Storm and Eagles share the points in Melbourne

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They had to play 90 minutes of rugby league but Melbourne and Manly still couldn’t be separated in a golden point thriller at AAMI Park in front of 12,961 fans tonight.
In the wash-up, both teams scored one try each, kicked two penalty goals and had several unsuccessful field-goal attempts each in extra-time.
An 80th minute penalty goal from Cameron Smith levelled the scores after Manly’s Herculean effort in defence appeared to have stolen a rare two competition points from the southern capital.
At one stage in the second half, the Sea Eagles were camped on their own goal-line and refused to buckle under the weight of possession with the Storm throwing everything in attack, including having 30 successive tackles in the 20-metre zone.
Jamie Lyon opened the scoring in just the third minute when the Sea Eagles were awarded a dubious penalty for a high tackle which replays suggested was little more than a lazy arm grab around the top of the shoulder.
Lyon was again in the action several minutes later as the Eagles continued their perfect start to the match, completing all of their first six possessions. Daly Cherry-Evans kicked across to a contest between winger David Williams and opponent Mahe Fonua. Unfortunately for the Storm side, Fonua couldn’t hang onto the ball and Lyon scooped up the loose ball before crossing in the corner. His sideline conversion extended the visitors’ lead to 8-0 and that would remain the scoreline until halftime.
In a rare foray into Manly territory in the 17th minute Storm prop Bryan Norrie was brilliantly held up over the line in a one-on-one play by Eagles stand-in fullback Peta Hiku. Replays suggested the Melbourne forward lost the ball attempting to score the try but the video referee deemed Hiku stole the ball and awarded a goal-line dropout.
A 29th minute play from Ryan Hoffman summed up the Storm’s first half when he charged into the defensive line and threw a miracle offload out the back. With captain Cameron Smith planning the next play, Manly forward George Rose dived on the loose ball.
Melbourne’s scoreless first half backed up their first half effort in Penrith last week and was the first time since 2001 where they had registered back-to-back pointless opening 40 minute performances.
After sustained pressure on the Eagles goal-line the Storm finally found a way across, but they had to rely on five-eighth Gareth Widdop’s boot before Maurice Blair out-leaped the Manly defence in the 57th minute. Cameron Smith added a successful conversion after converting a penalty goal earlier in the half.
Jamie Lyon put the visitors ahead in the 70th minute and it appeared the boys from Brookvale were going to steal the competition points until Brent Kite was ruled offside on the stroke of full-time, allowing Smith to again draw the Storm level at 10-all.
As is the case with golden point matches, the fixture turned into a field-goal shootout before a piece of Cameron Smith brilliance on the stroke of halftime in extra time looked to give Melbourne one final chance to steal victory.
With the Storm rushing to pack the scrum, referee Shayne Hayne appeared to have blown time-off just before the siren sounded. Unfortunately for the home side Hayne made the decision to call half-time in extra time.
Gareth Widdop had a final chance to steal victory for the Storm in the 90th minute with a booming 55-metre attempted field-goal which was on target, but landed just short, leaving both teams to take a point each out of the game.
Next week the Storm travel to Allianz Stadium to tackle the Roosters while the Eagles will return to Brookvale on Saturday night to clash with the Raiders.

They had to play 90 minutes of rugby league but Melbourne and Manly still couldn’t be separated in a golden point thriller at AAMI Park in front of 12,961 fans tonight.

In the wash-up, both teams scored one try each, kicked two penalty goals and had several unsuccessful field-goal attempts each in extra-time.

An 80th minute penalty goal from Cameron Smith levelled the scores after Manly’s Herculean effort in defence appeared to have stolen a rare two competition points from the southern capital.

At one stage in the second half, the Sea Eagles were camped on their own goal-line and refused to buckle under the weight of possession with the Storm throwing everything in attack, including having 30 successive tackles in the 20-metre zone.

Jamie Lyon opened the scoring in just the third minute when the Sea Eagles were awarded a dubious penalty for a high tackle which replays suggested was little more than a lazy arm grab around the top of the shoulder.

Lyon was again in the action several minutes later as the Eagles continued their perfect start to the match, completing all of their first six possessions. Daly Cherry-Evans kicked across to a contest between winger David Williams and opponent Mahe Fonua. Unfortunately for the Storm side, Fonua couldn’t hang onto the ball and Lyon scooped up the loose ball before crossing in the corner. His sideline conversion extended the visitors’ lead to 8-0 and that would remain the scoreline until halftime.

