Full Time
80:00
8:05pm Thu March 22, 2018
Round 3 - AAMI Park, Melbourne / Wurundjeri - Crowd: 12866
80min

SCRUM COWBOYS - Croft grubbers into touch

78min

Conversion: Storm
Attempted by Brodie Croft.

Croft misses the conversion

Storm lead Storm 30 - 14 Cowboys
77min

Try: Storm
Scored by Nelson Asofa-Solomona. Kick to come.

Some scrappy late play by both sides. Smith makes a late pass to Asofa-Solomona who burrows over for a try.

Storm lead Storm 30 - 14 Cowboys
74min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Brodie Croft.

Croft slots the conversion from out wide.

Storm lead Storm 26 - 14 Cowboys
73min

Try: Storm
Scored by Will Chambers. Kick to come.

Chambers with a scoot from dummy half weaves around the markers and scores out wide on the right side.

Storm lead Storm 24 - 14 Cowboys
72min

Cowboys forced to knock the ball dead. Storm with a repeat set.

70min

Another Thurston kick fails to find an outside back. Storm survive again.

69min

SCRUM COWBOYS - Bromwich loses the ball. 10 shy of halfway.

67min

Penalty Goal: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smiths kicks his fourth penalty goal for the night.

Storm lead Storm 20 - 14 Cowboys
65min

PENALTY STORM - Cowboys penalised again. Smith opting to take the 2 here.

64min

PENALTY STORM - Cowboys offside. Count has evened up now at 9 each.

64min

SCRUM STORM - Cowboys bumble their last play and O'Neill knocks on a poorly placed kick.

62min

PENALTY COWBOYS - Storm offside.

61min

SCRUM COWBOYS - Vunivalu drops the ball as he struggles to get to his feet after a kick return. Cowboys get a fresh set 10m out from the Storm line.

59min

O'Neill bats back a kick to no one and it dribbles into touch. Storm will run the ball back from deep inside their own half.

57min

Hoffman with a great offload to Slater who throws a pass over his head to Finucane who couldn't hold the ball with the tryline only a foot away. Another Storm try goes begging.

57min

SCRUM STORM - Hampton attempts a flick back infield but the pass goes forward.

54min

Conversion: Cowboys
Kicked by Johnathan Thurston.

Thurston converts.

Storm lead Storm 18 - 14 Cowboys
54min

Try: Cowboys
Scored by Coen Hess. Kick to come.

Hess barges over after another powerful run and manages to ground the ball despite plenty of attention.

Storm lead Storm 18 - 12 Cowboys
53min

PENALTY COWBOYS - Storm offside

52min

PENALTY COWBOYS - Bromwich having an awkwardly long cuddle with Cooper.

50min

SCRUM COWBOYS - Chambers shuts down Thurston but in the process knocks the ball forward while attempting a tackle.

49min

SCRUM COWBOYS - Thurston's kick is dropped by Chambers. Cowboys get another set just 10m from the Storm line.

48min

Kasiano coming off for a HIA

47min

PENALTY COWBOYS - Kasiano tries to milk a penalty while playing the ball and instead gives the Cowboys a penalty.

47min

Penalty count will mirror the scoreline soon at this rate.

46min

PENALTY STORM - Cowboys offside.

45min

Cowboys attempted a kick to the wing, but the ball goes in touch.

43min

SCRUM COWBOYS - Cameron Smith with a forward pass from dummy half.

43min

Thurston drops the ball after the defence rushed up on his blindside and shut him down. Storm clean up.

42min

PENALTY COWBOYS - Hoffman caught up in the play the ball.

40min

Penalty Goal: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith from 35m out adds another 2 points.

Storm lead Storm 18 - 8 Cowboys
40min

PENALTY STORM - Addo-Carr taken out of play after the siren sounds for halftime. Smith will take a shot at goal.

39min

SCRUM STORM - Cowboys kick goes out.

39min

Morgan kicks for Feldt who leaps high but doesn't get near the poor kick.

37min

PENALTY COWBOYS - Add-Carr not square at marker.

36min

Thurston's kick forces the Storm to ground the ball ingoal and take a drop out. Six more coming for the Cowboys.

34min

SCRUM COWBOYS - Smith drops the ball cold as he attempts a quick play the ball. Not having a brilliant night tonight the skipper.

