Adam SutcliffeMelbourne Storm vs Canberra Raiders NRL Tips and Predictions
July 3rd 2008 03:21
• Melbourne has won their past 12 games against Canberra
• Canberra has won only two of seven games away from home in 2008
DID YOU KNOW 1?
Cooper Cronk will celebrate his 100th NRL game. His winning ratio is by far and away the best in the NRL results for halfbacks winning 70 games from his 99 appearances giving him the incredible winning ratio of 70.71%.
DID YOU KNOW 2?
If Melbourne wins this weekend it will be Storm coach Craig Bellamy’s 100th win as an NRL coach in just his 147 games, the sixth fastest effort in history.
DID YOU KNOW?
With no AFL being played in Melbourne this weekend, Melbourne Storm’s game against the Canberra Raiders is the only top-level football on in town.
KEY MATCH UP
Given the fact kicking and set-plays will play a major part in Sunday’s game, the battle of the centres between Israel Folau and Colin Best will have a significant bearing on the outcome of the game.
Folau was at his destructive best on Wednesday night in Origin III giving Storm teammate Anthony Quinn a torrid time down the Queensland ride hand side. He scored a couple of tries, one that will go down as one of the best tries in Origin history, and was a constant thorn in NSW’s side all night, earning man-of-the-match honours in the process. He’s big, strong, fast, has the best leap in the game, and is the Storm’s equal leading try-scorer with eight so far this year. He is the complete package and for someone in only his second season in the NRL, has the game to destroy teams off his own back.
Best is a journeyman who, at 29, has the experience necessary to oppose Folau with as much confidence as you can when you stand opposite a player such as him. Best is in his final season with the Raiders, and after stints with Cronulla, St George and Hull in the English Super League, will join South Sydney next year on a one-year deal. It was only a few weeks ago that Best scored four tries against the Bulldogs so he still has what it takes to find the try-line. In fact, he’s also scored eight tries this season to be Canberra’s leading try-scorer, including one against the Storm in Round 6. Can the Storm keep them held lower on the NRL Ladder?
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Total: Played: 22, Storm: 17, Raiders: 5
At Olympic Park: Played: 10, Storm: 9, Raiders: 1
FOR AND AGAINST 2008
Points for: Storm: 304, Raiders: 307
Points against: Storm: 195, Raiders: 324
Tries for: Storm: 53, Raiders: 56
Points differential: Storm: 109, Raiders: -14
LAST ROUND MATCHES
Storm def. by Eels 24-22 @ Parramatta Stadium, Sydney
Raiders def. by Sharks 36-24 @ Canberra Stadium
LAST EIGHT CLASHES
YEARRESULTVENUE
2008Storm def. Raiders 23-16 @Canberra Stadium
2007Storm def. Raiders 34-6 @Olympic Park
2007Storm def. Raiders 32-16 @Canberra Stadium
2006Storm def. Raiders 22-18 @Canberra Stadium
2006Storm def. Raiders 22-12 @Olympic Park
2005Storm def. Raiders 20-0 @Olympic Park
2005Storm def. Raiders 46-10 @Canberra Stadium
2004Storm def. Raiders 36-18 @Canberra Stadium
THE STORM STORY SO FAR
WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE: STORM 4 (Try: Hoffman) def. by RHINOS 11 (Try: Donald; Goals: Sinfield 3; Field Goal: Sinfield) at Elland Road, Leeds
ROUND 1: STORM 32 (Tries: Slater 3, Johnson, Tagataese; Goals: C. Smith 5, Turner) def. WARRIORS 18 (Tries: Vatuvei 2, Ropati; Goals: Witt 3) at Telstra Dome, Melbourne
ROUND 2: STORM 16 (Tries: Aitken, White, Falou; Goals: C. Smith 2) def. by SHARKS 17 (Tries: Kearney, Gallen, Simmons; Goals: Covell 2; Field Goals: Kimmorley) at Olympic Park, Melbourne
