Round 16: Roosters v Storm preview - 2017 Round 16
Top of the table battle reduced to post-Origin wasteland.
The good people of South Australia have suffered for 20 seasons since their Adelaide Rams were unceremoniously dumped from the NRL at the conclusion of the 1998 season... and after some token matches across the last two decades, it looked as though they might finally enjoy a truly exciting contest between two of the best sides in the NRL.
The Roosters took a gamble on moving a home game to the City of Churches this season and until 10pm Wednesday, it may well have paid off. Sadly for fans attending the incredible Adelaide Oval on Saturday evening, the five biggest stars on the billing - Melbourne's Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Will Chambers; along with Roosters' captain Boyd Cordner - will not play. All have pulled up lame from State of Origin II, leaving a cast of young players to fill the void, particularly in the Storm's case.
But fear not Storm fans - last week showed the future does hold a bit of promise. Against an equally depleted Cowboys side, Melbourne got home on the back of some heroics from stand-in halfback Brodie Croft. It'll be Brodie and his team of young spine players, led by Cameron Munster, that will be tasked with delivering a result against the Roosters.
The Tricolours aren't without their own upheaval. The club recently released rep centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall, and have now lost Cordner after Origin. Their form isn't too troublesome - they put the Wests Tigers to the sword just a fortnight ago - and given they still have a number of rep stars pulling on a jersey on Saturday, you'd think they're a much better prospect.
Last meeting: Round 20 2016 - Storm 26 Roosters 10
32 games between this pair since 1998, and it's the Storm leading with 18 wins. They've only played outside Sydney or Melbourne once in that time, a 2009 clash at Gosford's Central Coast Stadium, won by the Storm 28-12.
Who to watch: After a less-than-inspiring second half for the Blues on Wednesday, Mitchell Pearce will be seeking some redemption against the ladder leaders. His form at club level in 2017 has been outstanding and with his opposite number on Saturday set to be a stand in, this is a real chance for him to take a game by the throat.
Melbourne's Cameron Munster has a huge leadership role to fulfil here, and this entire clash is essentially a dress rehearsal for "life after the big three" for the Storm. He'll play fullback by the looks of the latest team update but expect him to spend some time in the halves as Hughes and Croft shoulder responsibility at various points throughout the evening.
The favourite: The omissions for the Storm have seen a flood of money for the already favoured Roosters.
My tip: The Storm were stoic last week but the Roosters this week are a much bigger mountain to climb than the Cowboys were last week. The Tricolours should win this and close the gap near the top of the ladder. Roosters by 4.
