MANLY 6
Melbourne's long wait for NRL competition points is officially over.
It took the Storm just the opening game of the 2011 to earn their first points in almost a year when they overcame Manly 18-6 at AAMI Park in Melbourne.
Stripped of competition points last season as part of their salary cap rorting punishment, a new-look Storm ran out missing stars such as Greg Inglis, Brett Finch and Brett White.
But they showed they will still be a force in the NRL.
The game didn't come alive until the final minutes of the first half, after a tentative start by both sides, with errors littering the game.
Locked 2-2 after trading penalties, winger Matt Duffie scored the first try of the night in the 36th minute after a long, floating pass by Billy Slater.
Minutes later, Sea Eagles fullback Brett Stewart, playing his first game in a year following a knee reconstruction, pulled off an identical move with his winger Michael Robertson cutting back inside to beat the Storm defence.
Manly lost their co-captain Jamie Lyon for the match with a hamstring injury three minutes before the break and they missed his experience, alongside debutant halfback Daly Cherry-Evans and young five-eighth Liam Foran.
With the score locked at 6-6 heading into the second half, the Storm lifted the tempo and their completion rate.
They hit the front when they broke through some desperate Manly defence after four repeat sets.
Centre Chase Stanley, who looked in trouble early on with a knee injury, stepped out of one tackle and then spun around to beat two more defenders before dashing to the line.
A few minutes later, Duffie and halfback Cooper Cronk combined to save a certain Manly four-pointer when they managed to stop centre Tony Williams from touching down.
Things got worse for the visitors when co-captain Jason King was put on report in the 64th minute for lifting his knee as he was tackled by Storm skipper Cameron Smith.
Video referee Bernard Sutton ruled against two Melbourne would-be tries but their next effort was rewarded with points.
Manly forward Anthony Watmough turned over the ball and in the ensuing play Cronk sent the ball along to new Storm five-eighth Gareth Widdop, who found centre Dane Nielsen on the fly.
With Smith adding the extras, Melbourne were home.
MELBOURNE 18 (M Duffie D Nielsen C Stanley tries C Smith 3 goals) bt MANLY 6 (M Robertson try J Lyon goal) at AAMI Park. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Gavin Reynolds. Crowd: 14,651.
- AAP
