Fantasy Match Report
Storm ’12 v Raiders ‘89
Sydney Olympic Stadium
Referee: Bill Harrigan

STORM ’12
Billy Slater
Sisa Waqa
Dane Nielsen
Will Chambers
Justin O’Neill
Gareth Widdop
Cooper Cronk
Jesse Bromwich
Cameron Smith
Bryan Norrie
Kevin Proctor
Ryan Hoffman
Todd Lowrie

Sika Manu
Ryan Hinchcliffe
Jaiman Lowe
Richie Fa’aoso
RAIDERS ’89
Gary Belcher
Matthew Wood
Mal Meninga
Laurie Daley
John Ferguson
Chris O’Sullivan
Ricky Stuart
Brent Todd
Steve Walters
Glenn Lazarus
Dean Lance
Gary Coyne
Bradley Clyde

Kevin Walters
Steve Jackson
Paul Martin

The Olympic Stadium in Sydney was set for a classic as the 2012 Storm of Melbourne came face-to-face with the 1989 Canberra Raiders. Would it be Cameron Smith or Steve Walters? Cooper Cronk or Ricky Stuart? Billy Slater of Gary Belcher?

With the Homebush crowd split down the middle in the lime green of the Raiders and the purple of Melbourne – Smith and Mal Meninga led their teams onto the field after Billy Idol entertained the masses (yes there were no technical problems today).

Smith got us underway with a towering kick-off that gave Canberra prop Brent Todd little time before he was set upon by a savage Storm tackle. In a frantic start, a quick play-the-ball from Glenn Lazarus gave Walters a slight opening on the blind side but it was quickly shut down by Jesse Bromwich and Gareth Widdop. With huge pressure on Stuart, the halfback snapped a pass away to Chris O’Sullivan who settled the Raiders with a kick finding touch thirty metres from the Storm line.

The toil and wrestle of Melbourne’s forwards against the speed and power of Canberra’s pack had been discussed in the lead-up to the match and it was evident early that this battle would go a long way to determining the outcome of the contest.

Queensland’s two greatest hookers came together after six minutes when Smith attempted to kick out of dummy half only for the ball to hit Brad Clyde and back into the arms of Smith. Not missing the chance, his opposite Walters hit him with a brutal shot, clearly rattling the Storm rake.

Cronk landed the next blow with a booming kick that even had Raiders flyer John Ferguson on his bike back to the in-goal where he was trapped by Slater and Sisa Waqa.

Canberra defended strongly from the ensuing set however and forced a fourth tackle chip kick from Widdop with Belcher cleaning up a metre from his own line. The next passage of play would belong to Lazarus with the Australian forward on a mission to bend the Storm defensive line. In one set-of-six, Lazarus made sixteen metres with two Storm defenders on his back before taking a second run in the same set. Stuart then bombed for the skies and caught Waqa out of position with the Fijian flyer taking two cracks at the ball before knocking it over the sideline.

The Raiders tightened the screws and went within inches of taking first points when a backline movement saw Meninga turn a ball inside to Belcher. The fullback speared himself at the try line but it was his opposite Slater who met Belcher and somehow held the ball up. Canberra immediately raided the line once more with Stuart switching the play back to the right where Todd stood in the defensive line and dropped a ball back to Walters who in turn found Laurie Daley screaming onto the ball. But again, the Storm found a way to stop the try. The Storm were stretched but hanging on and when O’Sullivan’s kick went dead on the final play, they were off the hook.

It took seventeen minutes for the first penalty of the match when Dean Lance and Gary Coyne held Jesse Bromwich down for far too long and the Storm were on the attack.

Melbourne had fired plenty of bodies at Stuart and the pressure was quickly building. The Storm hit back to the same edge through Kevin Proctor as Stuart hung on for dear life but it was enough as the Raiders swarmed across to help their little general.

Cronk took the next play and targeted Canberra’s winger Matthew Wood with a pin point kick. Will Chambers timed his run perfectly but couldn’t control the ball but had enough time to drop it back into the waiting hands of Slater to open the scoring for the Storm!

