Friday second NRL Round 8 match is between Melbourne Storm and New Zealand Warriors with the opening kick to commence at 6:00pm. The game is to be played at AAMI Park which see’s home team Melbourne Storm hold favouritism in the market. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between Melbourne Storm and New Zealand Warriors.

Where and when: Friday, Apr 25, AAMI Park, FOX, 6:00pm

Odds Comparison:

Melbourne Storm	1.34	1.36	1.39	1.36	1.34	1.35
New Zealand Warriors	3.40	3.25	3.10	3.25	3.40	3.30

All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.

Preview:

After snatching victory from the Dragons in round 6 on the last play of the game, their fourth win of the season, the Storm ventured to Canberra last Sunday to take on the unpredictable Raiders.

The Storm opened the scoring in the 8^th minute through Lock Ryan Hinchcliffe but as they did for a majority of the match, found it hard to shake a persistent home-side who were always quick to answer with a try of their own.

It appeared the Strom had sealed the match in the 71^st minute when up 22 – 18, Winger Sisa Waqa crossed in the corner but after a conference between on field referee and touch-judge, he was ruled to have come up short of the line. The video referee ruled that there was insufficient evidence to over-turn the decision.

This gave the Raiders a slither of hope which, in the final minute of the match, was taken by Paul Vaughan who beat several Storm defenders and scored adjacent to the post, allowing Croker to slot the winning conversion.

It’s was the Storm’s third loss in the past month. With their four wins this season coming by margins of eight points or less, the Storm are walking a fine line at the moment.

New Warriors Coach Andrew McFadden is still waiting for his first win in charge of the Warriors as his outfit suffered their third loss in a row last week to the Dragons, 20 – 10.

Halfback Shaun Johnson and Fullback Sam Tomkins appear to the be the only hope for the Warriors at the moment with both players giving their opponents plenty to think about but the support just hasn’t been them for them.

Missed tackles and poor discipline saw the Warriors on the back-foot last week and are two areas of their game that they’ll have to address if they are to give themselves a chance of recording their third win this week.

The latest clash between the two sides saw the Warriors successful 30 – 22. It was the fourth win against the Storm in the past eight matches for the Warriors who do seem to produce their best against the Melbourne side.

Interesting to note too, that in the past nine clashes between the two sides, only three times have the Warriors been behind at half time.

Melbourne haven’t been as ruthless this year as they have been in past years but at home, where their only defeat this year from four games as been after the siren to an in-form Titans side, they should still pack too many guns for a struggling Warriors side.

For a bit of value, maybe the Warriors/Storm halftime/fulltime double might be the way to go.

Teams:

Melbourne Storm:
Billy Slater, Sisa Waqa, Mahe Fonua, Justin O’Neill, Young Tonumaipea, Ben Hampton, Cooper Cronk, Jesse Bromwich, Cameron Smith (c), Bryan Norrie, Kevin Proctor, Ryan Hoffman, Ryan Hinchcliffe. Interchange: Kenny Bromwich, Tohu Harris, Mitch Garbutt, George Rose, Dayne Weston, Tim Glasby
Ins: Ben Hampton, Mitch Garbutt, Tim Glasby
Outs: Ben Roberts (knee, round 10)
Other unavailables: Matt Duffie (ACL, season), Jordan McLean (suspension, round 13)

New Zealand Warriors:
Sam Tomkins, David Fusitua, Dane Nielsen, Ngani Laumape, Manu Vatuvei, Chad Townsend, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Jacob Lillyman, Jayson Bukuya, Simon Mannering, Sebastine Ikahihifo. Interchange: Ben Henry, Suaia Matagi, Siliva Havili, Feleti Mateo
Ins: Chad Townsend, Jayson Bukuya, Feleti Mateo
Outs: Thomas Leuluai (groin, indefinite), Dominique Peyroux, Charlie Gubb (both dropped)
Other unavailables: Ben Matulino (suspension, round nine), Glen Fisiiahi (shoulder, indefinite), Jerome Ropati (broken jaw, round 12)

News:

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy would love to have Benji Marshall but believes he’s intent on playing with a Sydney NRL side.

Aiming to returning to the NRL after a failed stint in rugby union, Marshall has been linked with both Cronulla and Melbourne after securing a release from his Auckland Blues contract.

The former Wests Tigers ace would be a valuable acquisition for Melbourne, especially after losing five eighth Gareth Widdop in the off-season and with the State of Origin period looming when the club is always hard hit with star trio Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater away on representative duty.

However Bellamy didn’t feel his team were any chance of signing the New Zealand international.

“As far as I know the club hasn’t spoken to Benji,” Bellamy said on Thursday.

“Any team would love him as a player in their club but I don’t think there’s any use in us going any further because the word that keeps coming up when he gets asked is Sydney.

“That’s where his roots lie and that’s probably where he’ll end up.”

Bellamy believed the 29-year-old would have no trouble transitioning straight back into league and felt the short stint away from the game could be the best thing for him.

“The last couple of years in the NRL Benji might have been getting a little bit stale; that happens to players because he’s been playing first grade a long time.

“What’s happened is probably a good thing for him.

“He’s probably got his hunger back now and whatever club gets him he’ll be very, very handy.”