Will Chambers, set-up by a Cooper Cronk chip ahead, which was collected by Billy Slater, and then processed through five more sets of hands before Chambers dotted down out wide.

At this point the strength of the Storm's goalkicking through Cam Smith was showing it's worth. Not out of the chase yet, the Warriors hit back through a Nathan Friend try on the hour mark.

In front by eight, the Storm moved to re-assert their lead with a try to Tim Glasby try just minutes later, before the Warriors traded another four-pointer back through a rampaging Sebastine Ikahihifo. Shaun Johnson's wayward boot meant the Warriors trailed by ten points with just 13 minutes on the clock.

Marika Koroibete went on to cap a superb performance on the wing with a great sideline-run to score his second of the evening and seal the game with seven minutes left. Try as they might, the Warriors couldn't battle their way back into it and the Storm buried their hoodoo and the visitors by sixteen points.

Next week, the Warriors are headed home to host the Wests Tigers on Saturday evening. The Storm are away to the Canberra Raiders next Sunday afternoon.

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 points - Marika Koroibete
2 points - Cameron Smith
1 point - Simon Mannering

MELBOURNE STORM (30)
Tries: Mahe Fonua, Marika Koroibete (2), Will Chambers, Tim Glasby
Conversions: Cameron Smith (5/5)

WARRIORS (14)
Tries: Manu Vatuvei, Nathan Friend, Sebastine Ikahihifo
Conversions: Shaun Johnson (1/3)

Big news in both sides' backlines - the Storm lose Young Tonumaipea but have a handy back-up in Mahe Fonua coming back in. For the Warriors, Ngani Laumape isn't fit yet, so Konrad Hurrell will start in the centres! Dominique Peyroux replaces Albert Vete on the bench for the visitors as well.

Welcome to AAMI Park - plenty happening on Easter Monday and here's game two of your triple header! The Warriors are keen to atone for their loss to Brisbane last week while the Storm will be hoping to turn it around after their golden point loss to the Cowboys seven days ago.

Game on. Warriors have it first.

3: Warriors pick up a penalty on halfway after the Storm defence was slow to rise. They get the first chance to attack now.

4: A second penalty for the Warriors - Johnson grubbers on the last, Slater can't hold it and a player in front of him picks it up in an offside position

4: Quick hands from the Warriors come unstuck, the Storm come up with it.

6: Chad Townsend is down, time off.

9: End to end at the moment, but the Warriors have dominated field position. They need more controlled attack to break through the formidable Storm defence.

10: Vatuvei nearly gets his hands to a quick pass shot to the wing off a kick, but it just evades him into touch - Storm scrum on their own 10m.

11: Johnson tries an early cut-out pass near the halfway but it's shot forward and into touch. Storm scrum.

12: Billy Slater breaks off the scrum... but he's crunched by Manu Vatuvei! Warriors reclaim the ball.

14: Penalty Storm, they attack now!

15: Blake Green punches one into the in-goal, Tuimoala Lolohea just bats it dead. Drop-out.

16: Green again, this time he runs it but Bodene Thompson forces the error. Warriors ball.

18: Chad Townsend slows things down for his side by finding touch deep inside Storm territory. Unfortunately, Vatuvei strips it from Chambers on tackle one, so Melbourne have a penalty.

20: Hurrell spills it trying to get an offload away inside his own half. Storm scrum 45m out.

21: VIDEO REF | Fonua cleans up an offload from Chambers and scurries for the line - he looks like he's got it. Green lights coming up.

22: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Mahe Fonua. Kick to come.
Green lights it is - Fonua draws first blood!

23: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM
Conversion attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
No drama for captain Cameron from out wide.

29: Warriors unable to keep their hands down the right, again near halfway, and the Storm will have it.

31: Shaun Johnson away... but Slater ankle-taps him and SJ has dropped it! Slater looks worse for wear after the chase but is up and ok. Storm scrum on their own 20m.

32: VIDEO REF | Marika Koroibete - checking a try for him, Billy Slater in the lead-up coming into question.

