Monday nights NRL Round 5 match is between the Melbourne Storm and the Wests Tigers. The opening kick is set to commence at 7pm local time with the match to be played in Melbourne at AAMI Park. The home team Melbourne Storm are the short priced favourites to win the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Melbourne Storm and the Wests Tigers.
AAMI Park
Monday 7pm
Odds:
Melbourne Storm $1.14 vs Wests Tigers $6.00 at Sportsbet Australia
Melbourne Storm $1.14 vs Wests Tigers $5.85 at Luxbet Australia
Preview:
Watch Out Wests Tigers: There are a bunch of concerns for the coach and fans, not the least the Tigers’ worrying defence. To date the boys from Concord have tallied the second-most missed tackles every week (28.5) and leaked the second-most line-breaks (almost six per game). That will be music to the ears of Craig Bellamy given the Storm have scored the most points (29) and tries (5.2) per match.
The Storm’s attacking combinations are well-documented threats but it appears no amount of preparation or attention can prevent them from inflicting damage. Their ‘big four’ of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Gareth Widdop are interchangeable – last week Cronk combined with Slater in the lead-up to Matt Duffie’s 35th-minute try; Smith grubber-kicked for Slater to score in the first half; Widdop delivered an inside pass for Slater to score in the first 40; and it was a Cronk kick for Slater that wrested them back the lead late in the piece. Perhaps the best the Tigers can hope for is that the Steeden bounces their way.
Plays To Watch: Will the Storm’s front row ‘pull’ another sly move out of their hat? Bryan Norrie’s jumper grab on Sam Thaiday last week left the Broncos’ skipper unable to break from the scrum as Billy Slater sliced through to score. The refs called it part of the action – with that official go-ahead it will be interesting to see whether Bellamy gives it the green light again here.
The Tigers’ best attacking chances will come from Benji Marshall’s passing game – especially his flat, no-look deliveries to hard-charging runners on the right side of the field. Marshall has just two try assists in 2013 but he led all-comers in 2012 with 35.
Key Match-Up: Cameron Smith v Robbie Farah: a mouth-watering appetiser for what looms as a sumptuous head-to-head feast come State of Origin. Both players are pivotal to their side’s go-forward and love to create opportunities out of dummy-half.
After touching the ball 84 times and then 95 times in the first two weeks of the competition Smith has cranked up his involvement over the past fortnight, topping triple figures for receives. He bagged his first try assist last week and will be keen to get bragging rights over his opposite number.
Meanwhile Farah has hit the ground running in 2013, setting up three of the Tigers’ 12 tries so far as well as creating four clean breaks for teammates. Farah needs to get the better of this personal battle for the Tigers to have any chance of victory.
Where It Will Be Won: Attitude. We’re only four weeks into the new season but already it’s apparent from some lopsided results that anything can happen if one side turns up ready to play and the other side is not focussed.
The Storm may be the NRL benchmark but the Tigers are capable of posting plenty of points from long and short range if given the chance. It’s likely we’ll get a feel for which team is the more focussed 20 minutes in.
The History: Played 22; Storm 14, Wests Tigers 8. The Storm have won six of the past 10 clashes between the sides. However, they suffered a rare home defeat to the Tigers back in Round 14 last season.
Match Officials: Referees – Jason Robinson & Adam Gee; Sideline Officials – Nick Beashel & Dave Ryan; Video Referees – Sean Hampstead & Henry Perenara.
Televised: Fox Sports 1 – Live 7pm.
The Way We See It: Exposed form and home ground advantage demand a tick in the Storm box. Melbourne to register a club record 13th straight NRL win by 10 points.
Teams:
Melbourne Storm:
Billy Slater, Matt Duffie, Will Chambers, Junior Sa’u, Mahe Fonua, Gareth Widdop, Cooper Cronk, Jesse Bromwich, Cameron Smith, Bryan Norrie, Tohu Harris, Ryan Hoffman, Ryan Hinchcliffe
Interchange: Jason Ryles, Lagi Setu, Siosaia Vave, Kevin Proctor, Slade Griffin, Junior Moors (two to be omitted).
Wests Tigers:
Tim Moltzen, Joel Reddy, Blake Ayshford, Chris Lawrence, James Tedesco, Benji Marshall, Braith Anasta, Aaron Woods, Robbie Farah (c), Jack Buchanan, Bodene Thompson, Liam Fulton, Adam Blair
Interchange: Ben Murdoch-Masila, Ava Seumanufagai, Matt Bell, Eddy Pettybourne.
