NRL Finals Predictions

NRL Qualifying Final v Warriors Game Notes 2008

The hot trotting Melbourne Storm are sure things to hammer the traveling NZ Warriors team, with the New Zealanders facing mission impossible in terms of NRL Rugby League chances down in the couldron. 

WHO: Melbourne Storm v New Zealand Warriors
WHAT: 4th Qualifying Final of the 2008 Telstra Premiership season
WHERE: Olympic Park, Melbourne
WHEN: Sunday, September 14th @ 4.00pm
ON TV: Channel 9 LIVE into Melbourne
ON RADIO: 1116SEN LIVE into Melbourne
CHECK IT OUT: Melbourne Storm’s website with all the latest stats, profiles, updates, schedule and training times, alerts, news etc…. www.melbournestorm.com.au

 

IN BRIEF
Melbourne destroyed the South Sydney Rabbitohs 42-4 to claim their third successive J.J Giltinan Shield as the NRL minor premiers.

 

New Zealand defeated the Parramatta Eels 28-6 to cement their place in the finals, finishing in eighth spot.

 

FAST FACTS
• Melbourne has won their past 10 games at Olympic Park
• New Zealand are one of only two teams to have won at Olympic Park in the past three years
• Melbourne has conceded 282 points this year; New Zealand has conceded 567
• Twelve of Melbourne’s 17 wins this year have been by 13+ points

 

DID YOU KNOW?
Channel 9 will be showing the game LIVE into Melbourne from 3.30pm.

 

Also, radio station 1116SEN will also be broadcasting the game LIVE.

 

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Total: Played: 21, Storm: 11, Warriors: 9, Drawn: 1
At Olympic Park: Played: 8, Storm: 5, Warriors: 3

FOR AND AGAINST 2008
Points for: Storm: 584, Warriors: 502
Points against: Storm: 282, Warriors: 567
Tries for: Storm: 106, Warriors: 88
Points differential: Storm: +302, Warriors: -65

LAST ROUND MATCHES
Storm def. Rabbitohs 42-2 @ Olympic Park, Melbourne
Warriors def. Eels 28-6 @ Parramatta Stadium, Sydney

 

LAST EIGHT CLASHES

YEAR	RESULT	VENUE
2008	Warriors def. Storm 8-6 @	Mt Smart Stadium
2008	Storm def. Warriors 32-18 @	Telstra Dome
2007	Storm def. Warriors 4-2 @	Mt Smart Stadium
2007	Storm def. Warriors 30-12 @	Olympic Park
2006	Warriors def. Storm 24-20 @	Olympic Park
2006	Storm def. Warriors 24-16 @	Mt Smart Stadium
2005	Storm def. Warriors 22-10 @	Olympic Park
2005	Warriors def. Storm 24-16 @	Mt Smart Stadium

 

