Friday’s NRL 2018 Round 6 match is between Melbourne Storm and Newcastle Knights. The opening kick is set to commence at 18:00 local time with the game to be played at AAMI Park, Melbourne. The home team Melbourne Storm are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Melbourne Storm and Newcastle Knights.
When: 18:00 | Friday 13/04/2018
Where: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Preview:
After losing consecutive games and now back home, it’s a super tough trip to Melbourne for the Knights to go and get the 2 points.
They have been fantastic and playing with a spirited style that never lets up.
However, after last week against the Broncos in which they were outstanding getting the praise that it was one of the club’s best victories, I sense they’ll fall short due to the toll that game has taken out of them.
KEY BATTLE: Billy Slater v Kalyn Ponga
I can’t wait to watch the old master up against the young and super talented Kalyn Ponga.
Who knows, this could be a dress rehearsal for Origin selection?!
The Verdict
I was very surprised after the Storm’s loss to the Tigers and the amount of basic errors they have come up with over the last few weeks, they’ll be doing absolutely everything this week to rectify themselves.
Watch for the leaders of the team such as Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Cameron Munster and Jesse Bromwich to have monster performances.
Unibet Odds:
Melbourne Storm at $1.27
Newcastle Knights at $3.80
Odds:
OFFER: Deposit $50 BET with $200 via this link – Ends Soon!
Tip: Melbourne Storm at $1.28
Value Tip: First Try Scorer: Josh Addo-Carr at $8.00
More Info:
Teams:
Melbourne Storm:
1 Billy Slater, 2 Suliasi Vunivalu, 3 Young Tonumaipea, 4 Curtis Scott, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Ryley Jacks, 8 Jesse Bromwich, 9 Cameron Smith (c), 10 Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 11 Felise Kaufusi, 12 Ryan Hoffman, 13 Kenny Bromwich. Interchange: 14 Joe Stimson, 15 Tim Glasby, 16 Christian Welch, 17 Sam Kasiano. Reserves: 18 Brandon Smith, 19 Patrick Kaufusi, 20 Brodie Croft, 21 Justin Olam.
Newcastle Knights:
1 Kalyn Ponga, 2 Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 3 Sione Mata’utia, 4 Nathan Ross, 5 Ken Sio, 6 Brock Lamb, 7 Mitchell Pearce, 8 Daniel Saifiti, 9 Slade Griffin, 10 Jacob Lillyman, 11 Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 12 Aidan Guerra, 13 Herman Ese’ese. Interchange: 14 Danny Levi, 15 Chris Heighington, 16 Jamie Buhrer, 17 Jacob Saifiti. Reserves: 18 Luke Yates, 19 Josh King, 20 Jack Cogger, 21 Cory Denniss.
NRL News:
The undefeated Warriors might have made a hot start to season 2018, but some of the secrets to their success are already being noted by opposition teams.
Reigning premiers Melbourne Storm have, in particular, seen a touch of themselves in the Auckland side’s romping four match NRL win streak.
Coach Craig Bellamy says he has been watching with pride from afar as three of his former Storm charges have played integral roles for the Warriors.
Five-eighth Blake Green, and backrowers Tohu Harris and Adam Blair have each played for the Storm in a grand final at one time or another.
But as new signings to the Warriors, they were expected to add steel and experience to a side that had long languished near the bottom of the NRL ladder.
Bellamy believes they have done so with panache.
“They’ve been playing the house down,” he said ahead of Melbourne’s clash with Wests Tigers in Auckland on Saturday.
“We’re really proud of those players.”
With the Warriors set to take on the Cowboys in front of an expected full house in Auckland on Saturday – in a match that directly follows the Storm game – the home side could be forgiven for being jittery under the home pressure.
However, Storm captain Cameron Smith eyed another Melbourne export in fitness guru Alex Corvo as a key to helping the Warriors prepare for the occasion.
Brought to the Warriors from Brisbane last year, Corvo earlier spent 12 years at the Storm, with Smith remembering those preseasons as some of the hardest of his career.
“The one thing that you were guaranteed to be was extremely fit, both physically and mentally to start,” he said.
It is a quality Smith sees in the Auckland players this year.
“It’s probably what you haven’t seen from the Warriors in the past. They’ve always been very physical and very skilful but sometimes can’t last that 80 minutes,” he said.
“But these guys they are all in really good shape. It’s allowing them to play some very good footy.”
For his part, Warriors coach Stephen Kearney is not buying into the notion a raucous home crowd could upset his troops, given their lack of experience on the big stage.
“We are coming up against a champion side with champion players in (the Cowboys),” he said.
“We know what’s coming, and we’ve prepared accordingly.”