In a rare foray into Manly territory in the 17th minute Storm prop Bryan Norrie was brilliantly held up over the line in a one-on-one play by Eagles stand-in fullback Peta Hiku. Replays suggested the Melbourne forward lost the ball attempting to score the try but the video referee deemed Hiku stole the ball and awarded a goal-line dropout.

A 29th minute play from Ryan Hoffman summed up the Storm’s first half when he charged into the defensive line and threw a miracle offload out the back. With captain Cameron Smith planning the next play, Manly forward George Rose dived on the loose ball.

Melbourne’s scoreless first half backed up their first half effort in Penrith last week and was the first time since 2001 where they had registered back-to-back pointless opening 40 minute performances.

After sustained pressure on the Eagles goal-line the Storm finally found a way across, but they had to rely on five-eighth Gareth Widdop’s boot before Maurice Blair out-leaped the Manly defence in the 57th minute. Cameron Smith added a successful conversion after converting a penalty goal earlier in the half.

Jamie Lyon put the visitors ahead in the 70th minute and it appeared the boys from Brookvale were going to steal the competition points until Brent Kite was ruled offside on the stroke of full-time, allowing Smith to again draw the Storm level at 10-all.

As is the case with golden point matches, the fixture turned into a field-goal shootout before a piece of Cameron Smith brilliance on the stroke of halftime in extra time looked to give Melbourne one final chance to steal victory.

With the Storm rushing to pack the scrum, referee Shayne Hayne appeared to have blown time-off just before the siren sounded. Unfortunately for the home side Hayne made the decision to call half-time in extra time.

Gareth Widdop had a final chance to steal victory for the Storm in the 90th minute with a booming 55-metre attempted field-goal which was on target, but landed just short, leaving both teams to take a point each out of the game.

Next week the Storm travel to Allianz Stadium to tackle the Roosters while the Eagles will return to Brookvale on Saturday night to clash with the Raiders.


Match Details
Melbourne Storm 10 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 10
Venue: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
Crowd: 12961
Halftime Score: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 8-0

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 points - Jamie Lyon
2 points - Cameron Smith
1 point - Glenn Stewart

MELBOURNE STORM (10)
Tries: Maurice Blair
Field Goals: Cameron Smith (0/1), Cooper Cronk (0/2)
Conversions: Cameron Smith (1/1)
Penalty Goals: Cameron Smith (2/2)

MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES (10)
Tries: Jamie Lyon
Field Goals: Daly Cherry-Evans (0/2), Kieran Foran (0/1)
Conversions: Jamie Lyon (1/1)
Penalty Goals: Jamie Lyon (2/2)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

Storm: 1. Billy Slater 2. Sisa Waqa 16. Maurice Blair 4. Justin O'Neill 5. Mahe Fonua 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith (c) 10. Bryan Norrie 11. Kevin Proctor 12. Ryan Hoffman 19. Ryan Hinchcliffe
Interchange: 13. Tohu Harris 14. Jason Ryles 15. Junior Moors 18. Lagi Setu

