Penrith punish rusty Roosters
11 hours ago | Aidan Edgecomb
Round 7
Melbourne Storm 52 v Newcastle Knights 6
at Olympic Park Melbourne
Referees: Russell Smith
Match Summary:
The Melbourne Storm has thrashed the Newcastle Knights 52-6 at Olympic Park this evening in front of a healthy first up home crowd for the Storm.
Melbourne came out ready to play footy and with Newcastle missing one A Johns, the task was going to become so much harder as the Knights winning record without Johns would suggest.
The game played to script with the Storm running away with the game, which was effectively over by half time with Melbourne holding a commanding 24-6 lead through first half doubles to Greg Inglis and Steve Turner. Inglis left the field midway through the second half with a minor leg injury, which is not believed to be serious.
The second half picked up where the first half left off with Melbourne applying the blow torch to the Newcastle defence and they came up trumps more often than not, with Mick Crocker leading the way with some punishing defence and Cameron Smith providing the spark in attack.
Newcastle, to put it simply, had no answer for the speed of the Melbourne Storm, who were fast and ruthless in everything they did.
Melbourne?s little men in Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Nathan Friend all proved to be a handful for the Knights defence and apart from Danny Buderus, the rest of the Knights could not keep pace with their southern opponents.
As the game wore on, the tensions between the two sides started to boil over with some cheap shots from the Knights and some punishing legal and not so legal defence from the Storm with Jake Webster put on report for a dangerous throw while Daniel Tolar for the Knights was replaced after getting smashed in a perfectly legal Mick Crocker tackle.
History has shown that no side has ever won the competition after having 50 points scored against them and Newcastle join Canberra and St George Illawarra, two teams they ironically scored 50 against as the only teams in the NRL to date to concede 50 points in a match.
On tonight?s form, the Storm are very much in the premiership hunt for 2006. Newcastle are obviously still a threat but without Johns, they are a completely different side, one devoid of leadership and confidence.
Scorers:
Melbourne Storm: 52
Tries: Matt Geyer, Greg Inglis(2), Antonio Kaufusi, David Kidwell, Matt King, Steve Turner(2), Jake Webster
Goals: Cameron Smith 8/10
Newcastle Knights: 6
Tries: Kurt Gidley
Goals: Kurt Gidley 1/1
By the Clock:
1 min: NEWS We are underway for the first time in 2006 at Olympic Park in Melbourne.
1 min: TRY Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are off to a flying start with a try in the first minute to teen sensation Greg Inglis. A true superstar in the making.
Storm 6-0
9 min: PENALTY GOAL Melbourne Storm
Greg Inglis was taken high by Kurt Gidley in front of his own posts and Cameron Smith wastes no time in extending the Storms lead.
Storm 8-0
11 min: NEWS Melbourne look very sharp tonight and are making plenty of metres up the middle and are looking good on the fringes as well.
Andrew Johns is not playing for the Knights in case anyone was wondering.
14 min: NEWS No try to the Knights after video ref Bill Harrigan rules Josh Perry passed the ball from the ground. It was the correct call.
15 min: TRY Newcastle Knights
Jarred Mulle drops in a nice kick behind the Storm defensive line for Kurt Gidley to punce on the ball to score the Knights first try. Gidley copped a cork to the hip in the process.
Storm 8-6
20 min: TRY Melbourne Storm
Steve Turner scores a great try in the corner off a well place brubber in behind the Knights defensive line. Touchline conversion successful.
Storm 14-6
29 min: NEWS Possible try to Mick Crocker from the Storm. He is having a very good game so far. Damaging on both attack and defence.
29 min: NEWS No try to the Storm. Changeover to the Knights.
30 min: TRY Melbourne Storm
Greg Inglis scores another sizzling try to take his season tally to 8 and his name will almost certainly be read out when the Qld team is announced for Origin 1.
Storm 20-6
36 min: TRY Melbourne Storm
Cameron Smith kicks the ball downfiled and the Storm players race down after the ball and with a lucky bounce, Steve Turner beats David Seage to the ball on the Knights line, spins and scores an absolute ripper just before half time. Turner and Inglis have two tries each so far and the Knights are a long way off the pace now.
Storm 24-6
40 min: NEWS Melbourne hold a commanding 18 point lead over the Knights at half time and the Storm are doing it in style with two tries to both Greg Inglis and Steve Turner. Mick Crocker is making his presence felt in both attack and defence while Cameron Smith is having a blinder out of dummy half. Newcastle aren't playing that bad but the enthusiasm levels and skill from the Storm is proving too much for the Knights at this stage.
43 min: TRY Melbourne Storm
Kidwell scores without a finger being placed on him to make it virtually impossible for the Knights to comeback from here without Andrew Johns.
Storm 30-6
51 min: NEWS Greg Inglis leaves the field with a leg injury while Mick Crocker has been mistakenly put on report for a dangerous throw. The player in question was Jake Webster.
53 min: TRY Melbourne Storm
Jake Webster scores for the Storm as the game starts to become embarrassing for the Knights. With still over 25 minutes to play, the Storm look set to run riot.
Storm 36-6
61 min: NEWS Possible try to Matt Knig for the Storm and thematch all of a sudden has become very feiry with Melbourne coming up with some ferocious defence, led superbly by Mick Crocker.
61 min: TRY Melbourne Storm
Try awarded to Matt King who had been relatively quiet up until half time. He has had an excellent second half and the Knights have well and truly put the cue in the rack.
Storm 42-6
67 min: NEWS Melbourne get a repeat set of six and the fifty point mark is certainly not out of the question with the mood the Storm are in.
71 min: TRY Melbourne Storm
Another try to the Storm as the 50 point marks looms large on the horizon. This time Antonio Kaufusi was the beneficiary.
Storm 46-6
77 min: TRY Melbourne Storm
Melboure hit 50 and the Knights now join Canberra and St George Illawarra as the only teams to have 50 scored against them this year.
Storm 52-6
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Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 - Michael Crocker
2 - Cameron Smith
1 - Greg Inglis
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