Melbourne Storm v Cronulla Sharks report

Papenhuyzen also produced a vital try-saver on Briton Nikora midway through the second half, albeit while conceding a high-tackle penalty in the process. The Storm have not won a premiership since Cameron Smith’s retirement after the 2020 grand final, with the new era desperate to claim a title of their own. Braydon Trindall gives a penalty away for an illegal steal, and Melbourne opt to take the kick to push it out to an eight-point lead.

• The Sharks were admittedly grittier defensively than they have been in recent times, but they still conceded 30 for a fourth time in five matches, and offered little from an attacking standpoint.
• Storm 18, Sharks 10 with nine minutes to go
• Back in Round 11, Cronulla upset the Storm 31-26, but having lost three of their past four games, they’ll need to turn things around sharply if they’re going to defeat the Storm in Melbourne.
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Storm 18, Sharks 10 with 14 minutes to go Nick Meaney slots the ball easily and Melbourne hold an eight-point lead. It’s an easy kick from in front, 1xbet login following a stupid decision from Trindall. Storm 18, Sharks 10 with nine minutes to go Storm 22, Sharks 10 with four minutes to go It started with Harry Grant running the ball from dummy-half, catching cronulla off guard.

And while Cronulla got back to 10-8, it was Munster and Papenhuyzen who landed the decisive blow before halftime when they caught Sharks fullback Will Kennedy up in the line. The halfback then scored Melbourne’s next, when Stefano Utoikamanu continued his powerful end to the season by bumping off a defender and offloading to his halfback. But he still had his way, getting the ball out wide after the Wilton hit and allowing Nick Meaney to send Will Warbrick over for the Storm’s first.

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That relief turned to elation when Xavier Coates scored his first finals try in three years to extend the lead out to an unassailable 12 points. It was a third consecutive week where Cronulla conceding the opening try and they showed plenty of resolve to stay in the game on this occasion as well, striking in the 11th minute when the off-contract Will Kennedy dummied Cameron Munster and Jack Howarth before scything the pair and slinging it out wide to Sione Katoa for the first of his two tries prior to half-time. Legendary NRL coach Craig Bellamy has booked himself an 11th Grand Final appearance after his Melbourne Storm held on for a nervy preliminary final win against the Cronulla Sharks. But it was third time unlucky for the Sharks with Faalogo collecting a Nicho Hynes tap-on cleanly and out-sprinting speedy Sharks fullback Will Kennedy over 90 metres to score and give the Storm a 10-0 lead.

– 26 v Penrith (a)

Melbourne allowed Cronulla to enjoy parity for only a few minutes and again it was Stefano Utoikamanu and Jahrome Hughes doing some fine work. The Sharks were considered premiership hopes pre-season, but more than halfway into the season and they sit outside the top eight. Back in Round 11, Cronulla upset the Storm 31-26, but having lost three of their past four games, they’ll need to turn things around sharply if they’re going to defeat the Storm in Melbourne. Mulitalo was big on the lip in that Sharks win and he clearly got the Storm players offside who were up in his face with every Sharks defensive breakdown.

The Storm came out from the sheds at half-time to defend a 28-game winning streak when leading at half-time in a final under Craig Bellamy and, for at least the first 18 minutes of the second half, were not assured of a 29th. “Like this thing of ‘you’ve had a failed season if you don’t win the grand final’, that’s a load of crap. The game appeared to be out of reach for the Sharks once Hynes blew a golden attacking opportunity by dropping a slightly wayward fourth tackle pass just ten metres out, and when the Storm won a Captain’s Challenge in attack three minutes later, the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Sharks hit back for their second try of the game in the following set when Billy Burns broke the line and made space for Katoa to reach out for the line on the right wing after surviving an unsuccessful tackle from Xavier Coates that brought him to ground. Reigning Dally M medallist Jahrome Hughes, managing a broken arm with screws, plates and electromagnetic technology to speed up the healing process, certainly showed what the Storm were missing during his absence earlier in the finals series as their key playmaker with a game-high eight tackle busts. Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen extended the lead to six early in the second half with a penalty from straight in front, but failed on a tougher second penalty goal attempt that would have extended the lead to eight in a low-scoring game.

The Sharks needed to be the next team to score and were presented a try on a platter when Faalogo hesitated under a Hynes bomb and allowed Sharks five-eighth Braydon Trindall to score an easy try to trim the deficit to four at half time. The Sharks wasted their captain’s challenge just nine minutes after a Sione Katoa loose carry. The Sharks were admittedly grittier defensively than they have been in recent times, but they still conceded 30 for a fourth time in five matches, and offered little from an attacking standpoint. With the game finely balanced in the second half, Katoa produced two incredible catches under high balls to set up tries for centre Nick Meaney and halfback Jahrome Hughes. Limited-time offer. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play.