BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

For years we have been programmed to believe that the Sydney Roosters will always find a way. For so long they have backed it up. On Thursday night, the Melbourne Storm chewed them up, spat them out and chewed them up again.

As they say, you can only beat what’s in front of you.

If you listened to Channel Nine commentary, you’d think the Storm had committed mass murder.

For the first time in forever, we heard how the broken Roosters just weren’t themselves. The bounce of the ball went the other way. All those injuries.

It’s only worthy of note because of the voices behind the microphones.

On Nine we had Roosters royalty in Phil Gould and Brad Fittler.

How embarrasing to think of those watching on from Victoria and having to listen to the Chooks lovefest.

Put simply, the Storm hammered the Roosters.

Beat them in every facet of the game.

Completely intimidated Sydney and barreled them out of the contest.

Yeah, the Roosters have injuries.

So does everyone else.

But this is the mighty Roosters.

They win, they find a way.

On Thursday night at the Sydney Cricket Ground, we saw glimpses of a side that is struggling to keep its head above water.

A better Dragons team would have beaten the Roosters last week.

All this concern for the Roosters while the Storm were missing two blokes with the names Cameron Smith and Cameron Munster.

Most predicted the Roosters to roll on.

Melbourne looked so at home on the SCG turf it was almost like watching Hayden and Ponting on the third day of a New Year’s Test against petulant English bowling.

The Roosters haven’t need an excuse going on three or four years.

Why now do they deserve one?

It was a shambles.

So can we finally talk about how good the Storm were?

No Smith, no Munster… who cares!

Right from the opening minute, Melbourne’s defensive line attacked like a gang.

The Roosters were like kangaroos caught in the headlights.

There’s usually sympathy for sides that are hit by injury like the Roosters have but this club is hardly normal.

They themselves live on ”club wins” like last week’s in Wollongong.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy is a mix of genius and total barbarism.

For as brutal as the Storm were in the first half, they would have wanted more.

And as the likes of Smith, Slater and Cronk become distance memories – Bellamy has handed on the thirst for blood to unlikely suitors like Jahrome Hughes, Justin Olam and Christian Welch.

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Stars Ryan Papenhuyzen, Josh Addo-Carr and Munster make highlight reels but it is the workers that win you premierships.

Guys like Brandon Smith, Felise Kaufusi, Dale Finucane and Kenny Bromwich.

Everyone is talking about Parramatta and Penrith but the Storm proved again on Thursday night that their bite can still kill.

@woodward_curtis