Harry GRANT! You are a FREAK. GAME WINNER FOR HARRY GRANT!
Brown loses it in his own half...
Meaney sends it wide left. 7 tackle set coming up.
What about Golden Point for Game 1 of 201 guys? Well, here we go...
We're off to GP ET
Last shot in regulation...
Bad miss Munster.
UNSUCCESSFUL - PENALTY STORM
PENALTY STORM - Ruck interference... BUT HANG ON
Parramatta bomb a chance...
Disaster for Melbourne. Munster has a brain explosion...
CHARGED DOWN. Great effort from Eliesa Katoa.
Parra looking to set up for the shot.
This is has gone hey wire. Worse than a segment on The Project.
WHY DIDN'T SIVO BACK HIMSELF. OH MY GOODNESS.
OH NO TYRAN... He loses it stone cold.
Melbourne hang in there. Hodgson's service has been poor.
Penisini was taken off via an independent doctor. Parramatta are in shambles.
Penisini was hit in the contact - looked a head clash.
Meaney puts it down and the quality field position goes to waste...
Instead of catching it, Sivo spikes it dead.
Both men went off via the independent doctor.
Young Tonumaipea has been opened up in a collision with Isaac Lumelume.
Jirah Momoisea is ON REPORT joining Alec MacDonald and Eliesa Katoa in the bad book
PENALTY STORM: High shot by Jirah Momoisea
Storm complete their set after points.
Meaney's kick is GOOD
Melbourne is resuming standard transmission. All class from the scrum from Munster. He found Young Tonumaipea and the veteran crashes over to score.
Decision upheld - original knock on from Lumelume
VIDEO REF: Klein has NO TRY - confirming a double knock on.
Coates off with a shoulder injury. Expect a bit of a reshuffle
Moses adds the extras - 12-6 Parramatta
JUNIOR PAULO! What a try from the big man. He was a rampaging machine. Off a clever short ball to Paulo who runs the best part of 20 metres to score Parramatta's second.
Hughes got rag dolled over the sideline.
Coates loses it in the contest with Isaac Lumelume.
Reimis Smith puts it down following a shocking pass from Katoa.
Storm complete their set after points.
Meaney converts and we're locked up at 6-6.
Well that was better from the Storm. Off the back of back to back penalties. The Storm strike back. Off Harry Grant, it was a clever pass from Josh King and Nick Meaney crosses for the Storm's first try of 2023.
PENALTY STORM: Not square at marker. Well done by Harry Grant.
PENALTY STORM: High shot on Harry Grant by Dylan Brown.
PENALTY EELS: High contact against Trent Loiero.
PENALTY EELS: Inside 10m
Here we go. 40 minutes to decide the first competition points of the year.
Update on Munster - HE WILL RETURN
HALF-TIME of Game 1 - Parramatta leading Melbourne 6-0
Moses misses the 2 pt FG
Munster with a compound fracture to his wedding ring finger and would depart midway through the first half.
Loiero puts it down.
Hodgson saves a try but they can't keep it in their grasp. Storm retain the ball.
6 MORE STORM: Ruck infringement.
Sivo knocks it down. 6 more for the Storm
Hughes has knocked on but it'll be a challenge.
Moses' pass is forward.
Challenge unsuccessful.
Cam Munster has a compound fracture of the finger (via Lara Pitt)
Moses' kick at goal is wide left.
It had to come and it's Will Penisini to cross for the first try of 2023! Gutherson summed it up and drew in the suspect left edge to find Penisini to cross for try 1 of 2023.
Wishart loses the footy... BIG MOMENT HERE
Brown puts it down. Strong contact! Cameron Munster is DEPARTING THE GROUND!
Alec MacDonald goes on report. Parra taking the tap.
PENALTY EELS: It's right in front. Mitch Moses hit later by Alec MacDonald.
Munster kicks early but the bounce beats Xavier Coates.
Short dropout recovered by Parramatta.
Grant gets a clever grubber away, Maika Sivo just bats it dead before William Warbrick got their.
SIX AGAIN STORM: Ruck infringement.
Storm turn it over a few metres out from the line.
PENALTY STORM: Gutho holding down too long after a great run from Young Tonumaipea
The pass has been called forward. Phil Henderson in the best view there to call that.
SIX MORE EELS: Ruck infringement.
Grant puts it down (two tackles later)
Blake knocks on trying to regather the short dropout.
Clever kick from Josh Hodgson forces another set.
SIX AGAIN EELS: Ruck infringement.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona loses the ball trying to play it quickly.
PENALTY STORM: Ruck interference.
Storm strip the Eels right hand side but Xavier Coates puts too much on the kick in field.
Lumelume fails to ground the ball in the field of play.
Lumelume fails to ground the ball in the field of play.
SIX AGAIN EELS - Inside 10m. Eels have Melbourne on the ropes.
PENALTY EELS: Isaac Lumelume earns his side a penalty. The storm hanging on way too long. Nelson Asofa-Solomona guilty there.
Moses' kick is successful and the scoring is underway in 2023. Parramatta lead 2-0.
Parramatta will shoot for goal.
PENALTY EELS: Mitch Moses taken late by Eliesa Katoa.
Ball stolen by Josh Hodgson! Massive chance early for Parramatta. Munster chances his arm early in 2023 with bad results.
HERE WE GO! Ash Klein blows time on and season 2023 is UNDERWAY!
Ashley Klein is the ref tonight. Wyatt Raymond and Phil Henderson are the touchies. Adam Gee the man in the bunker.
The NRL season is back in season 2023. Welcome to CommBank Stadium for our season opener tonight between the Parramatta Eels and the Melbourne Storm. Both top eight sides last year, they'll be looking to go one step better this year. They made significant player changes to their respective rosters this off-season in an attempt to improve but will it be all for nothing? Kickoff approaching at the top of the hour! Don't miss it, the season is BACK!!
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Ashley Klein
Touch Judges: Wyatt Raymond, Phil Henderson
Video Referee: Adam Gee
PARRAMATTA EELS (12)
Tries: Viliami Penisini, Junior Paulo
Field Goals: Mitchell Moses (0/1)
Two Point Field Goals: Mitchell Moses (0/1)
Conversions: Mitchell Moses (1/2)
Penalty Goals: Mitchell Moses (1/1)
MELBOURNE STORM (16)
Tries: Nick Meaney, Young Tonumaipea, Harry Grant
Field Goals: Nick Meaney (0/1), Cameron Munster (0/1)
Conversions: Nick Meaney (2/2)