Full Time
80:00
7:50pm Thu July 5, 2018
Round 17 - AAMI Park, Melbourne / Wurundjeri - Crowd: 12167
80min

Widdop puts down a simple one, and party time starts in Melbourne.

78min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith adds a further two.

Storm lead Storm 52 - 30 Dragons
77min

Try: Storm
Scored by Suliasi Vunivalu. Kick to come.

Storm have truly blown this open. Vunivalu strides free from a scrum play, goes the distance.

Storm lead Storm 50 - 30 Dragons
76min

Saints try the short kick-off, knock on. Scrum for the home side.

75min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith nails the kick.

Storm lead Storm 46 - 30 Dragons
73min

Try: Storm
Scored by Ryley Jacks. Kick to come.

That is game! Ran hard, ran straight, scores.

Storm lead Storm 44 - 30 Dragons
73min

Storm cutting the Dragons up now. Macdonald forces it dead.

71min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith makes it ten the difference.

Storm lead Storm 40 - 30 Dragons
70min

Try: Storm
Scored by Cheyse Blair. Kick to come.

Storm slice through again, Blair finishes it well.

Storm lead Storm 38 - 30 Dragons
68min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith from besides the sticks, goals.

Storm lead Storm 34 - 30 Dragons
67min

Try: Storm
Scored by Jahrome Hughes. Kick to come.

Storm strike back again! Offloads broke the play up, Hughes spied a gap and stormed through.

Storm lead Storm 32 - 30 Dragons
64min

Manic play on last there, the kick goes to Melbourne but swarming defense from the Dragons forced the error.

63min

Widdop misjudged the kick there, goes out on the full. Lovely pressure from Jacks.

62min

Conversion: Dragons
Kicked by Gareth Widdop.

Widdop to hand St George the lead again.

Dragons lead Storm 28 - 30 Dragons
61min

Try: Dragons
Scored by Kurt Mann. Kick to come.

Set play from the scrum! Dufty burned his defender, flicked it to Mann, the winger plants it down.

Tied up at Storm 28 - 28 Dragons
59min

Hoffman spills it coming out. Dragons have it right back.

58min

Conversion: Storm
Attempted by Cameron Smith.

Smith misses again.

Storm lead Storm 28 - 24 Dragons
57min

Try: Storm
Scored by Young Tonumaipea. Kick to come.

GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Storm catch the Dragons again on last.. Tonumaipea just got it down.

Storm lead Storm 28 - 24 Dragons
57min

BUNKER TIME! Young Tonumaipea might have got it down

57min

The two sides trading sets atm. Locked into a wrestle.. until then.

53min

Nicholls chips one down the right, and Hughes is stopped. Storm having to do hard yards currently.

52min

Conversion: Dragons
Kicked by Gareth Widdop.

Besides the posts, Widdop locks us up again.

Tied up at Storm 24 - 24 Dragons
50min

Try: Dragons
Scored by Luciano Leilua. Kick to come.

That was a set move! Widdop went out to Lafai, inside to Leilua who strolls over.

Storm lead Storm 24 - 22 Dragons
48min

PENALTY DRAGONS! Work on Dufty. Big set for the Saints on the attack.

47min

RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Storm go the power route.. Tui Kamikamica drops it.

47min

BUNKER TIME! Tui Kamikamica tries to plant it..

46min

PENALTY STORM! Mann works on the man on the ground.. then is marched ten.

45min

Dufty with a slips catch! Croft grubbered through for himself and the Dragons custodian takes it well.

42min

Penalty Goal: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith takes the gift two.

Storm lead Storm 24 - 18 Dragons
41min

Inspired by the FIFA World Cup, Dufty plays a through ball.. that remarkably Nicholls takes. Offside. Storm will shoot for the easy two.

40min

Has everyone caught their breath? we're back for the second half. Storm with first use.

40min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith nails the kick. Storm ahead by four at the half.

Storm lead Storm 22 - 18 Dragons
40min

Try: Storm
Scored by Ryan Hoffman. Kick to come.

Storm run it left on last, the ageless Hoffman sliced through, dummies and holds off the defender to score

Storm lead Storm 20 - 18 Dragons
40min

Magic from Widdop.. somehow the ball refused to go dead! Storm rucking out the last few tackles.

39min

Dragons have been 17/17 for their handling this half. Brilliant effort in what has been an absorbing game. Storm rucking it out.

37min

Conversion: Dragons
Kicked by Gareth Widdop.

Another from the sideline, Widdop swings it over.

Dragons lead Storm 16 - 18 Dragons
36min

Try: Dragons
Scored by Euan Aitken. Kick to come.

GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! The ball shot behind the Storm attack, Scott tried to run it out, is collected by Aitken, who strips it, rolls over.. TRY!

Tied up at Storm 16 - 16 Dragons
36min

BUNKER TIME! Stuff happened..

