Four late tries to the Melbourne Storm has given the side a 32-30 victory over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at AAMI Park tonight.
It was seven tries to five in what was the final hit-out before the season opener on Sunday, 8 March against the Penrith Panthers.
It was the perfect way to start his career in blue and white for Brett Morris with the Kiama junior crossing for the first points of the match in the 18th minute of play. It was a right to left move, with a smart grubber inside from winger Curtis Rona. The fullback showed his pace through the middle to get his hand on to the ball first. Trent Hodkinson converted to give the side a 6-nil lead.
The new recruit went from hero to villain pretty quickly when at the other end he failed to pick up a grubber that was put through and Will Chambers pounced on the loose ball to score. They couldn’t convert with the lead still 6-4.
Seven minutes late Marika Koroibete scored the first of his two tries of the afternoon when he took the ball at the end of a slick backline movement. The try couldn’t be converted with the Storm now in front 8-6.
There were two further tries in the first half with winger Sam Perrett finishing off a set that he started and then Rona finished off a good passage of play as the half-time siren sounded. Hodkinson converted both with the Bulldogs going to the break leading 18-8.
The second half started brilliantly with Tim Browne scoring in the 42nd minute. David Klemmer provided a great tip-on to his front row partner who went over under the posts. Hodkinson converted to extend the lead out to 24-8.
Koroibete crossed for his second seven minutes later off the back of the weight of possession.
Some unconstructed play brought about the next try when Greg Eastwood partnered with Tony Williams who got the try. The back rower barged over three men to score and Hodkinson converted to put the lead out to 30-12.
That’s where the scoring finished for the blue and whites. A 10-1 penalty count to the Storm gave them a load of possession and the home side finished with four tries to come away with the win, 32-30.
STORM 32 (Koroibete 2, Chambers, Slater, Munster, Harris, Vunivalu Tries; Munster 1, Nona 1 Goals) Def. BULLDOGS 30 (B Morris, Perrett, Rona, Browne, Williams Tries; Hodkinson 5 Goals)
At: AAMI Park