Round 13: Storm v Bulldogs preview
The Storm look to continue their excellent form as they host the bottom of the ladder Bulldogs.
After a convincing victory over the Newcastle Knights on Sunday, the second placed Melbourne Storm aim to extend their unbeaten record at their makeshift home ground on the Sunshine Coast as the take on the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
The Storm, currently on a six game winning streak, have scored over 20 points in each of those matches and have only conceded more than 20 points during this streak on one occasion, their two point victory over the Sydney Roosters. The three time premiers are once again having a superb season and a win against the Bulldogs this Saturday keeps them on course for a top four finish, a feat the club hasn't failed to achieve since finishing sixth in 2014. The hosts are without their skipper Cameron Smith for the first time since Round 11, 2018 after he suffered a minor shoulder injury against Newcastle which will sideline him for the next few weeks. Craig Bellamy has also decided to rest 22-year-old fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen for this weekend's match giving Nicho Hynes just his second start in the number one jersey. With Cameron Smith out injured, incumbent New Zealand hooker Brandon Smith will get his chance to start in his preferred position for just the third time in his career at Melbourne and with Harry Grant returning to the Storm next season, this is Smith's chance to show the competition how influential he can be whilst playing in the number nine jersey. Justin Olam will return into the side at centre for the injured Marion Seve and the two aforementioned omissions see Ryley Jacks and Albert Vete join the bench for the defending minor premiers.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs head to the Sunshine Coast after a narrow two point loss to the Parramatta Eels. It was a poor start from Canterbury who quickly found themselves under the pump, trailing 18-nil after just 28 minutes of play. They managed to fight their way back in typical Canterbury fashion as they brought the deficit to two points with 28 minutes remaining but failed to find the extra try to give them the two points. Despite the loss, it's a great sign for the Bulldogs knowing that they can compete with the better sides of the competition for the full 80 minutes.
The Bulldogs have been competitive in their three matches since interim coach Steve Georgallis took over after Dean Pay's exit with close losses to the Dragons and the Eels and a six point victory over the Knights. However, the Bulldogs only have the two wins to their name so far this season and have failed to beat the Storm since 2016 having lost their last four matches to the Victorian club. Canterbury have one omission with Jack Cogger dropping out of the 17 with Reimis Smith taking his spot on the bench. Both Aiden Tolman and Jeremy Marshall-King have been moved to the bench with Ofahiki Ogden and Sione Katoa starting at prop and hooker respectively.
Last meeting: Round 11 2019 - Bulldogs 6 Storm 28
Who to watch: With Cameron Smith and Ryan Papenhuyzen out of the side, five-eighth Cameron Munster will have extra weight on his shoulders as the senior playmaker for Melbourne this weekend. The Queensland representative has had a good season to date recording six forced drop outs, five try assists, 102 run metres per game and just shy of three tackle breaks per game. Munster recorded his most kick metres of the season on the weekend against Newcastle, and that's going to be the main change to his game. With no Smith, Munster will become the main kicking option and the goal kicker for Melbourne on Saturday, despite making 57.6% of his conversion attempts over his career. Expect to see another amazing performance from the Queensland number six.
It's the battle of the five-eighths this Saturday, as Kieran Foran lines up against the Queensland representative. Foran is coming off a great performance against the Parramatta Eels after playing an influential role in his sides close loss. The five-eighth recorded a try assist and a forced drop out as he tried to will the Bulldogs over the line against one of the competition favourites. The former New Zealand international has tallied six try assists in just nine appearances and has four forced drop outs to go with it. If the Bulldogs are any chance to get the two points over Melbourne this weekend, their star player is going to have to be in the richest of form. This battle between the sixes is going to be a mouth-watering watch.
The favourite: Melbourne are the clear favourites for their clash against the Bulldogs and for good reason. The Storm have only lost two matches this season, both to sides in the top eight. Although with no Papenhuyzen and Cameron Smith, this is probably the weakest side that the Storm will field all season. Having said this, it's going to need a brilliant performance from the Bulldogs if they are to take the two points in this match.
My tip: The Storm have been on fire recently and this is expected to continue despite their two big omissions. The Bulldogs have been competitive recently but that probably won't be enough to stop Melbourne in their tracks. Storm by 14.
