There were fireworks for Melbourne as they proved superior with a 34-28 win at their AAMI park fortress, but it wasn’t without a real scare from a Knights outfit who knuckled down until the final whistle.
The rollercoaster 80 minutes was a quality contest, showcasing a flurry of head to head battles, headlined by young fullbacks Sualauvi Faalogo and debutant Fletcher Sharpe.
Storm staples Jahrome Hughes and Nick Meaney pulled apart Newcastles defence, which fell asleep on the stroke of halftime to gift away the lead at half, in an otherwise promising first 40.
Xavier Coates flies high in the left corner at AAMI park (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Nick Meaney was the first to open the scorebook, darting through on the right edge and exploiting the mismatch on Dylan Lucas. Lucas filled in at left centre despite being a second-rower, and was subsequently caught out by Meaney’s speed.
Lucas returned serve after an uncharacteristic, sloppy Storm error – scoring his first try in a game where he bagged a double.
The Knights were first to score after the 18-12 halftime, supported later on by Dane Gagai who looked dangerous all afternoon.
Another mullet has entered the NRL in Fletcher Sharpe. The Cessnock junior put together an encouraging performance, highlighted by his quick-thinking try where he moved off-ball, to weave on the inside of Storm centre Reimis Smith.
Small-statured tough-nut Tyran Wishart put his stamp on the game, pulling off a last-ditch try saver on Leo Thompson, before scoring two tries himself and setting up high-flyer Xavier Coates in the left corner.
While a standby No.6 for Cameron Munster, it was Wishart’s best performance in his 39-game NRL career.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona showed glimpses of his game changing impact – coming off the bench just prior to halftime to boost Melbourne through his strong carries and skilful offloading.
Grant Anderson also starred for coach Bellamy, running a muck down the right edge, setting up two tries – one of which was a stunning line-break capped off by a chip for Meaney.
Unfortunately for coach Adam O’Brien, the Knights come away with little for their gallant 60-minute effort – but Gagai and Sharpe can hold their heads high.
Xavier Coates added another crazy finish to his try resume, using his acrobatic flair to soar over the goal-line in the 54 minute.
A late cross-field kick from Jackson Hastings set Enari Tuala up in the corner towards the final hooter – but it was all too late.