StormFans.club

Sunday 27th September
4:05pm
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney

13th vs 2nd.

Last three meetings;
Rd 16 2019 Win - Storm 16 - Dragons 14
Rd 17 2018 Win - Storm 52 - Dragons 30
Rd 9 2018 Loss - Storm 14 - Dragons 34
TOTAL - Storm 82 - Dragons 78

Form Guide (Last 5 Games)
Storm
W - Storm 50 - Tigers 22
W - Storm 36 - Cowboys 20
W - Storm 22 - Bunnies 16
W - Storm 30 - Sea Eagles 6
L - Storm 0 - Eels 14
4 Wins & 1 Loss - 138 - 78
27.6 points per game For
15.6 points per game Against

Dragons
L - Dragons 18 - Knights 42
L - Dragons 8 - Raiders 37
L - Dragons 22 - Cowboys 23
L - Dragons 10 - Titans 14
W - Dragons 28 - Broncos 24
1 Win & 4 Losses - 86 - 140
17.2 points per game For
28 points per game Against

We have played the Dragons 37 times in our history.
26 Wins
10 Losses
1 Draw
= 70.3% win record.

Surprisingly, the Dragons come into this game with a higher Completion Rate % (81% to 77%), higher Tackle Efficiency % (90.5% to 89.2%) and a faster average Play the Ball Speed (3.45sec to 3.59sec).

The Dragons have been pretty bad this year but as is the case with any NRL game, if you let complacency set in and don't go in with the right attitude, you will get your pants pulled down.

So what will success look like in this game? Depends how you look at it...
On one hand we want to rest our players with any injury niggles and ensure they are as right as possible for Finals. Assuming we play the Roosters week 1, we need the best possible team we can muster... On the other hand, you want combinations working well, match hardened troops and a generally settled team.

Gosh I really hope we rest a lot of players. Send down a team of reserves. Any injury like we've been getting the last 2 months and it's season over for that player

Interesting to see how we try to rest as many players as possible while also trying to be good enough to win and keep everybody as healthy as possible.

I don't think we'll rest that many players to be honest, I think keeping the team gelling is important. However, it does present a chance to rest those with niggles/little injuries and try new strategies/formations etc.

Tomorrow night's team list will be interesting!

Well Bellamy said he wants Paps to play everyone else will be either a forced rest or injured rested

How many could we even rest if we wanted to?

1 Paps
2 Lumelume
3 Leutele?
4 Momo
5 Earl
6 Jacks
7 Johns
8 Welch
9 Brandon (for game time?)
10 Tui
11 Eisenhuth
12 Lewis
13 Dale

14 King
15 Schonig
16 Pene?
17 Vete

Do it!

Lucas wrote: ↑Mon Sep 21, 2020 6:48 pm How many could we even rest if we wanted to?

1 Paps
2 Lumelume
3 Leutele?
4 Momo
5 Earl
6 Jacks
7 Johns
8 Welch
9 Brandon (for game time?)
10 Tui
11 Eisenhuth
12 Lewis
13 Dale

14 King
15 Schonig
16 Pene?
17 Vete

Do it!

Substitute "Smith" for Brandon at 9 and have 2 bob each way! Seriously though, Lumelume and Leutele partnership would be very, interesting.

Based on nrl.com we will be resting only Suli ( hammy), Kenny ( HIA) , Felise ( knee) and Tino (calf) all of whom have niggles.

Paul M and Paps mentioned as likely to come back. Welch is also available .

I hope Dale is the other one in. If not, then presumably Chris Lewis.

All the others have had time off recently ( except maybe Olam) , so looks like Craig happy for them to play,.

https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/ ... -positive/
NRL.com
Mon 21 Sep 2020

After being embarrassed by Newcastle, prompting interim coach Dean Young to compare their efforts to "under-eights stuff", the Dragons can save face at home against the mighty Storm to end another turbulent season.

Second-placed Melbourne are down a few troops but based on what we've seen in recent weeks, St George Illawarra will need to drastically lift to upset Craig Bellamy's finals-bound side.

The Storm have scored 108 points across their past three games while the Dragons leaked 102, so the hosts will have their hands full.

The rundown

Team news
Dragons: Ben Hunt is facing suspension for a crusher tackle and would miss this game plus the opening State of Origin match for Queensland if he fights at the judiciary and loses. Given he is carrying a thigh injury, it seems likely the hooker will cop the one-week ban. Cameron McInnes could shift to dummy-half if Hunt is out, with Jackson Ford a contender to start at lock, while Billy Brittain is another No.9 option if he is passed fit after a concussion.

Storm: Fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen (achilles) and outside back Paul Momirovski (centre) are good chances to return. However, winger Suliasi Vunivalu (hamstring) and forwards Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (calf), Felise Kaufusi (knee) and Kenny Bromwich (concussion) are set to be scratched.

Key match-up
Cameron McInnes v Cameron Smith. Whether he plays hooker or lock, McInnes is the heart and soul of the Dragons and the proud skipper will be desperate to inspire his troops after last week's hiding. Smith, meanwhile, is Melbourne's expert conductor and his guidance will be important with some key men missing.

Stat attack
Despite their consistency, there is only one category in which Melbourne are the league leaders - dummy-half runs (291). The Dragons rank 10th in that category with 179 and may need their outside backs to step in for more scoots to match the Storm's production.

Read somewhere we may make up to 10 changes this week... I guess we'll find out this afternoon.

The club's in a pretty good position here. It'll be interesting to see how the Roosters approach their game because I feel the Rabbitohs will want to throw a fair bit at them given they have more to lose. The Roosters can lose and remain in the top four and Robinson's shown a tendency for resting his guys.

Should the Roosters lose and the Eels win, Melbourne will play Parramatta next week.

Anyway - on this game I'm hoping both Bromwich brothers, Fa'asuamaleaui, Asofa-Solomona, Kaufusi, both Camerons, Vunivalu, Addo-Carr, Olam and Hughes are rested with Finucane, Momirovski, Schonig and Papenhuyzen given a run.

It sounds like Welch won't be playing.

Riders of the Storm surprises that Welch would not be playing given he hasn't played for two weeks.

I just listened to Craig Bellamy interview on SEN this morning. He raised something I hadn't thought about re: resting players.

He said we play the last game of the round on Sunday and we would be playing the first final on hopefully Saturday or possibly even Friday, so a five or 6 day break. Plus Sunday is an away game so there is the travel to and from Sunshine Coast to Sydney and back again in the same day.

Team named;

1. Ryan Papenhuyzen
2. Sandor Earl
3. Ricky Leutele
4. Paul Momirovski
5. Isaac Lumelume
6. Ryley Jacks
7. Cooper Johns
8. Tui Kamikamica
9. Brandon Smith
10. Christian Welch
11. Tom Eisenhuth
12. Chris Lewis
13. Max King

14. Nicho Hynes
15. Darryn Schonig
16. Albert Vete
17. Aaron Pene

18. Aaron Booth
19. Dean Ieremia
20. Trent Loiero
21. Judda Turahui