32: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Marika Koroibete. Kick to come.
Koroibete exploits a massive hole in the Warriors defence after stepping off his left foot. In the background, Slater was taken out off the ball but it's overlooked.

33: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM
Conversion attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
No worries again for Smith - lead goes out to twelve.

35: UNFORCED ERROR MELBOURNE STORM
Mahe Fonua makes an unforced error.
Fonua drops it on the last inside his own half. Chance for the visitors here.

36: Warriors penalty on the last, 10m from the Storm line. They HAVE to score here!

37: VIDEO REFEREE | Possible NO try to Manu Vatuvei - but the first few replays suggest he DID get it down!

37: TRY WARRIORS
Scored by Manu Vatuvei. Kick to come.
Awarded! Big Manu storms over in the corner!

38: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson unsuccessful.
No luck for Johnson, he pushes it across the face.

40: That will do us for the first half - the Warriors try one last foray with a Johnson bomb, but Fonua takes it and that's the break.

41: We're back underway at AAMI Park with the Storm in front by eight.

45: A Cooper Cronk kick to Marika Koroibete's wing almost pays off but it's just got a little bit too much in the way of legs, despite Marika's height. 20m restart Warriors.

47: VIDEO REF | Chambers may have scored one of the more incredible team tries, through at least 7 or 8 sets of hands.... checking it all though.

47: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Will Chambers. Kick to come.
Cronk chips ahead for Slater, he gets it, hands hands hands, eventually Fonua finds Chambers out wide and remarkably, the Storm score!

48: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM
Conversion attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
Smith makes it three from three!

50: UNFORCED ERROR MELBOURNE STORM
Dale Finucane makes an unforced error.
Finucane drops it back from the kickoff. Warriors come away with it.

50: UNFORCED ERROR WARRIORS
Solomone Kata makes an unforced error.
And in the same play, Kata is shown to have dropped it. Although questions over a strip there.

52: Storm push all the way upfield but a careless grubber from Smith sees the Warriors come up with possession through Hoffman. That's compounded by a penalty for the visitors now, set to start on halfway.

54: Koroibete takes a Warriors bomb on the full in-goal, earns his side the 20m restart AND gets to the 40m with his run on tackle zero. Tackle three the same set, the Storm are deep in enemy territory.

57: Good kick from Johnson makes Billy Slater think twice and it forces a line drop-out.

59: TRY WARRIORS
Scored by Nathan Friend. Kick to come.
Friend goes himself and it's TRY TIME for the visiting side!

60: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
SJ keeps the Warriors in it by reducing the deficit to 8.

62: Koroibete runs a massive 80m before he's dragged down! Storm on the attack now!

63: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Tim Glasby. Kick to come.
Glasby straight and hard at the line and he gets it down! It's all happening at AAMI Park!

64: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM
Conversion attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
Margin back out to 14 points with Smith's conversion. Great hit-back from the Storm after conceding the try.

66: VIDEO REF | possible Warriors TRY to Sebastine Ikahihifo, checking the lead-up play.

66: TRY WARRIORS
Scored by Sebastine Ikahihifo. Kick to come.
Big Sebastine is over! It's not fulltime yet!

67: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson unsuccessful.
Across the face. Margin remains at ten points, but still thirteen left.

69: UNFORCED ERROR WARRIORS
Konrad Hurrell makes an unforced error.
Hurrell with another attempted offload which has cost his side possession and field position.

70: Great kick from Blake Green traps Lolohea in goal, and forces a drop-out from the Warriors.

72: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Marika Koroibete. Kick to come.
Koroibete grabs another! Superb run down the touchline, keeps himself in!

73: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION MELBOURNE STORM
Conversion attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
Perfect record for Smith... from the sideline he wants to keep it intact... and he will! Game, set, match.

78: UNFORCED ERROR WARRIORS
Manu Vatuvei makes an unforced error.
Warriors look likely through Vatuvei but another poor handling exhibition ends their chances of posting a consolation try.

80: Nearing fulltime, a Warriors penalty will finish us off... and it comes to nothing. Fulltime in Victoria. Storm the winners.