The Sydney Roosters have been sent packing to the bottom four of the NRL ladder as the Melbourne Storm put on a show of second half dominance as they ran out 30-16 winners over the Roosters at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
It was a pretty dour start to the first half and it was Xavier Coates who created the first spark for either side when he read a poor pass from Luke Keary that was trying to be lobbed out to the winger and Coates used his height to pluck it out of the air and then race 90m downfield to score.
Neither side really could throw a punch at the other across the next twenty minutes until the Roosters finally were able to cross inside the final five minutes of the half when the Roosters were able to find some space in the Storm defence. The eventual space for the tricolours saw them take advantage out wide as Daniel Tupou scored.
A missed penalty goal from Suaalii meant that the Roosters couldn't level the scores just shy of the half-time break and the Storm held a 6-4 lead.
That was the closest that the Roosters were going to get because the Storm found their strength in the second half and despite being denied early on in the half by the bunker, Melbourne took advantage of the soft Roosters defence. Jahrome Hughes found space between the Roosters defence that didn't seem to know what their targets were and the Storm halfback strolled through.
It was some luck that got Xavier Coates his second try after a cross-field kick intended for Coates came off Junior Pauga's hand and then it bounced straight into Coates leg and the bounce favoured the Storm winger for his second.
The Roosters defence were struggling and the try to Harry Grant showed that as Grant didn't really need to pull out any tricks as he just looked to go one-way before the defence just opened up a gap for him to go through almost untouched. The conversion from Nick Meaney pushed the margin out to 20 points.
Xavier Coates finished his hat-trick with just over five minutes to go when the cross-field kick out to the Storm winger was absolutely perfect as Coates again outjumped Pauga and after Nick Meaney converted it was a 30-4 lead.
The Roosters picked up two consolation tries both making history in their own ways when Daniel Tupou equalled Anthony Minichello's Roosters try scoring record and then Siua Wong got on the board for his first NRL try closing the gap to a 30-16 defeat.
Next weekend, the Roosters head up to the Gold Coast where they take on the Titans meanwhile for the Storm they head up to Newcastle for a clash with the Knights.