QUALIFYING FINAL - Storm vs Raiders

[RobbieRoss]

One thing I think we can all agree on is that King has played himself into a spot.

No doubt about that !

[RobbieRoss]

My preference would be
B Smith
Kamikamica
King
Stimson

I think they will be the 4.

[yourhero]

My preference would be
B Smith
Kamikamica
King
Stimson

I think they will be the 4.

Yep, hard to go against that.

I wanted Tino to get a run all year but he hasn’t grabbed the opportunity anywhere near like King has. Another pre-season and some experience early next year, he will come on.

[RobbieRoss]

Next season hopefully Tino takes Joe’s spot

[sallymay]

For the first time in 12 and 1/2 years I’m missing a game noooooooooo

My local league is having senior presentations at 8pm and I’ve got hair and make up booked early the heading to the presentation night to set up at that exact time

I’m on the bloody committee and chose the date ...I have MAJOR regrets

The only consolation I have is we have one or two more home games so won’t miss the last home game of the year plus the GF if we make it

[blazza18]

I wanted Tino to get a run all year but he hasn’t grabbed the opportunity anywhere near like King has. Another pre-season and some experience early next year, he will come on.

Yea, agreed. It's disappointing that he didn't grab his opportunity, specially after a really good debut. But I kinda think he was always a year away anyway.

[sallymay]

Gotta remember King was already an NRL player before he came to us I mean he was at a shit club but he was still an nrl player whereas Tino has literally just started ...he will be better for the run but totally not up to nrl standards yet...esp after watching him play QCUP yesterday...he and Harry both played their worst games I’ve ever seen...Tino had 1 good run all day after that he dropped a million balls and tried to fight 3 different opposition players and had a bitch to the ref after Every tackle

[Bartos]

What was the reason for Tino bleaching his hair? Was he late to training and that was punishment?

[Mr Benn]

I expected to get a link today to buy tickets but I never got anything. I have a GA membership. Does anyone know why? Do GA members have to buy when tickets go publically available?

[yourhero]

https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/ ... l-preview/

Storm v Raiders - Qualifying Final preview
NRL.com
Mon 9 Sep 2019

After a somewhat slow start to the season, the Storm soon became the benchmark for rivals to measure themselves against, claiming another minor premiership.

They made a big statement with their convincing round-24 road win over Manly and were never in danger of losing last week's final tune-up for the playoffs against the Cowboys.

Cameron Munster is expected to play after sitting out last week's game, but his shoulder might still be a little tender after he injured it in the Manly win.

The Storm and Raiders split their season series with a pair of away wins but the most significant came only a few weeks ago when the Raiders ran down the Storm to pull off a shock win, the 18-point comeback the biggest Melbourne had ever conceded.

The victory proved Canberra were genuine premiership contenders but the lustre was taken off their newly minted status by their surprise final-round defeat to the Warriors.

The Rundown

Key match-up
Josh Hodgson may just miss out when it comes to a debate about the NRL's top two hookers but there's no doubting the importance of his duel with one of the men in that conversation, Cameron Smith. Smith continues to add to his legacy as the greatest player of all time while the Englishman's league-leading one-on-one stripping ability and play-making talents played a key role in Canberra's stunning comeback win at AAMI Park.

For the Storm to win
They need Munster fit and firing on all cylinders, while Craig Bellamy's younger stars like Ryan Papenhuyzen, Brodie Croft and Jahrome Hughes have to prove they can handle centre stage now that the finals are here. Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jesse Bromwich will be counted on to lay a strong platform up front, while Smith needs to be his usual brilliant self.

For the Raiders to win
They finished the regular season with the second-best defensive record, but in two meetings with the Storm the Raiders conceded an average of 20 points - well over their impressive 15.6 season average. The 'D' will have to be rock-solid on Saturday, especially on Suliasi Vunivalu, who scored four tries (including a round two hat-trick) in two clashes with the Green Machine this season. The Raiders have to keep it close and count on the game management of Aidan Sezer and Jack Wighton to get them home.

Brett Kimmorley says
The Raiders will certainly go to Melbourne without any fear after coming back from 18-0 down to win a few weeks ago, and Ricky Stuart will use that as motivation. But I'm not too sure the Storm will allow that to happen too often in a single season. Cam Munster comes back fresh this week, and Melbourne are the best defensive and best attacking team in the competition. The motivation to win at home and get two weeks off is enormous. The Melbourne go-forward will be too powerful for the Raiders to contain, and I see guys like Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster creating a lot of havoc on the back of that. Storm by 4

Stat Attack
Cameron Smith goes into the finals having racked up a career-best points tally for the second successive season. Smith's 206 points (99 goals and two tries) sits third behind Latrell Mitchell's league-leading 251 and Jarrod Croker's 212 and tops last season's previous best in two less games.

And another thing ...
The Raiders are contesting their first finals series since finishing second in 2016. After losing 16-14 to eventual premiers Cronulla in the first week of the finals, they stayed in the hunt with a 22-12 defeat of Penrith the following week. But one game away from the grand final, the Raiders lost 14-12 to Melbourne. The Storm then lost the following week's grand final to the Sharks 14-12.

[Mattpoet]

Foxx, Munster and B.Smith back

[yourhero]

Storm team named;

1. Ryan Papenhuyzen
2. Suliasi Vunivalu
3. Will Chambers
4. Justin Olam
5. Josh Addo-Carr
6. Cameron Munster
7. Jahrome Hughes
8. Jesse Bromwich
9. Cameron Smith (c)
10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona
11. Felise Kaufusi
12. Kenneath Bromwich
13. Dale Finucane

14. Brandon Smith
15. Tui Kamikamica
16. Max King
17. Joe Stimson

18. Curtis Scott
19. Tino Faasuamaleaui
20. Brodie Croft
21. Tom Eisenhuth

[yourhero]

Raiders team named;

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker
4. Joseph Leilua
5. Jordan Rapana
6. Jack Wighton
7. Aidan Sezer
8. Josh Papalii
9. Josh Hodgson
10. Iosia Soliola
11. John Bateman
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Joseph Tapine

14. Bailey Simonsson
15. Dunamis Lui
16. Corey Horsburgh
17. Ryan Sutton

18. Sam Williams
19. Emre Guler
20. Siliva Havili
21. Hudson Young

[yourhero]

Notes from the team announcement on the Storm website;

All three players who missed last week's game against the Cowboys have been named to return in our Qualifying Final against the Raiders at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

Josh Addo-Carr returns on the wing, Cameron Munster at five-eighth and Brandon Smith in the number 14 jersey.

Dropping out of the starting side are Sandor Earl, who will play for the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Intrust Super Cup final against Easts Tigers and Brodie Croft, who has been named on the extended interchange bench.

Harry Grant, who played for Storm last weekend, will concentrate on Q Cup commitments this weekend.

Cameron Smith requires one goal in Saturday's game to become the first hooker (and only the third forward) to kick 100 goals in a season.

The only forwards to reach a century in a season have been Harry Bath (St George, 108 goals in 1958) and George Grant (St George, 104 in 1979).

[sallymay]

What was the reason for Tino bleaching his hair? Was he late to training and that was punishment?

Apparently he didn’t clean the kitchen and he was on the roster too....he had to roll the dice and landed on shave or dye his hair...he chose to dye it ..well that’s what he told me