Sea Eagles: 1. Peta Hiku 2. Jorge Taufua 3. Jamie Lyon 4. Steve Matai 5. David Williams 6. Kieran Foran 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Brenton Lawrence 9. Matt Ballin 10. Brent Kite 11. Anthony Watmough 12. Justin Horo 13. Glenn Stewart
Interchange: 14. David Gower 15. Tom Symonds 16. Jamie Buhrer 17. George Rose 21. James Hasson
Women in League Round 10 action wraps up at AAMI Park tonight with a very important match between the Storm and Sea Eagles. The home side will look to snap a two-game losing sequence while the Eagles will hope to bounce back from last week's 16-4 loss to the Roosters.
No TEAM CHANGES for the Manly side - they will be 1-17 as named last Tuesday with Tom Symonds passing a late fitness test to take his place on Geoff Toovey's bench.
TEAM CHANGES for the Melbourne Storm - Ryan Hinchcliffe returns from injury and will slot straight into the lock forward position for Tohu Harris who returns back to the bench. Centre Maurice Blair replaces Will Chambers while Lagi Setu has been added to Craig Bellamy's bench for Slade Griffin. Kick-off scheduled for around 7pm.
Full-time in the Holden Cup and Melbourne have proven too strong for Manly with a 30-10 victory.
Jamie Lyon leads the Eagles onto AAMI Park and they head to the southern end where they will kick-off.
The Storm join them in their pink and navy horizontal striped Women in League jerseys.
1 min: We're underway!
2 min: PENALTY Eagles. High tackle in the leadup to the one made by Slater. Manly on the attack early.
3 min: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Penalty goal attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Jamie Lyon scores first points with a penalty goal from 10m directly in front.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 2-0
4 min: Manly marching up the field with the ball. Melbourne defence waiting for them.
5 min: PENALTY Manly. Smith ruled to have had a hand on the ball.
7 min: TRY MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Scored by Jamie Lyon. Conversion attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Jamie Lyon scores the first try of the night! Cherry-Evans kicked across field into a contest between Williams and Fonua before Lyon scooped up the loose ball to cross in the corner. Lyon adds the extras from the eastern touchline.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 8-0
9 min: PENALTY Storm. Watmough holds on too long.
10 min: Bromwich comes up with a little knock on when he went to get to his feet. Manly to feed a scrum.
12 min: Another mistake free set from the visitors. Melbourne work the ball up field.
13 min: Cronk chips for himself but Hiku slides in and comes up with possession.
13 min: Cherry-Evans kicks into the in-goal but the ball trickles dead. 20m restart Storm.
15 min: PENALTY Eagles. Hoffman with the second effort on Hiku slows the play-the-ball down.
16 min: Waqa takes Cherry-Evans kick before the counter-attack!
17 min: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Storm try.
17 min: No Try. Hiku with a great one-on-one play on Norrie forces the ball free. Goal-line dropout Manly for a strip when the replay suggested Norrie may have lost the ball.
18 min: Sweeping play to the left from the Storm concludes with Fonua being bundled into touch. Manly scrum.
19 min: UNFORCED ERROR MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Kieran Foran makes an unforced error.
Foran comes up with the error trying to fight to his feet.
20 min: Cronk's kick for Waqa sails out on the full. Manly scrum.
23 min: Taufua takes Cronk's floating bomb well.
23 min: PENALTY Storm. Foran offside from Cherry-Evans kick.
25 min: Cronk's kick goes straight into the Manly defence before they dive on the loose ball.
26 min: Cronk takes the line on but the ball comes free. Manly scrum.
28 min: PENALTY Storm. Matai raced out of the line but too quickly for referee Hayne.
29 min: Hoffman dumps the ball out the back and Smith isn't paying attention so Rose dives on the loose ball. Very un-Melbourne like.
31 min: Forward pass from Cronk. Storm changeover. Manly play-the-ball.
33 min: PENALTY Manly. Waqa ruled offside.
35 min: Cronk attempts a 40/20 and comes up half a metre short of a great play. Manly scrum.
37 min: PENALTY Storm. Ballin ruled to have pushed the tackled player back to the ground.
38 min: Moors drops the ball cold on the second tackle.
39 min: Stewart throws a wayward pass which is scooped up by Blair.
39 min: Cronk kicks into Stewart who raced out of the line but is ruled not to have played at the ball.
40 min: Cherry-Evans finds touch to take us to halftime.
40 min: Halftime at AAMI Park and Manly lead Melbourne 8-0.
40 min: Second half underway. The Storm with 40 minutes to turn it around. Manly first use of the footy.
41 min: Mistake free set from Manly to open proceedings in the second half.
42 min: PENALTY Storm. Smith catches the markers not square.
43 min: Cronk grubbers on the last and Hiku knocks on the skimming ball. Storm scrum 10m from the Manly line.
44 min: PENALTY Storm. Ryles draws the penalty.
45 min: Cronk kicks across field which is taken well by Taufua before he slides across over the sideline. Storm scrum.
46 min: Cronk kicks across field and the ball is charged down. Six more.
47 min: Hiku bats the ball over the dead ball line. Sea Eagles dropout.
49 min: Great defence from the Eagles repels the Storm and they work the ball upfield.
50 min: Slater somehow manages to get out of the in-goal.
50 min: Hiku knocks Cronk's floating bomb on in his in-goal. Manly dropout.
52 min: PENALTY Storm. Buhrer not square at marker.
52 min: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL MELBOURNE STORM
Penalty goal attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
Smith converts the penalty goal from 10m out directly in front to put the Storm on the board.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 8-2
54 min: PENALTY Storm. Cherry-Evans takes Hoffman out when he was chasing the ball.
55 min: Cronk kicks into the in-goal for Widdop but Lyon gets his foot to the ball at the last moment. Eagles dropout.
57 min: Waqa gets a hand to Cronk's cross-field kick before the ball goes touch in-goal. Manly 20m restart.
59 min: Cronk kicks for Slater who soccers the ball ahead before Williams scoops up possession.
59 min: Hiku comes up with the error and Melbourne will AGAIN go on the attack.
60 min: Waqa slices through the Manly defence and is held-up.
60 min: TRY MELBOURNE STORM
Scored by Maurice Blair. Conversion attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
Blair finally gets across the line on the last when he latches onto a Widdop kick to the posts! Smith adds the extras to lock us up in Melbourne.
8 all
63 min: Hiku takes Smith's bomb well this time in his own corner. Melbourne muscling up in defence.
64 min: 40/20 MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Daly Cherry-Evans kicks a 40/20.
Daly Cherry-Evans comes up with a big play and a big 40/20 which was more a 30/10. Manly on the attack.
65 min: Manly throw a wayward pass on the first tackle but Waqa knocks on. They'll feed another scrum.
66 min: PENALTY Manly. Rose loses the ball in the tackle but the ruling is for a strip. Replays suggest the visitors perhaps got lucky.
67 min: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Penalty goal attempt by Jamie Lyon successful.
Lyon puts the Eagles back in front.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 10-8
69 min: Kite's short ball to Foran is put down. Melbourne back on the attack.
69 min: Waqa puts Slater's pass down but it was ruled forward anyway. Manly scrum.
71 min: PENALTY Melbourne. Watmough with a hand in the play-the-ball.
72 min: Slater takes the Manly defence on but is held-up. 10m play-the-ball.
72 min: Widdop grubbers into the in-goal and yet another dropout for Manly.
74 min: Lyon claims Cronk's cross-field kick before he's bundled back into the in-goal. Dropout number 6 for Manly coming up.
74 min: Ryles loses the ball on the first tackle. Manly scrum.
76 min: Manly let Cronk's kick bounce but Hiku claims possession in the end.
77 min: Smith looks to be wrapped up but passes to Widdop who kicks but Foran is back there to save the day for Manly.
78 min: PENALTY Storm. Manly offside.
80 min: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL MELBOURNE STORM
Penalty goal attempt by Cameron Smith successful.
Cameron Smith locks us up once again by piloting the ball between the uprights at the northern end of AAMI Park.
10 all
80 min: Cherry-Evans gets us back underway. One play left.
80 min: Fulltime at AAMI Park and the Storm and Eagles are locked at 10-all. Golden Point here we come!
80 min: Both teams will swap ends. Melbourne to kick off. Manly running right to left.
81 min: Cam Smith gets us back underway in overtime.
81 min: Cherry-Evans finds Slater on the full with his kick on the last.
82 min: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL MELBOURNE STORM
Field goal attempt by Cooper Cronk unsuccessful.
Cronk attempts a 40-metre effort but it misses to the right. 20m restart Manly.
10 all
83 min: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Field goal attempt by Daly Cherry-Evans unsuccessful.
Cherry-Evans attempts from 30m and it falls short.
10 all
84 min: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL MELBOURNE STORM
Field goal attempt by Cameron Smith unsuccessful.
Smith attempts from halfway but it's short and rolls dead. Manly 20m restart.
10 all
85 min: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Field goal attempt by Daly Cherry-Evans unsuccessful.
Cherry-Evans has another go from 45m and misses right.
10 all
85 min: Smith finds touch from the optional restart 35m from the Manly line and in some drama Hayne calls time off as the siren sounds.
86 min: Second stanza of golden point is underway with Melbourne in possession.
86 min: Cronk kicks to the corner and Hiku comes up to the 30m line.
87 min: Watmough throws a pass out the back before Ballin knocks on. Storm scrum 30m from the Manly line. Big chance for Melbourne.
88 min: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL MELBOURNE STORM
Field goal attempt by Cooper Cronk unsuccessful.
Cronk snaps from 15m just to the left of the posts and hooks it to the left.
10 all
89 min: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES
Field goal attempt by Kieran Foran unsuccessful.
Foran has a go from 35m and misses left.
10 all
90 min: Cronk has his field goal charged down by Horo!
90 min: Fulltime at AAMI Park and Melbourne and Manly have played out a gripping 10-all draw.
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