Storm finding their feet with 18-10 win over Souths

Jasper Bruce | March 31, 2023

Melbourne’s early season slumber appears to be coming to an end, the Storm serving up a finals-like defensive display to help down South Sydney 18-10 at Accor Stadium. 

Blasted by their coach for a lack of care factor to start the season, the Storm risked dropping to a 2-3 record with a loss on Friday night, which would’ve marked their equal-worst start to a season under Craig Bellamy.

But with the game in the balance, Melbourne’s teamwork in the red zone and the efforts of talisman Cameron Munster proved enough to secure their third win of the campaign.

“There was some desperate times in the second half,” Bellamy said.

“They had about 33 (30) tackles inside our 20. Sometimes you don’t get that in the whole game.

“It’s been a while since we’ve probably seen as good a defensive effort for 80 minutes as tonight.”

The Rabbitohs, meanwhile have dropped three of their first five games and are set to lose Alex Johnston for next week’s clash with the Bulldogs after the prolific winger failed his head injury assessment late.

“We just didn’t come with the intensity that we have over the last few weeks,” Souths coach Jason Demetriou said.

“You could feel it pre-game, we weren’t quite where we needed to be. We were just waiting for something to happen.

“Disappointing tonight, for sure.”

Just after the half, a Munster break showed the Storm’s intent. On the next set, Xavier Coates bolted down the left and snapped a banana kick inside to his five-eighth, who recovered the ball for a try that had the Storm up 18-6.

Superstar Rabbitohs fullback Latrell Mitchell had been having a quiet night to that point, running for only 34 metres in the first half, but injected himself into the contest late to give the Rabbitohs a sniff.

The Storm’s goal-line defence had frustrated Souths all night long, but Mitchell found the overlap on the Rabbitohs’ increasingly prolific right side and Campbell Graham had it back to an eight-point game.

The fullback almost had a try of his own shortly afterwards, only to be denied by the Storm’s goal-line defence. 

“They took their chances when they got them and defended their backsides off,” Demetriou said.

State of Origin hooker Harry Grant and prop Tui Kamikamica were immense through the middle but perhaps the most significant individual play of the night belonged to stand-in Storm fullback Nick Meaney, who denied Johnston with a gutsy one-on-one tackle in the corner.

Johnston and Meaney’s heads clashed in the hit and the Rabbitoh was sent for a HIA, which he failed.

Encouragingly, Melbourne were able to score both their first-half tries without the assistance of  Munster, whose absence in round two and three left the Storm floundering.

With Jahrome Hughes back from suspension next week, young halfback Jonah Pezet made the most of what is likely to be his last chance in the halves until the State of Origin period.

The rookie set the opening try up with a lovely chip kick but was the target of a Souths set play shortly afterwards that allowed the hosts to draw level through his opposite man Cody Walker.

The win means the Storm have won 13 of their last 15 games against the Rabbitohs, and 32 of 38 clashes overall.