Round 19: Storm v Sea Eagles preview
Sea Eagles well positioned to snap Melbourne's nine-game winning streak
The homecoming of Des Hasler to Brookvale has coincided with Manly's return to their own glory days.
They were the days when the Sea Eagles and Storm weren't just rivals because of the infamous fight between Adam Blair and Glenn Stewart in what is now dubbed the Battle of Brookvale.
That came in 2011.
Before then, the two sides met in consecutive grand finals. They were two of the competition heavyweights, with each meeting seen as an opportunity to make a statement to the rest of the league.
Melbourne have barely faltered since then, the salary cap scandals of course being the only exception.
In recent years, Manly haven't tasted the consistent success they once knew under Hasler.
There have been a few finals appearances scattered in between disappointing seasons such as last year, when they finished in second last.
The rivalry was erupted last year when, similar to what took place eight years ago, Curtis Scott and Dylan Walker traded blows.
In 2019, no punches are expected. Both are strong contenders for the title and will solely be focussed on trumping the other like they were a decade ago.
Hasler will be demanding a better performance in defence on Saturday night after conceding points late in their 36-24 win over Parramatta last week.
It wasn't disastrous by any means but they need more resolve against a side like Melbourne.
After a slow start, which saw them fall to a 12-0 deficit, the Storm wrestled their way back into the contest against the Titans before running away 38-18 winners.
Considering the plethora of stars missing, many coaches wouldn't have been too concerned.
But such are the standards at Melbourne you can be assured that coach Craig Bellamy will be demanding even more of his troops this week.
The role Bellamy has played in Melbourne's dynasty of success cannot be understated.
While the players deserve commendation, it takes quite the coach to not only deal with the difficult Origin period but thrive in it.
The Storm have now won nine straight and are surging towards another minor premiership.
Last meeting: Round 18 2018 - Sea Eagles 13 Storm 14
Who to watch: The battle up front will be crucial here, particular between the starting props. Jesse Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona have combined to be one of the best starting rotations in the competition this year, pumping of plenty of metres early. The pair combine for an average of 230 metres, primarily ran in the opening half.
This week they come up against Martin Taupau and Addin Fonua-Blake, who average over 300 running metres together. Fonua-Blake's rise towards being one of the competition's best front rowers has been particularly impressive. The 23-year old used to be an inconsistent interchange forward who wasn't always able to strongly inject himself into games, averaging 70 running metres. He has more than doubled that now and will pose tough competition to Melbourne's seasoned props.
The favourite: Melbourne are strong favourites to keep their run going.
My tip: The Hasler-coached Sea Eagles are bound to be Melbourne's toughest competition in the past couple of months. But Bellamy expects the best and complacency won't be an issue as the Storm make it ten in a row. Melbourne by 6.