ROUND 3: Storm (Try: Slater; Goal: C. Smith) def. by ROOSTERS (Try: Kenny-Dowell; Goals: FitzGibbon 3) at Sydney Football Stadium
ROUND 4: STORM 28 (Tries: Quinn 3, Folau, Hoffman; Goals: Smith 4) def. BRONCOS 8 (Tries: Robinson, Stagg) at Olympic Park, Melbourne
ROUND 5: STORM 26 (Tries: Slater 2, Inglis, Quinn, Hoffman; Goals: Smith 3) def. SEA EAGLES 4 (Try: Barney) at Olympic Park
ROUND 6: STORM 23 (Tries: Chambers, Turner, Slater, Folau; Goals: C. Smith 3; Field Goal: Cronk) def. RAIDERS 16 (Tries: Best, Plum, Purtell; Goals: Carney 2) at Canberra Stadium
ROUND 7: STORM 12 (Tries: Inglis, Folau; Goals: C. Smith 2) def. COWBOYS 10 (Tries: Williams 2; Goals: Thurston) at Dairy Farmer’s Stadium
ROUND 8: BYE
ROUND 9: STORM 18 (Tries: Folau 2, Quinn; Goals: C. Smith 3) def. KNIGHTS 4 (Try: Mullen) at Olympic Park, Melbourne
ROUND 10: STORM 12 (Tries: Chambers, Manu; Goals: Smith, Turner) def. by DRAGONS 36 (Tries: Nightingale 2, B. Morris, J Morris, Lett, Soward; Goals: Soward 6) at ANZ Stadium
ROUND 11: STORM 15 (Tries: Chambers, J. Smith; Goals: C. Smith 2, Field Goals: Cronk) def. RABBITOHS 12 (Tries: Vagana 2; Goals: Luke) at Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
ROUND 12: STORM 46 (Tries: Geyer 2, C. Smith, Folau, Turner, J. Smith, Crocker, Cronk; Goals: C. Smith 7) def. BULLDOGS 0 at Olympic Park
ROUND 13: STORM 0 def. by TITANS 18 (Tries: Delaney, Meyers, Jeffrey; Goals: Rogers 3) at Skilled Park
ROUND 14: BYE
ROUND 15: STORM 48 (Tries: Inglis 3, Turner 2, J Smith, Slater, Geyer, Folau; Goals: C Smith 6) def. COWBOYS 20 (Tries: Henry, Williams, Webb, Cashmere; Goals: Thurston 2) at Olympic Park
ROUND 16: STORM 22 (Tries: Manu 2, Tomane, Cronk; Goals: Turner 2, Cronk) def. by EELS 24 (Tries: Tautai, Williams, Reddy, Inu; Goals: Burt 4) at Parramatta Stadium
2008 TRY SCORERS (STORM)
Slater 8, Folau 8, Inglis 5, Quinn 5, Turner 4, Chambers 3, J. Smith 3, Geyer 3, Manu 3, Hoffman 2, Cronk 2, Johnson, Tagataese, Aitken, White, C. Smith, Crocker, Tomane
2008 GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
C. Smith 38, Turner 4, J. Smith, Cronk
2008 FIELD GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
Cronk 2
2008 POINTSCORERS (STORM)
C Smith 82, Slater 32, Folau 32, Inglis 20, Quinn 20, Turner 20, Chambers 12, J. Smith 14, Geyer 12, Manu 12, Cronk 12, Hoffman 8, Johnson 4, Tagataese 4, Aitken 4, White 4, Crocker 4, Tomane 4
MELBOURNE STORM MEDIBANK PRIVATE INJURY UPDATE
Sam Tagataese (shoulder): 1 week
Aidan Guerra (ankle): 3 weeks
Danny Vaughan (knee): season
Ben MacDougall (knee): season
Dane Nielsen (shoulder): season
Will Chambers (knee): season
THE STORM AHEAD
Round 18: Monday, July 14th v Wests Tigers @ Campbelltown Sports Stadium, 7.00pm
Round 19: Saturday, July 19th v Dragons @ Olympic Park, 5.30pm
Round 20: Sunday, July 27th v Warriors @ Mt Smart Stadium, 2.00pm (AEST)
Round 21: Friday, August 1st v Titans @ Olympic Park, 7.45pm
Round 22: Friday, August 8th v Sea Eagles @ Brookvale Oval, 7.45pm
TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP LADDER
POSITIONCLUBPOINTS
1Sea Eagles24
2Roosters24
3Sharks24
4Storm22
5Dragons20
6Titans20
7Broncos19
8Eels18
9Panthers17
10Knights16
11Raiders16
12Tigers16
13Warriors14
14Rabbitohs12
15Bulldogs12
16Cowboys8
SQUAD FOR SUNDAY'S GAME
Starting team:
1. Billy Slater
2. Steve Turner
3. Matt Geyer
4. Israel Folau
5. Anthony Quinn
6. Greg Inglis
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Jeff Lima
9. Cam Smith
10. Brett White
11. Michael Crocker
12. Ryan Hoffman
13. Dallas Johnson
Interchange:
14. Jeremy Smith, 15. Adam Blair, 16. Sika Manu, 17. Joseph Tomane, 18. Antonio Kaufusi.
Coach: Craig Bellamy.
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