Melbourne Storm v Cronulla Sharks report

The master coach said this season, like last, can already be considered a successful one, even if the Storm don’t win the title next weekend. Storm coach Craig Bellamy said his team had been given a leg up over next week’s grand final opponent, who will have two fewer days to prepare after playing on Sunday afternoon. It is coach Craig Bellamy’s 11th grand final in 23 years. It will be their seventh grand final since 2012.

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And while Cronulla got back to 10-8, it was Munster and Papenhuyzen who landed the decisive blow before halftime when they caught Sharks fullback Will Kennedy up in the line. The halfback then scored Melbourne’s next, when Stefano Utoikamanu continued his powerful end to the season by bumping off a defender and offloading to his halfback. But he still had his way, getting the ball out wide after the Wilton hit and allowing Nick Meaney to send Will Warbrick over for the Storm’s first.

Hughes tough as nails as Storm stars end Sharks’ campaign to book another grand final

The Sharks needed to be the next team to score and were presented a try on a platter when Faalogo hesitated under a Hynes bomb and allowed Sharks five-eighth Braydon Trindall to score an easy try to trim the deficit to four at half time. The Sharks wasted their captain’s challenge just nine minutes after a Sione Katoa loose carry. The Sharks were admittedly grittier defensively than they have been in recent times, but they still conceded 30 for a fourth time in five matches, and offered little from an attacking standpoint. With the game finely balanced in the second half, Katoa produced two incredible catches under high balls to set up tries for centre Nick Meaney and halfback Jahrome Hughes. Limited-time offer. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play.

• The Storm were exceptionally slick in attack in the opening 20 minutes and looked on for a third try that was denied by outstanding defence from Brayden Trindall and KL Iro to defuse a cross-field bomb that Warbrick and Meaney had combined to set up for a try.
• It is coach Craig Bellamy’s 11th grand final in 23 years.
• “At the end of the day, it’s hard to get into a grand final, and it’s extra hard to win one.
• With the game finely balanced in the second half, Katoa produced two incredible catches under high balls to set up tries for centre Nick Meaney and halfback Jahrome Hughes.
• “Like this thing of ‘you’ve had a failed season if you don’t win the grand final’, that’s a load of crap.

That got Cronulla back in the game at 16-10, but another penalty allowed Melbourne to go out to an eight-point lead before Coates’ match-sealing try. Melbourne will now face the winner of Brisbane and four-time defending premiers Penrith in Sunday’s other preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium. Melbourne have given themselves a shot at grand final redemption, with the club’s new big four booking a spot in the NRL decider with a win over Cronulla. Now Craig Bellamy’s men will face the winner of Sunday’s clash between the Broncos and the Panthers in the grand final on October 5. “At the end of the day, it’s hard to get into a grand final, and it’s extra hard to win one. They know how to win grand finals, as we’ve seen in the last few years,” he said.

Xavier Coates scores, and that all but seals another grand final appearance for the Storm. It’s official, Melbourne are through to grand final once again with a victory against Cronulla. It’s been a public holiday in Melbourne today for the AFL grand final tomorrow, 1xbet login so fans won’t be rushing to leave the stadium, unless they’ve had a big afternoon. Every time the Storm looked like kicking away early in the game, the Sharks did well to hang in the fight.

A try for Xavier Coates in the 74th minute all but sealed victory for Melbourne, despite an 80th minute try from KL Iro who went across for Cronulla as the full-time siren sounded. You won’t see the Storm celebrate too wildly as they know they have a big week to come, and they still need one more win to again take the premiership. It is frightening to think what they could be when they do string a full 80 minutes together. Melbourne await the winner of Brisbane and Penrith, but will have the benefit of a couple of extra days’ recovery. You can only hope the match review committee do not bother spotting him for a potential hip-drop tackle that left Ronnie Mulitalo hobbling out of a tackle.