Full Time
80:00
3:00pm Sat June 15, 2019
Round 14 - AAMI Park, Melbourne / Wurundjeri - Crowd: 16313
80min

And that's full time, the Storm simply too good, running out winners 34-4.

79min

Less than a minute on the clock now, and the Knights seem to have lost all semblance of how to be a football team.

75min

Edrick Lee does all the hard work to set Hymel Hunt up for a try, but Hymel forgets to put the ball down...

74min

Conversion: Storm
Attempted by Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Ryan Papenhuyzen slides the kick left of the posts, with Cameron Smith off the ground.

Storm lead Storm 34 - 4 Knights
73min

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

And Stimson gets his second. This has been an expensive 10 minutes with Edrick Lee off the field.

Storm lead Storm 34 - 4 Knights
72min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith converts the try.

Storm lead Storm 30 - 4 Knights
71min

Try: Storm
Scored by Marion Seve. Kick to come.

Now Munster intercepts a pass and puts Marion Seve away down the right sideline.

Storm lead Storm 28 - 4 Knights
70min

The Storm kick deep on the last, but it dribbles dead.

67min

The Storm head for another try in the left corner, but Chambers loses the ball over the line under some heavy defence.

64min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith converts.

Storm lead Storm 24 - 4 Knights
64min

Cameron Smith runs down a very short side, puts a grubber in, and then Edrick Lee tackles him without the ball. Pretty blatant, embarrassing, and Lee's in the bin for a professional foul.

63min

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

And Melbourne expose the 12 man Newcastle Knights, with Stimson scoring a try.

Storm lead Storm 22 - 4 Knights
58min

Ponga's pass to Fitzgibbon on the second goes to ground.

58min

The Knights get a piggy back penalty, with Munster overplaying his hand trying to steal the ball. Cameron, HELD means let him go...

57min

A better defensive set from the Knights, with the Storm kicking from their own half on the last, and the kick going straight down Ponga's throat.

55min

Great leg drive from Dale Finucane there, but on the next play Bromwich knocks on.

55min

A long dropout from Pearce.

54min

Munster kicks into the in goal, and Ponga is forced into a line drop out.

53min

Pearce kicks high on the last under heavy attention from the Storm, and Addo-Carr gets picked up and dumped.

51min

The Storm return the ball strongly here, after a poor kick chase from the Knights.

50min

Conversion: Knights
Attempted by Kalyn Ponga.

Ponga sends the conversion well out to the left of the posts.

Storm lead Storm 18 - 4 Knights
49min

Try: Knights
Scored by Hymel Hunt. Kick to come.

Its a TRY! A beautiful pass from Ponga hits Hymel Hunt, and he fights his way to the line.

Storm lead Storm 18 - 4 Knights
48min

And now we're going to the Bunker for a possible Knights try. Looks like a try, but we're checking for a double movement.

48min

Mann heads for a gap near the Storm line, but the gap closes quickly.

46min

Finally a bit of a showing from the Knights. Ponga kicks in to the in goal, and the Knights trap Vunivalu for a line drop out.

45min

Ponga takes the Storm bomb easily, and sprints 30 metres down field.

44min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith adds the extras.

Storm lead Storm 18 - 0 Knights
43min

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

Croft kicks on the second, Vunivalu catches the ball and scores. The surface there really killed Edrick Lee there, as his feet just went out from underneath him. A great play, but the Knights got very unlucky.

Storm lead Storm 16 - 0 Knights
42min

A late offload from the Storm, and they're on the Knights 20 on the 2nd.

41min

The Knights spread the ball out to the left edge, but Fitzgibbon's pass is forward.

40min

We're back in the second half, and Pearce slips over catching the kick off. The surface here really is terrible this afternoon.

40min

And that's halftime, the Storm going to the break leading 12-0.

40min

The Knights work the right edge through Mann, and Munster rakes the ball off him again.

39min

And now Herman Ese'ese stays down, possibly with a shoulder injury.

38min

Christian Welch hits the ball up, but Connor Watson rips it off him.

37min

Another mistake from Glasby, and the Knights kill another opportunity.

37min

Munster rushes up on Mann, but he was a mile offside.

37min

Edrick Lee makesa massive break down field, before being tackled only 20 metres from the Storm line. Now the Storm are penalised, and the Knights will have another opportunity for points.

37min

Barnett's been put on report for that tackle.

35min

A terrible tackle from Barnett, dropping his body weight on to the Storm players' neck.

35min

A double knock on, and the Knights will play the ball on their own 10m line.

34min

Ryan Papenhuyzen is on the field, and will be looking to expose some tired Knights defenders.

33min

Connor Watson makes a break, but the cover pulls him down. Ramien throws a beautiful flick pass, but the ref somehow finds a forward pass.

32min

The Knights cover defence then catches Chambers down the left edge, and push him out over the sideline.

