Rarely do the Melbourne Storm head into a game without having won one of their past three matches but after losses to Canberra (24-20), Penrith (12-10) and a draw last Monday night with Manly (10 all), that’s this case as they face the in-form Roosters.
On the eve of Origin, generally a taxing time for the Storm and their star players, the Storm need a win to ensure that their current position on the ladder (3rd) is maintained.
It’s hard to put a finger on the factor that has caused this minor form-slump but the Storm, who averaged 26.7 points per game in the first seven rounds, have struggled to be at their best in the past three games where they’ve scored 20, 10 and 10 points respectively.
The Roosters continue to go from strength to strength and have recorded five wins in a row, taking their season record to 8-2.
Last week they travelled to North Queensland, after a physical encounter against Manly on the Monday night prior, and toughed it out well to record a 12-8 victory.
This win further enhanced the Sydney Roosters claim of being one of the genuine title contenders this year as they proved that, not only capable of scoring plenty of points, they can tough a game out when required.
Since 2010, the two clubs have taken it in turns winning the four matches and, were that trend to continue it would the Storm victorious here however, given their form in the past three weeks and that this week they face the team with clearly the best defensive record in the competition, think the Roosters will be able to break that cycle and record their sixth consecutive victory.
Odds Comparison by NRL odds:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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| Sydney Roosters | 1.64 | 1.60 | 1.63 | 1.60 | 1.64 | 1.63 |
|
Melbourne Storm
|
2.30 | 2.40 | 2.32 | 2.40 | 2.30 | 2.32 |
Teams:
Sydney Roosters:
Anthony Minichiello (capt), Daniel Tupou, Michael Jennings, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce, Luke O’Donnell, Jake Friend, Martin Kennedy, Mitchell Aubusson, Sonny Bill Williams, Boyd Cordner. Interchange: Daniel Mortimer, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Aidan Guerra, Lama Tasi
Melbourne Storm:
Billy Slater, Sisa Waqa, Maurice Blair, Justin O’Neill, Mahe Fonua, Gareth Widdop, Cooper Cronk, Jesse Bromwich, Cameron Smith, Bryan Norrie, Kevin Proctor, Ryan Hoffman, Ryan Hinchcliffe. Interchange: Jason Ryles, Tohu Harris, Junior Moors, Lagi Setu, Slade Griffin
