Sunday first NRL Round 20 match is between New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm with the opening kick to commence at 2:00pm local time. The game is to be played at Mt Smart Stadium which see’s away team Melbourne Storm hold favouritism in the market. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm.

WHERE AND WHEN: Mt Smart Stadium, 28th July, 2:00pm

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Opening odds comparison:

New Zealand Warriors	2.05	2.00	2.15	2.00	2.05	2.07
Melbourne Storm	1.77	1.80	1.73	1.80	1.77	1.77

Preview:

The New Zealand Warriors take on the Melbourne Storm in the first Sunday game, 12pm at Mt Smart Stadium. This looks like another close contest, with the Storm slight favourites to take the points over the New Zealand side. This time of the year has proven bad for Melbourne in the past, however, with a number of players exhausted from Origin duty and not performing at their optimum. The Storm lost four in a row after last year’s Origin series, and will be keen to stop that from happening again this year. With an unpredictable Warriors outfit desperate in 11th position, however, the Storm will have to stay on their toes.

Teams:

New Zealand Warriors:

1 Kevin Locke
2 Ngani Laumape
3 Dane Nielsen
4 Konrad Hurrell
5 Manu Vatuvei
6 Thomas Leuluai
7 Shaun Johnson
8 Sam Rapira
9 Nathan Friend
10 Ben Matulino
11 Feleti Mateo
12 Simon Mannering (c)
13 Elijah Taylor

Interchange
14 Suaia Matagi
15 Jacob Lillyman
16 Todd Lowrie
17 Dominique Peyroux

Coach: Matthew Elliott

Melbourne Storm:

1 Billy Slater
2 Sisa Waqa
3 Will Chambers
4 Maurice Blair
5 Justin O’Neill
6 Brett Finch
7 Cooper Cronk
8 Jesse Bromwich
9 Cameron Smith (c)
10 Bryan Norrie
11 Kevin Proctor
12 Ryan Hoffman
13 Ryan Hinchcliffe

Interchange
14 Jordan McLean
15 Tohu Harris
16 Siosaia Vave
17 Slade Griffin
18 Tim Glasby
19 Ben Hampton

Coach: Craig Bellamy

Smith focuses on Storm NRL finals push

Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith says contract talks are off the table as he helps the Storm find some winning consistency heading into the NRL finals.

A battle is looming for the defending champions to retain their leader, with Brisbane reportedly desperate to lure the Queenslander home.

The Storm star isn’t off contract until the end of next year but former Test captain Darren Lockyer is already urging the Broncos to pay whatever it takes to get Smith to the club.

The Kangaroos hooker and skipper said he hadn’t spoken to anyone, including the Storm, about his playing future and only wanted to concentrate on this season.

“I just want to get back to the club and make sure I’m playing good footy,” Smith told SEN radio.

“We’ve come off a pretty gruelling Origin series and we need to get the side back on track.

“We’re coming off a pretty heavy loss to the Bulldogs and it’s an important time for us to concentrate on the end of the season.”

Ahead of their Auckland clash with the resurgent Warriors on Sunday, Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy said he hadn’t spoken to Smith and wouldn’t be pressuring him.

“We obviously want him to stay at our club … Cameron will obviously do what’s right for him.

“The Broncos sound like they’re going to go hard after him but he’s got another year here with us and, hopefully in that time, we can come up with a deal to keep him here.

“It would be a nice story to keep him where he started his career.”

Smith and fellow Origin stars Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Ryan Hoffman missed their shock 39-0 loss to Canterbury but will line up against the Warriors.

They only returned to training with the side on Thursday.

“Obviously, the Queenslanders are in a good mood after winning the title again and Hoffy has come in pretty good as well,” Bellamy said.

“Mentally, they seem happy enough but, until they get into the grind of it, we’ll just see how long it takes them to get back into full playing health.”