Round 14: Roosters v Storm preview
The Sydney Cricket Ground has played host to many epic contests and a potential Saturday evening blockbuster awaits as the Sydney Roosters take on the Melbourne Storm who are looking to close their gap to the Panthers in first spot.
Sitting in seventh spot, the Sydney Roosters have had an up and down season with a 7-6 record from their thirteen games which sums up their season of games where they have struggled to find crisp play this season.
The struggles of consistency were on show last weekend for the Roosters when they went down 22-16 against the Canberra Raiders where their key playmakers struggled to find any consistent form against Canberra. The impact of the loss of James Tedesco was notable for the tricolours as they struggled without their captain and fullback.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson has named his three Origin stars to back up being James Tedesco, Daniel Tupou and Lindsay Collins, although it will only be known on Saturday afternoon if the three back up for the contest. The return of these three sees a number of changes with Kevin Naiqama moving to the reserves and Joey Manu back to the centres. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves who was a late out last weekend, remains on the injury list.
Getting to the top of the NRL ladder a couple of weeks ago, the Melbourne Storm quickly fell behind the Penrith Panthers following back-to-back losses before bouncing back to form prior to the bye when they comfortably accounted for the Manly Sea Eagles. The Storm come into the contest sitting second with three losses from their 12 matches this season.
Last weekend, the Storm had the benefit of having the bye but prior to their bye, the Melbournians were able to bounce back to form when they ran out 28-8 winners over a pretty average Manly side who struggled without Tom Trbojevic. The Storm struggled with depth when a string of injuries hit and now with players returning to fitness, the form is potentially returning to Melbourne.
The Storm are boosted by the return of Harry Grant and Nelson Asofa-Solomona which sees Brandon Smith and Tui Kamikamica return to the bench. Craig Bellamy has named his four Origin players in the starting line up (Munster, Kaufusi, Coates and Grant) but again it's a wait and see job if they back up.
Last meeting: Round 16 2021 - Roosters 0 Storm 46
Who to watch: It's a fair statement to say that Luke Keary struggled in the nation's capital and the former NSW representative will be keen to put his mark on a must win contest for the Roosters on Saturday. Keary has struggled to establish himself as a dominant half this season and his form has played a large part in why the Tricolours have struggled. If the Roosters want to get past the Storm, then they will need Keary to star.
The absence of Jahrome Hughes was the most noticeable factor for the Storm during their minor form-slump against the Panthers and the Cowboys. Despite all the hype being around Cam Munster, it was Hughes' absence that was noticeable and had a massive effect on the Storm's game. The return of Hughes saw a return of form against the Sea Eagles and with a week off, the Kiwi international should be ready to star.
The favourite: The Storm are favourites for the contest.
My tip: It's hard to go past the Storm, the Roosters get a number of key players back but at the same time so do Melbourne with Harry Grant coming back into the line-up. The game will be close but the Roosters have lacked the consistency to get the job done. Storm by 10.