33min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith converts

Storm lead Storm 16 - 8 Cowboys
33min

Try: Storm
Scored by Christian Welch. Kick to come.

Smith takes on the line before getting a short ball to Welch who crashes over to score.

Storm lead Storm 14 - 8 Cowboys
33min

SCRUM STORM - Morgan looks for a 40/20 but instead kicks the ball out on the full.

31min

SCRUM COWBOYS - Cameron Smith with, lets be honest, a stupid pass to Vunivalu who had no room to move, made worse by the fact that the pass was low and in front of the big winger, who then went into touch.

31min

PENALTY STORM - Cowboys marched 10m after some backchat

30min

PENALTY STORM - Granville with a 1 on 1 strip after the tackle completed.

29min

SCRUM STORM - Feldt drops the ball inside his own half. Storm right back on the attack again now.

28min

Hess breaks through the line and makes 25 metres. Great run.

26min

Conversion: Cowboys
Kicked by Johnathan Thurston.

Thurston from right in front converts.

Storm lead Storm 10 - 8 Cowboys
26min

Try: Cowboys
Scored by Coen Hess. Kick to come.

Thurston with a great ball to Hess who runs a magnificent line back in towards the post and he busts through the edge defence to score.

Storm lead Storm 10 - 6 Cowboys
25min

PENALTY COWBOYS - Storm offside again.

25min

PENALTY COWBOYS - Storm inside the ten.

24min

Crofts high kick goes out on the full.

22min

SCRUM COWBOYS - Storm knock-on after a half break by NAS, whose offload went to ground.

20min

Penalty Goal: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith adds another 2 pointer.

Storm lead Storm 10 - 2 Cowboys
19min

PENALTY STORM - Cowboys offside again.

19min

PENALTY STORM - They are 20m from the Cowboys line.

18min

Javid Bowen looks to have a busted nose and comes off the field.

18min

Vunivalu with a great run after fielding a kick and with just one defender to beat, his pass to Addo-Carr was too late and the pass was knocked to the ground, with a certain try gone begging.

16min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith converts the try.

Storm lead Storm 8 - 2 Cowboys
14min

Try: Storm
Scored by Joe Stimson. Kick to come.

Smith from dummy half turns it back to Slater with a nice draw and pass, gets the ball to Stimson who hits and spins to score on the right side.

Storm lead Storm 6 - 2 Cowboys
13min

PENALTY STORM - Cowboys raking the ball out in the tackle.

13min

Thurston's offload goes to ground and the Storm clean up.

11min

Penalty Goal: Cowboys
Kicked by Johnathan Thurston.

Thurston opts to take the two and nails the easy goal from right in front.

Tied up at Storm 2 - 2 Cowboys
11min

PENALTY COWBOYS - Smith offside. Cowboys 12m out from the Storm line.

8min

Great Cowboys defence on that set, followed by a tribute to AFL as players scrambled for the rolling ball. Eventually a turn over and Cowboys go on the attack.

6min

Penalty Goal: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith slots a penalty goal from almost in front.

Storm lead Storm 2 - 0 Cowboys
5min

PENALTY STORM - Cowboys offside again.

5min

PENALTY STORM - Cowboys offside. Storm right on the attack now.

4min

SCRUM STORM - Graville throws a forward pass from dummy half. Storm start their set just inside the Cowboys half.

3min

Storm making sure plenty of the game is being played in the Cowboys half already.

Well an exciting play by the Storm on the first set. Chambers grubbers into space. Croft regathered and passed back to Vunivalu who was wrapped up while trying to pass back to Croft.

Its 2017 Grand Final take 2! And it's underway! Cowboys kick off.

Referees & scorers:

Referee: Matt Cecchin, Alan Shortall

Touch Judges: Nick Beashel, Chris Butler

Video Referee: Ashley Klein, Luke Patten

MELBOURNE STORM (30)
Tries: Joe Stimson, Christian Welch, Will Chambers, Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Field Goals:
Conversions: Cameron Smith (2/2), Brodie Croft (1/2)
Penalty Goals: Cameron Smith (4/4)

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (14)
Tries: Coen Hess (2)
Field Goals:
Conversions: Johnathan Thurston (2/2)
Penalty Goals: Johnathan Thurston (1/1)