THE STORM STORY SO FAR
WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE: STORM 4 (Try: Hoffman) def. by RHINOS 11 (Try: Donald; Goals: Sinfield 3; Field Goal: Sinfield) at Elland Road, Leeds
ROUND 1: STORM 32 (Tries: Slater 3, Johnson, Tagataese; Goals: C. Smith 5, Turner) def. WARRIORS 18 (Tries: Vatuvei 2, Ropati; Goals: Witt 3) at Telstra Dome, Melbourne
ROUND 2: STORM 16 (Tries: Aitken, White, Falou; Goals: C. Smith 2) def. by SHARKS 17 (Tries: Kearney, Gallen, Simmons; Goals: Covell 2; Field Goals: Kimmorley) at Olympic Park, Melbourne
ROUND 3: Storm (Try: Slater; Goal: C. Smith) def. by ROOSTERS (Try: Kenny-Dowell; Goals: FitzGibbon 3) at Sydney Football Stadium
ROUND 4: STORM 28 (Tries: Quinn 3, Folau, Hoffman; Goals: Smith 4) def. BRONCOS 8 (Tries: Robinson, Stagg) at Olympic Park, Melbourne
ROUND 5: STORM 26 (Tries: Slater 2, Inglis, Quinn, Hoffman; Goals: Smith 3) def. SEA EAGLES 4 (Try: Barney) at Olympic Park
ROUND 6: STORM 23 (Tries: Chambers, Turner, Slater, Folau; Goals: C. Smith 3; Field Goal: Cronk) def. RAIDERS 16 (Tries: Best, Plum, Purtell; Goals: Carney 2) at Canberra Stadium
ROUND 7: STORM 12 (Tries: Inglis, Folau; Goals: C. Smith 2) def. COWBOYS 10 (Tries: Williams 2; Goals: Thurston) at Dairy Farmer’s Stadium
ROUND 8: BYE
ROUND 9: STORM 18 (Tries: Folau 2, Quinn; Goals: C. Smith 3) def. KNIGHTS 4 (Try: Mullen) at Olympic Park, Melbourne
ROUND 10: STORM 12 (Tries: Chambers, Manu; Goals: Smith, Turner) def. by DRAGONS 36 (Tries: Nightingale 2, B. Morris, J Morris, Lett, Soward; Goals: Soward 6) at ANZ Stadium
ROUND 11: STORM 15 (Tries: Chambers, J. Smith; Goals: C. Smith 2, Field Goals: Cronk) def. RABBITOHS 12 (Tries: Vagana 2; Goals: Luke) at Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
ROUND 12: STORM 46 (Tries: Geyer 2, C. Smith, Folau, Turner, J. Smith, Crocker, Cronk; Goals: C. Smith 7) def. BULLDOGS 0 at Olympic Park
ROUND 13: STORM 0 def. by TITANS 18 (Tries: Delaney, Meyers, Jeffrey; Goals: Rogers 3) at Skilled Park
ROUND 14: BYE
ROUND 15: STORM 48 (Tries: Inglis 3, Turner 2, J Smith, Slater, Geyer, Folau; Goals: C Smith 6) def. COWBOYS 20 (Tries: Henry, Williams, Webb, Cashmere; Goals: Thurston 2) at Olympic Park
ROUND 16: STORM 22 (Tries: Manu 2, Tomane, Cronk; Goals: Turner 2, Cronk) def. by EELS 24 (Tries: Tautai, Williams, Reddy, Inu; Goals: Burt 4) at Parramatta Stadium
ROUND 17: STORM 30 (Tries: Inglis 2, Slater, Manu, Quinn, Turner; Goals: Smith 3) def. RAIDERS 14 (Tries: Monaghan, Carney, Chalk; Goals: Carney) at Olympic Park
ROUND 18: STORM 30 (Tries: Inglis 3, Slater, Manu; Goals: C. Smith 5) def. TIGERS 18 (Tries: Tuiaki, Hodgson, Ryan; Goals: Hodgson 3) at Campbelltown Sports Stadium
ROUND 19: STORM 26 (Tries: J Smith, Lima, Geyer, Turner, Folau; Goals: C Smith 3) def. DRAGONS 0 at Olympic Park
ROUND 20: STORM 6 (Try: Manu; Goal: C Smith) def. by WARRIORS 8 (Try: Fai; Goals: Hohaia 2) at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
ROUND 21: STORM 44 (Tries: Folau 2, Inglis 2, Turner, Quinn, Hoffman, Geyer, J Smith; Goals: Cam Smith 4) def. TITANS 4 (Try: Ropana) at Olympic Park
ROUND 22: STORM 16 (Tries: Geyer, Folau, Cronk; Goals: C Smith 2) def. SEA EAGLES 10 (Tries: Hall, Williams; Goals: Matai) at Brookvale Oval
ROUND 23: STORM 30 (Tries: Quinn 2, C Smith, Cronk, Slater; Goals: Smith 5) def. ROOSTERS 6 (Try: M Aubusson; Goal: Roberts 1) at Olympic Park
ROUND 24: STORM 40 (Tries: Inglis 3, Turner 2, Quinn, C Smith, Lima; Goals: C Smith 4) def. PANTHERS 6 (Try: N Smith; Goal: Gordon) at CUA Stadium, Penrith
ROUND 25: STORM 16 (Tries: Inglis, Folau, Manu; Goals: C Smith 2) def. by KNIGHTS 17 (Tries: Hilder, Royal; Goals: Gidley 4, Field Goal: Hilder) at EnergyAustralia Stadium
ROUND 26: STORM 42 (Tries: Slater 2, Geyer, Quinn, C Smith, Hoffman, Anderson, J Smith; Goals: C Smith 4, Geyer: 1) def. RABBITOHS 4 (Try: Merritt) at Olympic Park

 

2008 TRY SCORERS (STORM)
Inglis 16, Folau 13, Slater 13, Quinn 11, Turner 9, Manu 7, Geyer 7, J. Smith 6, Cronk 4, Hoffman 4, C Smith 4, Chambers 3, Lima 2, Johnson, Tagataese, Aitken, White, Crocker, Tomane, B Anderson

 

2008 GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
C. Smith 72, Turner 4, J. Smith, Cronk, Geyer

 

2008 FIELD GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
Cronk 2

 

2008 POINTSCORERS (STORM)
C Smith 160, Inglis 64, Folau 52, Slater 52, Turner 44, Quinn 44, Manu 28, Geyer 28, J. Smith 26, Cronk 20, Hoffman 16, Chambers 12, Lima 8, Johnson 4, Tagataese 4, Aitken 4, White 4, Crocker 4, Tomane 4, B Anderson 4

 

MELBOURNE STORM MEDIBANK PRIVATE INJURY UPDATE
Dallas Johnson (knee): Test
Danny Vaughan (knee): season
Ben MacDougall (knee): season
Dane Nielsen (shoulder): season
Will Chambers (knee): season

 

TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP LADDER

POSITION	CLUB	POINTS
1	Storm	38
2	Sea Eagles	38
3	Sharks	38
4	Roosters	34
5	Broncos	33
6	Raiders	30
7	Dragons	30
8	Warriors	30
9	Knights	28
10	Wests Tigers	26
11	Eels	25
12	Panthers	25
13	Titans	24
14	Rabbitohs	20
15	Cowboys	14
16	Bulldogs	14

 

SQUAD FOR SUNDAY'S GAME

Starting team:
1. Billy Slater
2. Steve Turner
3. Matt Geyer
4. Israel Folau
5. Anthony Quinn
6. Greg Inglis
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Jeff Lima
9. Cam Smith
10. Brett White
11. Michael Crocker
12. Ryan Hoffman
13. Dallas Johnson

 

Interchange:
14. Jeremy Smith, 15. Adam Blair, 16. Sika Manu, 17. Antonio Kaufusi.

 

Coach: Craig Bellamy.

 

  ____________________________________________________

    

 Chris Couch

  Media Manager

 

 Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club