NRL Melbourne Storm Minor Premiers

[07 SEPTEMBER, 2008]     NRL Melbourne Storm seal minor premiership 2008   Thousands of Storm fans gathered at Olympic Park tonight to celebrate a 40-4 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs, a third consecutive minor premiership and to say goodbye to a club legend.   The chase was on at Olympic Park on with the Storm winning by 36 points to snatch top spot from Manly at the end of the home and away season. A margin of 26 points and a win was needed by Melbourne to claim the J.J Giltinan Shield.   Olympic Park also welcomed for the last time n a home-and-away game veteran Matt Geyer, who has been with Melbourne since their induction into the league in 1998.   The script could not have been written any better for Geyer with a great pass from fullback Billy Slater setting him up for the first try of the match to send the loyal home fans into delirium.   The Storm looked like a team on a mission as Smith converted the try and drew the chance of Melbourne’s third consecutive minor premiership six points closer.   The Storm were all about attack in the opening ten minutes of the match with constant pressure being put on the Rabbitohs at both ends of the field.   A spanner was thrown in the works when Slater was sin-binned for 10 minutes for a professional foul only metres from his own try-line. But the Rabbitohs couldn’t capitalise, and in fact it was the Storm who scored next.   Anthony Quinn took on the South Sydney defence and slammed the ball over the line for the team’s second try.   The Rabbitohs were not without spirit, with Nathan Merritt scoring a try with less than ten minutes remaining in the opening term bringing the margin back to ten points.   Just as there seemed to be a momentum shift in favour of South Sydney, the Storm were rewarded for their continual attacking efforts with, a try from Ryan Hoffman moments before half-time swinging the moments back in Melbourne’s favour.   The second half opened up quietly with ten minutes passing without a score. The silence was broken at ‘The Graveyard’ with a classic Slater run sending the ball over the line and setting the crowd alight.   Suddenly, what had seemed to be a formidable challenge at the beginning of the match was only four points away. With 26 minutes remaining, a single try would steal top spot from Manly.   With a play that was a combination of all that makes Melbourne a deserved minor premier, Folau gathered the loose ball and Slater, with speed slammed the ball over the line to seal top spot.   Smith provided Melbourne with a little bit of breathing room, converting the try with 21 minutes remaining, providing the Storm with a 28-point lead.   The Rabbitohs continued to press forward, but Melbourne’s pressure at both ends of the field forced mistakes and led to loss of possession for the visiting team.   Brett Anderson was next on the scoresheet for the Storm, a Cooper Cronk kick sending the winger on his way over the try-line.   In a match that went all Melbourne’s way a late try from Jeremy Smith crowned the Melbourne Storm as minor premiers for the third year in a row.   It was even sweeter for Matt Geyer, taking the opportunity to kick the final goal, putting it through in style to a standing ovation from the Melbourne crowd.   STORM 40 (Tries: Slater 2, Geyer, C Smith, J Smith, Quinn, Hoffman, Anderson; Goals: Smith 3, Geyer) def. RABBITOHS 4 (Try: Merritt) at Olympic Park

____________________________________________________       Chris Couch   Media Manager    Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club