21st Minute: Slater try, Smith goal (Storm 6-0)

The Storm then committed a cardinal sin by turning possession over in their first set after points. After a driving run from Ryan Hoffman, Dane Nielsen scooted from dummy half and straight into the waiting shoulder of Daley who flattened his opposite and dislodged the ball in the process.

Melbourne couldn’t recover and the Raiders hit back immediately when Stuart gave a flat ball to Clyde who slid over next to the uprights.

23rd Minute: Clyde try, Meninga goal (6-all)

Forward leaders Lazarus and Walters then stepped it up a gear, making thirty-five metres between them on back-to-back plays. It all came to nothing when Ferguson lost the football with space on the outside.

The Storm, on halfway and Smith scheming, found some space behind the ruck and tipped a flat ball to Slater who cut the Raiders to shreds. The dynamic custodian came to Belcher but was dragged down in a classic defensive play. Melbourne went wide and had the Raiders shot but it was heartbreak for the Victorians with a Todd Lowrie pass falling straight into the hands of ‘Chicka’ Ferguson. It became a footrace for the ages with Ferguson being chased valiantly by Slater and Waqa but it was all to no avail with Ferguson scoring for Canberra’s second try of the game.

29th Minute: Ferguson try, Meninga no goal (Raiders 10-6)

Storm skipper Smith stepped up again, landing a 40/20 and putting Melbourne back on the attack as both teams began to tire before the break. Seemingly on a one man mission, the rake then split the markers and caught Todd and Lazarus offside. He capped off a remarkable five minutes by then slotting the penalty goal that brought Melbourne back to within two points.

35th Minute: Smith penalty goal (Raiders 10-8)

Half-Time
Raiders 10
Storm 8

Both Craig Bellamy and Tim Sheens made changes at the break with the Storm replacing Bryan Norrie with Sika Manu and Canberra swapping Gary Coyne for Steve Jackson.

Melbourne kept the momentum rolling to start the second half with Cronk testing the Raiders on the last tackle, running instead of kicking. It fooled everyone including his own teammates who were left behind as Cronk had no choice but to take the tackle of Ferguson and Belcher. The wily duo sensed the danger and held Cronk down long enough for referee Harrigan to penalise them and hand Smith another shot at penalty goal.

42nd Minute: Smith penalty goal (10-all)

Tension was building with the scores locked at 10 and it would be Daley to stand up first with a brilliant individual effort that began on his own twenty. Given early ball by Stuart, the centre arced across field, dummied to the outside and straightened through the line despite the attention of Widdop and Nielsen. The Junee star was through and up over the halfway and pinned the ears back with Melbourne’s Slater flat footed. Daley peered across the field and kicked for his teammates but the bounce of the ball went the Storm’s way with the kick taking a wicked bounce into touch. The early battle for the ruck had opened the game up and it was playing into Canberra’s hands.

Daley wasn’t done just yet as he was involved in the next try of the game. With 21 minutes to play, Canberra spread the ball wide within their quarter and found a bullocking captain in Meninga. ‘Big Mal’ had work to do but sliced through the sliding Storm line and into the back field. The hulking centre was mowed down from behind but the damage had already been done. Stuart looked up to see Storm short back to the other side of the ground and kicked early for Meninga’s centre partner, Daley. The man affectionately known as ‘Loz’ took the kick on the bounce before giving the pass away to Belcher for the try.

60th Minute: Belcher try, Meninga goal (Raiders 16-10)
Time was fast slipping away for the Storm who had the uphill task of not only chasing points but finding a way to break down Stuart’s kicking game.

Their chance came with ten minutes to play and a penalty on half way. Cronk’s kick for touch had them with twenty-five metres of the line. Melbourne gave it everything. A short ball to Hoffman on the second, Slater on the inside hip of Cronk on the third and then Smith himself on the fourth. The ball then went to Cronk on the last play but his kick was knocked to ground by replacement Kevin Walters but in a flash Cronk had it back and set sail for the corner. It seemed as if Cronk would get there and hand Smith a chance to lock it up but he stretched out he was hit by the bustling Meninga taking Cronk over the sideline!

Full-Time
Raiders 16
Storm 10

@woodward_curtis