STORM 8 PANTHERS 0
KEY POINTS
BELLAMY THE BEST: How does he maintain doing it in spherical one? It’s no fluke the Storm haven’t been crushed of their opening spherical match for 22 years now, but it surely’s arduous to think about any of these wins giving Craig Bellamy extra satisfaction than this one. When you merely appeared on the numbers, there is no such thing as a approach they need to have gained. In truth, they misplaced virtually each key metric: completion charges, run metres, line breaks, missed tackles, errors. However they’ll’t quantify coronary heart. Late within the match when Soni Luke put a kick by which appeared like it could be pounced upon by Izack Tago, plenty of purple jerseys swarmed to be within the image. Bellamy will present it to his gamers all week. With Melbourne’s win, it made it 5 straight outsiders successful to begin the season. Rugby league, hey.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT PENRITH … YET: When you imagine in omens, this is likely to be one. After being shocked in final 12 months’s World Membership Problem, the Panthers went on to lose spherical one in opposition to the Broncos. The identical two sides then performed within the grand remaining and we all know how that completed. Penrith discover themselves in precisely the identical place once more in 2024, no World Membership Problem success and one other first-up loss within the NRL. Perhaps probably the most regarding factor was their chaotic assault, which appeared nothing just like the well-oiled machine of earlier years. However it’s spherical one, and Ivan Cleary’s aspect will discover their groove because the weeks go on. In the event that they’re nonetheless taking part in like this in eight weeks, it is likely to be a distinct story.
Reimis Smith celebrates the one attempt of the match.Credit score: Getty
MAY’S DAY: Stephen who? That is likely to be a bit harsh, however all of a sudden the lack of Stephen Crichton to the Bulldogs seems not as unhealthy as first thought. Taylan Might, taking part in solely his second match in a 12 months after recovering from an ACL tear, was the Panthers’ most harmful participant. He appeared sharp in assault and greater than competent in defence. He may need been a bit of out of sight, out of thoughts. However his class shone by and he might be a greater than in a position substitute at left centre for the grand remaining specialist. Now for Penrith to get his signature on a bit of paper.