31min

The Storm pick up another penalty.

30min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

Smith converts the try from the sideline, and the Storm lead 12-0.

Storm lead Storm 12 - 0 Knights
28min

Try: Storm
Scored by Josh Addo-Carr. Kick to come.

Chambers kicks in behind the line, and Josh Addo-Carr chases through and plants it down.

Storm lead Storm 10 - 0 Knights
27min

A terrible end to the set there, and Mann is forced into a rushed kick.

26min

Six again for the Storm, after Ponga touches the ball, but then they lose ball. If Jesse Bromwich could pass, the Storm would have had a second try.

25min

A short pass for Kenneath Bromwich, but there are 5 Knights in front of him.

24min

Scrambling defence from the Knights, but they loiter around the ruck too long and get penalised.

23min

Looks like SKD might be having one of his "rocks" games. He just made the worst play the ball I've seen in a while.

22min

Ramien runs around sideways, and then gets to Munster, who forces a lost ball. Another missed opportunity for the Knights.

21min

Now another penalty against the Storm, this time for a high shot.

21min

Sione Mata'utia is on the field now, and draws a penalty on his first touch. The Knights tap the ball and will get their second opportunity to attack the Storm line.

20min

Saifiti stays down now, and it looks like there's been some pressure on his neck as he came to ground. Didn't look particularly intentional, but it is the Storm...

19min

The Storm kick high again, but Lee comes flying in and takes it nicely. SKD then gets another penalty.

18min

And now Glasby has put the ball down on the Storm line.

17min

Pearce kicks out from the penalty, and the ball only just scrapes over the top of Josh Addo-Carr.

17min

Glasby gets hit high and draws a penalty for his team.

16min

Croft kicks to Ponga on the last, and Ponga finds a little bit of space before being ankle tapped.

15min

Conversion: Storm
Kicked by Cameron Smith.

No dramas with the conversion from straight in front.

Storm lead Storm 6 - 0 Knights
14min

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

Cameron Smith picks out an injured Tim Glasby in the defensive line, and puts a try on right next to him.

Storm lead Storm 4 - 0 Knights
13min

Kurt Mann throws a cutout ball to Gavet, but Gavet wasn't expecting it and the ball goes to ground.

12min

The Storm have had 70% of the posession so far, but their attack has been very scrappy so far.

12min

A wobbly pass from Chambers at dummy half, and Brodie Croft drops the ball again.

11min

The Storm spread the ball left, but the cover defence gets there.

10min

Another offside penalty against the Knights. That's four penalties in only 10 minutes.

10min

Melbourne have had almost all of the field position so far, but the Knights defence has held strong.

9min

Dale Finucane taps on a quick ball, but Brodie Croft knocks on. On the next tackle SKD gets chopped down around the hips by Felise Kaufusi, and loses the ball.

8min

Pearce gets a kick away this time. SKD catches it cleanly, but is tackled soon after on the Storm 30.

7min

The Storm throw a grubber in behind the line, but Ponga reads it beautifully and almost makes a line break on the return.

7min

Croft tries to take the line on, but Watson tackles him easily.

6min

Another penalty, with the Knights ruled offside. Smith kicks for the sideline, and the Storm will attack from 20 metres out from the Knights' line.

5min

The field looking very dusty after a Rebels game here last night - the surface looks quite slippery down the Knights' left edge.

5min

Mann throws a late pass to Ramien, and Addo-Carr picks him up and drops him. Ramien loses the ball in the tackle.

4min

And now another penalty, this time to the Knights. That will help them out of their own end.

3min

Great defence from the Knights here, with Cameron Smith trapped at dummy half on the last. The Knights looked to be a bit offside, but the refs think it's ok.

2min

Chambers sprints down the left edge but is brought down by Ramien.

2min

The Storm are heavily marking Mitchell Pearce - that looks to be the game plan.

1min

Kurt Mann kicks on the last and Vunivalu runs over Ponga before drawing a penalty for his team.

1min

Almost 60 metres from that first set, and the Storm kick high for Edrick Lee to catch unpressured.

And we're underway. Jesse Bromwich takes the first hit up.

Moments away from kick off here this afternoon in Melbourne, in this clash between two of the form teams of the competition. Melbourne will have first use of the football.

Referees & scorers:

Referee: Gerard Sutton, Gavin Badger

Touch Judges: Michael Wise, Todd Smith

Video Referee: Jared Maxwell, Ben Galea

MELBOURNE STORM (34)
Tries: Jahrome Hughes, Josh Addo-Carr, Suliasi Vunivalu, Joe Stimson (2), Marion Seve
Field Goals:
Conversions: Cameron Smith (5/5), Ryan Papenhuyzen (0/1)
Penalty Goals:

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (4)
Tries: Hymel Hunt
Field Goals:
Conversions: Kalyn Ponga (0/1)
Penalty Goals: