Storm pack suffers setback ahead of
Roosters

Melbourne Storm will head into Sunday?s clash against competition leaders the Sydney Roosters with a depleted forward pack following today?s suspension of prop Alex Chan for the next four weeks.

Chan entered an early guilty plea today for a high tackle on Parramatta's Nathan Hindmarsh in the 50th minute of Melbourne's 22-16 win over the Eels at Olympic Stadium last Saturday night.

The loss of the in-form Chan further compounds the Storm?s forward woes with Robbie Kearns sidelined with an eye injury and Danny Williams? unavailable following the NRL judiciary?s decision to reconvene his striking hearing until next week.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy has named Kirk Reynoldson as Chan?s replacement in the front row while Dallas Johnson will start at lock.

Having already spent a month on the sidelines through two high tackle suspensions, Chan admitted he felt like he had let his teammates down following this latest indiscretion.

?I?m very disappointed, four weeks is four weeks and that?s a lot of football, especially at this time of the year,? Chan said.

?More than the fact that it?s a four week suspension I?m disappointed for letting a lot of people down. I?ve let myself down, my family down, and I?ve let the whole team down.

?It?s getting towards the end of the year and this is a crucial time for us, we need a good run home to take us into a good finals series.?

The 29-year-old, who recently re-signed with the Storm for a further two seasons, had been working with assistant coach Dean Lance in a bid to correct his tackling technique.

?It (technique) is something that I?ve been working on a lot on and I thought that it was something in my past that was gone and done with,? Chan added.

?It?s crept back into my game again and that?s what is hurting me, I?ve done a lot of work on it and obviously I?ve still got a lot more to do.?

Kearns has missed the Storm?s past three matches after suffering a fractured eye socket against the Panthers in Round 17. The former Test prop has been experiencing double vision and will need to make a rapid recovery if he?s to return against the Roosters this Sunday.

Kiwi forward Glen Turner comes on to the Storm bench along with utility Cooper Cronk, as Melbourne looks to secure its first win over the Roosters since Round 18, 2002.

MELBOURNE STORM TEAM TO PLAY THE SYDNEY ROOSTERS, SUNDAY AUGUST 1, AT OLYMPIC PARK (3PM):

1. Billy Slater 2. Matt Geyer 3. Steven Bell 4. Ben MacDougall 5. Matt King 6. Scott Hill 7. Matt Orford 8. Rodney Howe 9. Cameron Smith 10. Kirk Reynoldson 11. David Kidwell 12. Stephen Kearney (c) 13. Dallas Johnson

14. Glen Turner 15. Ryan Hoffman 16. Antonio Kaufusi 17. Dustin Cooper 18. Cooper Cronk