STORM 32
WARRIORS 18
View photosKEY POINTS:
The Warriors lost in Melbourne last night and another bad result threatens today when medics give a verdict on skipper Steve Price's hamstring after he left the field early.
The Storm played mind games with the Warriors, keeping them waiting for the kick-off and the re-start after half-time. The New Zealanders were about to walk off when the Storm came out.
But that aggravation was no excuse for the errors that followed.
Poor marker defence, errors and penalties helped the Storm to an early lead and on to victory.
The Warriors stayed with them in the first spell despite losing Price with what is thought to be a bad strain of the upper left hamstring soon after the first quarter, the injury to be assessed today. But unfortunately, the error rate increased. They didn't look as fit as their opponents.
The Storm came out at a hundred kilometres an hour and their intensity appeared to stun the visitors. It took Melbourne just four minutes and three consecutive sets of six to score through fullback Billy Slater after the Warriors gave them territory through a knock-on then a penalty.
And at 10 minutes Slater used his pace to go in again, running at Vatuvei while the Warriors wing was rattled after he'd dropped a high ball to concede a goal line drop-out.
When the Warriors did get possession they used it well, spreading the ball across the field and Jerome Ropati making a break then backing up to score off the bomb, Michael Witt's kick making it 10-6.
Slater's support play brought him a hat-trick just after the quarter-time water break called to cope with the intense heat, after Cooper Cronk had dropped a kick out to wing Steve Turner.
Then Vatuvei held off three tacklers to plant the ball just inside the corner flag and it was 16-12 at the break.
But Vatuvei was villain again, to blow another kick take, another repeat set let Dallas Johnson get first points after the break. Epalahame Lauaki sent the kick-off dead over the goal line. A stripped ball gave Smith a penalty. Unbelievably, Lauaki booted the kick-off dead again. The Storm scored, Witt sent the kick-off dead.
The game was gone when Vatuvei got his second try to end the scoring.
New fullback Aidan Kirk had a quiet night, not sorely tested in defence and with few chances on attack before replaced. Brent Tate was quiet on attack. Ruben Wiki and Nathan Fien were best forwards, Ropati and Witt best backs.
The under-20s side lost players to injury and thus the game, 32-22.