35min

Conversion: Storm
Attempted by Cameron Smith.

Smith from midrange, fades it.

Storm lead Storm 16 - 12 Dragons
34min

Try: Storm
Scored by Cheyse Blair. Kick to come.

GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Quick hands from the Storm, allowed Blair to get a smooth put down.

Storm lead Storm 16 - 12 Dragons
34min

BUNKER TIME! Blair has streamed across, but we're checking it.

32min

Hughes stabs one behind, Macdonald misses it and luckily Dufty is there to scoop it behind.

30min

Nightingale takes Bromwich ball and all forces a knock on.

28min

PENALTY STORM! Hughes is tipped over, easy call. Storm now right on the attack.

27min

Conversion: Dragons
Kicked by Gareth Widdop.

From the left sideline, this time.. Widdop strides in.. nails it.

Tied up at Storm 12 - 12 Dragons
26min

Try: Dragons
Scored by Nene Macdonald. Kick to come.

GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Just add that to the highlight reel. Macdonald has had some brilliant putdowns this season, that might top the lot!

Storm lead Storm 12 - 10 Dragons
26min

BUNKER TIME! Widdop again, drifted left threw a massive spiral that McDonald might have got down.

25min

PENALTY DRAGONS! Delayed penalty to the Saints for the work on Graham. The warhorse prop is battered like a late-round boxer.

24min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Easier kick for Smith, and he nails another.

Storm lead Storm 12 - 6 Dragons
23min

Try: Storm
Scored by Brodie Croft. Kick to come.

..they take advantage right away. Quick play the ball, Croft went through a gap for the four-pointer.

Storm lead Storm 10 - 6 Dragons
22min

Smith tries one of his sneaky 40/20s from dummy-half and the bounce favours the storm..

18min

Conversion: Dragons
Kicked by Gareth Widdop.

Widdop slides one straight between the post!

Tied up at Storm 6 - 6 Dragons
17min

Try: Dragons
Scored by Kurt Mann. Kick to come.

That was slick! Dufty used the speed to get through the gap then some quick passing sees Mann fly across!

Storm lead Storm 6 - 4 Dragons
16min

PENALTY DRAGONS! The visitors needed that, caught the Storm offside. Whole set inside the Storm half.

15min

Stimson cuts through, as the Dragons can't seem to find the advantage line. They get lucky from a Smith knock on, of the Cameron variety.

12min

Dragons looking slightly rattled currently. Storm had them pinned then Nicholls drilled a kick right into Hoffman, then Dufty had to launch one deep.

9min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Cameron Smith nails his first kick of the night.

Storm lead Storm 6 - 0 Dragons
8min

Try: Storm
Scored by Curtis Scott. Kick to come.

GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! No dramas here, it went back off Vunivalu and Scott is on-spot to put it down.

Storm lead Storm 4 - 0 Dragons
8min

BUNKER TIME! Ryley Jacks put some wicked bend on this kick, and caught out the Saints.

6min

PENALTY STORM! Dragons getting up quick in defense, as Graham puts a hand on the ball.

4min

Lucky break for the Saints. Hoffman is ruled to have touched the last tackle kick before Mann then an unlucky one, as Jacob Host is helped from the field.

2min

Shaky first kick in the top grade for Nicholls gifted Storm seven tackles. Hughes responded with an ill-timed kick himself, as the Dragons get the extra tackle.

1min

What a strange sequence of events. Cameron Smith's kick-off is wrestled for by Vunivalu and Dufty, the latter took possession then gets it stripped. Penalty. Dragons right on the attack.

KICK-OFF! Here we go! The start of Round 17 is on.

Here come the Dragons onto a lush AAMI Park, in their traditional red v jersey. Next out is the home side decked out in purple themselves through the lasers as we get set for kick-off!

Welcome to a slightly skeletal top of the table clash, the Dragons taking on the Storm down in bleak city. The Dragons haven't won in Melbourne since the 1999 semi-final, now this might represent their best chance to do so! For the Storm, after a close fought victory against the Roosters, banking more points without their origin stars is vital.

Referees & scorers:

Referee: Matt Cecchin, Gavin Reynolds

Touch Judges: Phil Henderson, Michael Wise

Video Referee: Henry Perenara, Luke Patten

MELBOURNE STORM (52)
Tries: Curtis Scott, Brodie Croft, Cheyse Blair (2), Ryan Hoffman, Young Tonumaipea, Jahrome Hughes, Ryley Jacks, Suliasi Vunivalu
Field Goals:
Conversions: Cameron Smith (7/9)
Penalty Goals: Cameron Smith (1/1)

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (30)
Tries: Kurt Mann (2), Nene Macdonald, Euan Aitken, Luciano Leilua
Field Goals:
Conversions: Gareth Widdop (5/5)
Penalty Goals: