Match Report | Round 13 v Storm

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Roosters 

Storm

Freaky Faalogo: 301 run metres, a try-saving tackle, one conversion, two penalty goals, three line breaks and seven tackle breaks. Sua Faalogo was at his best for the Storm in their win, sparking plenty of energy on the field and excitement for the fans. 

Full-time: A hard-fought and low scoring affair and the Storm prevail with an 18-4 victory, their most important win so far this season against a top-eight opposition. 

80th min: A penalty goal after the full-time siren by Faalogo gives the Storm an 18-4 win. 

79th min: Some razzle dazzle in the end from Faalogo who is denied a deserved try, scooting away and putting in two kicks ahead for himself and regathering, but his is cut short juuust short of the line. Score remains 16-4.

68th min: He's been sparking the best of their attack all night but this time Faalogo shows his defence to deny the Roosters a try, pushing Ramsay over the touchline. Scores remain 16-4 to the Storm.

67th min: Captain's challenge from the Roosters is successful, with Will Wabrick actually knocking on before Billy Smith. This comes after an earlier inconclusive challenge to the Storm, letting them keep their challenge.

63rd min: Storm are in again and it's an individual effort from Moses Leo who takes a kick on his own 10 metre line and burns the opposition chases to run the length of the field to score. Craig Bellamy is seen from the box telling him to run closer to the posts. Leo should have listened as Faalongo can't convert from close to the sideline. Storm lead 16-4. 

60th min: Faalongo's attempt to kick a penalty goal is successful and the Storm get out to a 12-4 lead. The Roosters were pinged after putting down a kick with Salesi Foketi picking up the ball from an offside position. 

57th min: Jack Hetherington comes on for his 100th NRL game.

53rd min: Fantastic try from the Storm for their first points of the second half. Starts up the other end of the field with Cameron Munster pressuring Walker who puts the ball down and its scooped up by Faalogo who sprints down the field. Cody Ramsay chases him down, but the Storm go out to their right, with Jahrome Hughes kicking it out the the unmarked right side for Will Warbrick to collect the ball to score. Faalogo can't convert and it's 10-4. 

47th min: Storm claim a try to their left through Jack Howarth - but the Bunker overturns it as he grounded it short and then is held up over the line. Score remains 6-4. 

Half-time: The Storm go into the sheds with a slim 6-4 lead, but the Roosters will have their heads high after showing true grit - especially on their tryline - to hold out a wave of Melbourne pressure. Storm had 62 percent of the possession with 23/24 completions for 95 percent, while the Roosters have 12/18 completions at 66 percent. The Roosters have also made 200 tackles compared to 167 for Storm.

40th min: An unsuccessful and unconventional field goal attempt from Grant to end a low-scoring, but entertaining half of football. Storm lead 6-4. 

35th min: The Roosters get some ball and time in their attacking end and they capitalise in their left corner with Billy Smith finishing off a nice backline play. Sam Walker's conversion attempt is unsuccessful from out wide and it's 6-4.

26th min: FINALLY a try to the Storm after a mountain of possession. They had to score with the amount of time and tackles they had spent in their attacking area - but it comes thanks to some fortune. Josh King had gotten over the line the play before (after he had be held) so had to take the ball back, but it confused the defenders and Harry Grant, who started off the bench, was too smart, going over from dummy half. With Meaney off, Sua Faalogo converts the try for a 6-0 lead. 

Injury update - Nick Meaney comes off with a calf injury. 

20th min: Still no score at AAMI Park with the two sides showing some strong defence, the Roosters on their goal line especially, with the Storm having the best of the possession so far.

10th min: No score as yet in the match where the rain has started to fall at AAMI Stadium. Some good goal line defence from the Roosters, with Billy Smith denying the Storm a try after punching the ball out of Ativalu Lisati's hands as he was diving over the line.

Late Mail

Storm: Harry Grant shifts to the interchange bench and Trent Toelau will start at hooker while Cooper Clarke comes into the starting pack for Alec MacDonald. Origin reps Cameron Munster, Trent Loiero and Grant all back up for the Storm. Shawn Blore was placed in the HIA protocol following last Friday's loss to the Bulldogs. Jack Hetherington joins the six-man bench in No.20.

Roosters: Maroons prop Lindsay Collins moves to the bench in a late swap with Spencer Leniu while Blues hero James Tedesco, Victor Radley, Reece Robson, Rob Toia and Sam Walker are all backing up from Origin One. Billy Smith is on track to make his long-awaited return from a knee injury, coming in on the wing for Daniel Tupou, who injured his calf in Magic Round.

Numbers Game

• The Storm have won seven of their last eight games against the Roosters.
• The Roosters have won only one of their last five games at AAMI Park.
• Storm fullback Sua Fa’alogo has scored six tries in his last six games at AAMI Park.
• Roosters centre Hugo Savala has scored five tries in his last five games.
• Storm winger Moses Leo has scored five tries in seven games this season.

Wests Tigers v Bulldogs at CommBank Stadium

Press conferences

Wests Tigers 

Bulldogs

Vintage Kiraz: Another monster game from the Bulldogs fullback with 28 runs for 284 metres and 10 tackle breaks while Enari Tuala chalked up 258 run metres.

Full-time: Wests Tigers are back in business with a tense 22-16 triumph built on some sensational last-ditch defence. After conceding 142 points in their past three matches the Tigers rediscovered their defensive mongrel to hold the Bulldogs at bay in a frantic finish.

80 min: The Dogs pound the line but Star To'a and Jarome Luai come up with superb trysaving tackles to keep the Tigers line intact.

78 min: Enari Tuala chips over the top, Jeral Skelton tries to gather it but knocks on. Bulldogs get a scrum feed 40 metres out.

76 min: Matt Burton hoists a huge kick which goes straight up and he catches it himself. Burton knocks the ball on in the tackle and the Tigers take over on halfway.

73 min: Alex Twal leaves the field with a leg injury after a mammoth performance that includes 53 tackles. 

69 min: The Bulldogs stay alive as Lachlan Galvin skips out of dummy half and reaches out to score, just getting the ball to the line. Stephen Crichton converts. Wests Tigers 22-16

67 min: Stephen Crichton's flick pass puts Enari Tuala away but Jahream Bula comes up with another trysaver.

66 min: Jock Madden kicks towards the corner but it is too deep and Jethro Rinakama claims it on the full. Seven-tackle set.

60 min: Jacob Kiraz spills a bomb and Josh Curran touches the ball in an offside position. Tigers penalty. Jock Madden converts. Wests Tigers 22-10

57 min: Jarome Luai goes to the left, Sunia Turuva and Jacob Kiraz collide as they go for the ball and it spills free for Jeral Skelton to pick up the scraps and score. Jock Madden misses the conversion. Wests Tigers 20-10

55 min: Josh Curran charges down a kick and races 50 metres to score but the try is disallowed as he made contact with Jarome Luai's leg as he went for the charge down. Curran goes on report and the Tigers get a penalty.

54 min: Lachlan Galvin kicks, Stephen Crichton goes up, the ball rebounds to Sitili Tupouniua who is wrapped up quickly by the Tigers defence.

48 min: Sitili Tupouniua again stands tall with great offload for Enari Tuala to score in the right-hand corner as the Bulldogs hit back. Matt Burton fails to convert. Wests Tigers 16-10

46 min: The Bulldogs get three sets in a row on the Tigers line and come up with nothing. Lachlan Galvin's kick on the last play is way too big and rolls dead to allow the Tigers to come away.

No.1 gun: After a huge game against the Storm last week, Bulldogs fullback Jacob Kiraz was on fire again with a mammoth 199 run metres, seven tackle breaks, four offloads and a try.

Jeral's jumping: Jeral Skelton came up big on the wing for the Tigers with 122 metres from15 runs to go with four tackle breaks and a try. 

Half-time: Wests Tigers were close to perfect with 21 of 22 sets completed at 95 per cent while the Bulldogs could manage only 18 of 22 sets at 81 per cent.

40 min: Sitili Tupounia again hits the line hard and offloads for Stephen Crichton who gets over the line and is denied by a miraculous trysaver from Jahream Bula. A massive play by Bula to ensure the Tigers would keep their 10-point lead at the break.

39 min: Leo Thompson puts the ball down coming out of his own end as Alex Twal aims up in defence. The Bulldogs throw in a captain's challenge alleging a shoulder charge by Twal and the bunker agrees. Penalty Bulldogs.

37 min: A powerhouse run by Sitili Tupouniua to bust the line and pick up Jacob Kiraz who leaves Alex Seyfarth and Jahream Bula in his wake to grab the Dogs' first try. Stephen Crichton converts. Wests Tigers 16-6

35 min: A wild pass by Jahream Bula on his own line is cleaned up by Heamasi Makasini and no harm done for the Tigers.

34 min: Jock Madden kicks early in the count and picks up 60 metres to pin the Bulldogs deep in their own territory.

29 min: The Tigers' attack clicks into gear on the right edge with Jock Madden finding Jarome Luai who puts a flying Kai Pearce-Paul into a hole and the back-rower delivers the final pass for Jahream Bula to score in his comeback game. Madden adds the extras. Wests Tigers 16-0

26 min: Lachlan Galvin's kick is collected in-goal by Jarome Luai who races back to the 20m line for a quick tap and seven-tackle set.

24 min: Kurt Mann's pass out of dummy half is a shocker and Matt Burton can't handle. Wests Tigers come out of trouble.

23 min: Kurt Mann takes his eye off the ball at dummy half and Api Koroisau dives on it but the referee rules a Tigers player had not cleared the ruck. Bulldogs penalty.

18 min: Jock Madden goes to the air with a pinpoint kick and Faaletino Tavana flies high to take the catch and get the ball down despite Jacob Kiraz's efforts to hold him up. Madden pushes the conversion left. Wests Tigers 10-0

15 min: Sione Fainu jams in on Leo Thompson and forces an error from the Dogs prop.

14 min: Jarome Luai puts on some fancy stepping as the Tigers threaten again but Fonua Pole comes up with an error to let the Dogs off the hook.

12 min: Jacob Kiraz comes up with a great take from a Jock Madden kick.

10 min: Heamasi Makasini leaves the field for a HIA after he had been caught high by Sitili Tupouniua some minutes earlier. Makasini passes and returns to the game.

10 min: The Tigers cash in with their first opportunity as Jeral Skelton finishes off some slick work from his inside men to grab the opening try. Jock Madden converts. Wests Tigers 6-0

9 min: Sloppy play on the left edge by the Bulldogs as Bronson Xerri goes for a one-handed catch and the ball is lost.

7 min: Jock Madden hoists a kick from halfway and Enari Tuala handles it well as both sides complete their sets in an early arm wrestle.

4 min: Lachlan Galvin's kick is taken by Heamasi Makasini at the end of another solid set from the Bulldogs.

2 min: Matt Burton launches a trademark high ball and Faaletino Tavana stands his ground and comes up with a great catch to build his confidence.

Late Mail

Wests Tigers: The Tigers are 1-19 with no late changes. Jahream Bula returns after three games out with a shoulder injury while skipper Api Koroisau (suspension), lock Alex Twal (knee) and outside back Heamasi Makasini (foot) are also back on deck. Sunia Turuva and Makasini are the new centres with Taylan May (shoulder) and Patrick Herbert (suspension) both missing. 

Bulldogs: Captain Stephen Crichton took part in captain's run on Friday and will back up from Origin One in jersey No.23. Enari Tuala slides out to the wing to replace Marcelo Montoya (knee). The loss of back-rower Jacob Preston (arm) sees Jaeman Salmon move to the second row and Harry Hayes starts at lock. Fullback Connor Tracey remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Johnathan Sua was added to the six-man bench on Friday.

Numbers Game

• Wests Tigers have conceded 142 points in their last three games.
• The Bulldogs have won three of their past four games against Wests Tigers.
• The Bulldogs have won only one of their past seven games at CommBank Stadium.
• Wests Tigers have lost their last five Saturday night games.

 

Knights v Eels at McDonald Jones Stadium

Captain Jack: In his first game as skipper of the Eels, Jack Williams worked himself to a standstill with 13 runs and 36 tackles and was ably supported by Kitione Kautoga (16 runs for 135m).

Winging it: Knights flyers Greg Marzhew and Dom Young combined for 38 runs and 364 metres as well as 17 tackle breaks.

Full-time: The Eels refused to lie down and pushed the home side all the way but the Knights hang on to register a fourth win on the trot.

79 min: Kitione Kautoga powers towards the line but Mat Croker does a great job to hold him up.

78 min: The Eels go right and Isaiah Iongi puts in a grubber which hits Kalyn Ponga and rolls out. The referee rules Ponga did not play at the ball but the Eels throw in a captain's challenge which is successful.

76 min: The Eels string some passes together and create an opportunity but Dylan Walker's flick pass goes astray at the end of the movement.

74 min: Jordan Samrani takes an intercept and races down field before Dane Gagai reels him in. The Eels go right and Isaiah Iongi gets across the line for a try. Joash Papalii converts to keep the Eels in the hunt. Knights 28-22

71 min: Fletcher Sharpe looks to grubber through the line, Ronald Volkman sticks his leg out and the ball bounces back to Sharpe who offloads for Fletcher Hunt who throws a dummy and scampers over from 10 metres out. Kalyn Ponga can't land the extras. Knights 28-16

64 min: A clever grubber by Ronald Volkman is grounded by Jordan Samrani who beats Greg Marzhew to the ball. Joash Papalii converts. Knights 24-16

59 min: A 60-metre special from Dylan Lucas who explodes into a hole off a sweet ball from Fletcher Sharpe. The back-rower hits the afterburners and leaves Isaiah Iongi in his wake. That's four career doubles for Lucas. Knights 24-10

58 min: Tyson Frizell is placed on report for high contact on Dylan Walker, who leaves the field for a HIA. The Eels go on the attack but Isaiah Iongi is man-handled into touch by Fletcher Hunt.

56 min: The Eels earn a repeat set through a Dylan Walker grubber. 

55 min: The errors continue as Kalyn Ponga comes up with a cold drop to hand the Eels another chance to hit back.

50 min: Dylan Brown is penalised for high contact on Sean Russell and the Eels go inside the red zone.

47 min: Jack Williams goes to the line from close range and tries to slip an offload to Tallyn Da Silva but the hooker can't hold on to the pass.

45 min: An explosive run out of dummy half by Harrison Graham from the halfway line as he slices past Kitione Kautoga and Isaiah Iongi and scoots away to score. Kalyn Ponga converts. Knights 18-10.

44 min: Tallyn Da Silva throws a forward pass out of dummy half and the sloppy start to the second half continues.

42 min: Sandon Smith comes up with an error at first receiver and the Eels come out of trouble. He leaves the field soon after with a calf injury.

41 min: Ronald Volkman's first kick of the second half is too heavy and goes dead to hand the Knights a seven-tackle set.

Marzhew makes hay: Another game, another try for Greg Marzhew, who has racked up 10 tries in his past four games. The Knights powerhouse made 111 metres from 12 runs. His fellow winger Dom Young had seven tackle breaks while Kalyn Ponga broke six tackles.

Foxx on the run: Veteran Eel Josh Addo-Carr was in everything with 92 metres from 10 runs and three tackle breaks while fellow winger Brian Kelly ran for 108 metres.

Half-time: The Knights take a 12-10 lead to the break after an entertaining 40 minutes that featured plenty of open footy and high completion rates (Knights 84 per cent, Eels 86 per cent).

39 min: A Kitione Kautoga offload puts but Joash Papalii into space on halfway but the five-eighth's pass to Sean Russell goes well forward and the opportunity is lost.

38 min: Dylan Brown looks dangerous skipping across field but tries to push an offload and the ball is lost.

33 min: Ronald Volkman kicks high, Sean Russell chases hard and comes down with the catch right on the goal line but he is penalised for being in front of the kicker.

29 min: Tallyn Da Silva grubbers out of dummy half on the last tackle and it sits up perfectly for the chaser Dylan Walker to score. Joash Papalii converts. Knights 12-10

27 min: A sensational take and 20-metre run by Isaiah Iongi is backed up by a Josh Addo-Carr surge and the Eels go all the way to the Knights goal line where Tallyn Da Silva is dragged down just short. The Eels receive a penalty for a player being tackled without the ball as the scramble to collect a loose pass.

23 min: On the back of a long run by Dom Young on the right, the Knights sweep to the left and Greg Marzhew picks up a bouncing pass from Sandon Smith and powers into the corner for his 10th try in four games. Kalyn Ponga nails the conversion from wide out. Knights 12-4

21 min: Ronald Volkman goes to the right edge but his pass is a poor one and goes behind his centre Jordan Samrani and rolls into touch. Knights ball.

20 min: Dom Young pushes an offload coming out of his own end and the Eels go inside the red zone.

17 min: Kalyn Ponga comes up with a good catch and is tackled in the air by Brian Kelly so the Knights come out of trouble with a penalty.

10 min: Back-to-back penalties against Trey Mooney puts the Knights under the pump and the Eels make them pay as Brian Kelly denies three defenders to get the ball down for a try in his 200th NRL game. Ronald Volkman pushes the conversion across the face. Knights 6-4

7 min: Dylan Brown goes to the air but the kick is too long and Isaiah Iongi takes the catch in-goal and races back for a 20m tap.

3 min: The perfect start for the home side as Sandon Smith takes the ball to the line and delivers a perfect pass for Dylan Lucas to power through and score under the posts. Kalyn Ponga converts. Knights 6-0

Late Mail

Knights: The Knights are 1-19 with no late changes. Coach Justin Holbrook confirmed on Friday that skipper Kalyn Ponga was "feeling good" and would back up from Origin One. Prop Jacob Saifiti wasn't used by the Blues so he is also good to go as Holbrook goes with the same starting side that downed the Titans in Magic Round. Thomas Cant is the new face on the six-man interchange. 

Eels: Harrison Edwards starts the game at hooker and Tallyn Da Silva goes to the bench in a game day swap. Sam Tuivaiti was added to the six-man interchange on Friday as he returns from a shoulder injury. Fullback Isaiah Iongi returned from an ankle injury in NSW Cup last week and now plays his first NRL game since Round 4. Joash Papalii moves to five-eighth alongside Ronald Volkman, who takes over from Mitch Moses (hamstring). Skipper Junior Paulo is set to miss eight weeks of footy after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure for his right knee due to chronic injury. 

Numbers Game

• The Knights have scored 122 points in their last three games.
• The Eels have won eight of their last nine games against the Knights.
• Knights winger Greg Marzhew has scored nine tries in his last three games.
• Knights halfback Dylan Brown will play his 150th NRL game.