You must have flash player to view media.
Rugbyleaguelive.com | 04/10/09 | 0
AUDIO - On the sideline with a jubilant Cameron Smith
AUDIO - Nathan Hindmarsh: ''We left our run too late''
AUDIO - Cooper Cronk: ''You won't be able to wipe the smile off my face''
AUDIO - Craig Bellamy: ''We worked hard and got lucky''
AUDIO - Departing Storm winger Steve Turner talks to the CCT
The Melbourne Storm are the NRL premiers of 2009, ending the Parramatta Eels’ fairytale run win a 23-16 victory at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
The Storm were at their effective best, skipping out to a 10-0 lead at the break and at one point leading 22-6, before a brave Parramatta side fought back late in the game with tries to Joel Reddy and Fuifui Moimoi.
Greg Inglis put the result out of doubt with a field goal in the final minutes.
“It was a great performance tonight. We got away to a really good start,” Storm skipper Cameron Smith told 2GB radio.
“To Parramatta’s credit they’re a great side, and they brought it all the way back to us.
“It think we were getting bit nervous there towards the end, but defence is what kept us in it tonight.”
It is Melbourne’s second premiership in three seasons, in what was their fourth successive grand final appearance.
“Two from four, it’s unbelievable. Last year was a bit devastating but we’ve turned it round this year,” Inglis said.
“Parramatta came back in the last 10 minutes and they were in for a game no matter what.”
Storm fullback Billy Slater took out the Clive Churchill Medal as official Man of the Match.
The game was played in decent conditions despite an overnight downpour, but defence dominated attack in the opening half as the Storm imposed their grinding style on the contest.
Melbourne back-rower Ryan Hoffman ran in the first try of the game, bursting through an attempted tackle from Eels half Jeff Robson after taking a pass from former Parramatta playmaker Brett Finch. Cameron Smith converted from out wide to put the favourites ahead 6-0 after six minutes.
The Eels then enjoyed a period of dominance but the Storm’s defenders were up the task, and when the Victorians were awarded an offside penalty they found themselves within striking distance again.
They soon made it 10-0, with Cooper Cronk throwing a dummy and splitting the defence before sending Adam Blair clear for the game’s second try.
Against the rock-solid Storm, Parramatta couldn’t conjure the razzle-dazzle in attack that had seen them win 10 of their past 11 games, going into the halftime break scoreless.
Feleti Mateo made an immediate impact off the bench for the Eels in the second half, putting his team on the attack with a 50-metre charge before Eric Grothe crashed over out wide.
Luke Burt’s conversion reduced the deficit to four with 35 minutes to play.
But no sooner had the cheers of the Parramatta-dominated crowd died down than Melbourne hit straight back, with an unchallenged Greg Inglis clutching a bomb from Cooper Cronk to score behind the posts.
Fuifui Moimoi did his best to inspire the Eels with some cracking hits in defence, but when Blair made a break and sent a flying Billy Slater over the tryline it appeared to be the end of the contest.
Joel Reddy started the Parramatta fightback with a try 10 minutes from fulltime, leaping high to bring down a bomb to narrow the gap to 22-12.
Then Moimoi set up a cliffhanger finish with a sensational solo try, beating two defenders and carrying two more over the line to score in the corner.
A mistake from Slater inside his own 20 metres gave the Eels the ideal chance to level the scores in the final moments, but Melbourne’s scrambling defence came to the rescue before Inglis cemented the win with a 77th-minute field goal.
MELBOURNE STORM 23 (Hoffman, Blair, Inglis, Slater tries; Smith 3 goals; Inglis field goal) def PARRAMATTA EELS 16 (Grothe, Reddy, Moimoi tries; Burt 2 goals) at ANZ Stadium on Sunday. Referees: Tony Archer & Shayne Hayne. Crowd: 82,538.
It’s unbelievable. Last year was a bit devastating but we’ve turned it round this year.
Melbourne Storm star Greg Inglis
Send to friend
* Required field