September 28, 2024 • 11 mins
The Melbourne Storm are through to yet another NRL Grand Final.
They dispatched the Sydney Roosters in the Preliminary Final, beating them 48-18.
Fox Sports’ Jake Duke joins the show to discuss their success over the season and who they might expect to play in the final.
“I think Melbourne have just been the better side all year,” he told Piney.
“This is a team that was effectively six points clear of everyone else.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The Melbourne Storm of thransh the Roosters forty eight to
eighteen at Amy Park to charge into the NRL Grand Final.
Half back Jerome Hughes a hat trick of tries, stand
off Cameron Munster bagging a brace right at the end
eight tries to three in favor of the Melbourne Storm
and the big dance style face the Panthers or the
Sharks they meet tonight in Penrith to determine the other
(00:33):
Grand finalist. Jake Duke from Sports League is with us,
believe you're doing the game tonight. Jake will get to
that in the moment. But how comprehensive was this from
the Melbourne.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Storm last night? Unbelievable performance from the Melbourne Storm, Jace
to believe in a preliminary final they could win by
what thirty points on just it shows the class of
this side, the class of their spine, the guys that
they've invested in heavily over the past five or six
(01:02):
years in Happenhausen, Monster, Hughes and Harry Grant all unbelievable
last night. You know a hat trick to Jerome W.
Hughes doubles for Monthster and Pappenhaus and Harry Grant was
everywhere defensively and just dictating things through dummy half like
they just have some special, special players and it's a
(01:22):
crazy testament to what Craig Bellamy and the Melbourne Storm
have built over so many years now. I think it's
Craig Bellamy's tenth Grand Final in his twenty one years
of coaching at the Melbourne Storm, which is just unheard
of in probably modern sport anywhere in the world really,
especially in the salary cap sport where there is so
many restrictions on players and things like that. So you
(01:45):
just have to take your hat of to what a
crazy organization they are and what they how dominant they've
been for so long to kind of dominate the Roosters
like that, who have one of the best rosters on paper.
I know they had some injuries, but you know, you'd
be hard pressed to think Sam Walker and Brendan Smith
could turn around that thirty point kind of mauling they
had last night. Obviously they did call their way back
(02:06):
into the Roosters. It was a six point margin there
for a little bit string of tries after halftime, but
you kind of got the feeling that the Melbourne Storm
were never really in danger. The Roosters have got points
in them, they've got star players, we know they can score.
But the Storm were just kind of fully in control
of that game from after conceding that first try. They
kind of wrestled back momentum and never really looked like losing.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
It's remarkable, as you say, articulated it brilliantly the Storm.
You know what they've built there. But I mean, the
Roosters aren't a bad team, aren't they what? They were
third in the regular season one sort of sixteen of
their twenty four games. I think it was so not
a bad team. Could they really have done anything else
or were they just purely outclass last night?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I think Melbourne have just been the better side all year.
If you look at their record. They finished four points
clear at the top of the table the Minor Premiership
and they even sacrificed the game at the end there
where they rested all their star players. So you know,
this is a team that was effectively six points clear
of everyone else. They were the best team team all season.
The Rusters, you know, they showed all year that they
(03:10):
can dominate and score points and then probably are the
best attacking side in the competition. But I think history
has shown now and questions will be asked, the big
questions about that's what won in twenty two games now
against Penrith and Melbourne that they've lost, Yeah, that they've won,
you know, So they're on an incredible kind of losing
streak coming up against those two sides. So it shows
(03:31):
that they have a lot of a flare and attack
and they can flog the teams kind of below them
on the ladder, but when it comes to those really defensive,
gritty efforts against Penrith and Melbourne, there's just something missing
and now you know, it's only probably going to get harder.
We saw some of the guys that are departing the
club last night in terms of January, Hardgraves, Luke Curio,
(03:52):
it's an end of a year at Joseph Suliligi's going
to rugby Union, Joey Martin who's going to rugby Union
as well. There's four absolute stars there and guys that
have been a part of this Ruster's organization for a
long time. So it's a big kind of rebuilding phase
and plenty of questions for Trent Robinson and his men
to answer and how they kind of rebuild this rooster's
(04:13):
team really, So yeah, there'll be plenty in the post
mortem for them. You know, the Roosters play for premierships.
There probably argued this year had probably the best roster
on paper in the competition. But yet you know, that's
another season where they would probably have expected to be
competing for a title and so a little bit short.
So yeah, not the season they are after and the
(04:34):
finish to a season.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
They're after, all right, So the storm into the Grand
Final next Sunday, they await the winner of the Panthers'
Sharks tonight. This seems on paper, Jake, as though it'll
be I don't want to say one sided, but certainly
Penrith are heavily favored. Are the Sharks a chance tonight?
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Look, anyone's a chance in a game of football. I
guess in a two horse race, you would have to
think something would have to go catastrophically wrong for Penrith
tonight for them not to win. They just such a
dominant team to get into their fifth Grand Final in
a row and win four straight. Team hasn't been to
a five straight Grand finals since I think the rabbit
(05:14):
Os team of the late sixties early seventies. So it
just shows you the kind of achievement that this Pendris
side has created. You know, they finished second on the ladder.
They are one of the great teams in history, so
it would take a lot for this Pernala side to
kind of get up and win. But that being said,
(05:34):
you know, the pressure's kind of off. No one expects
them to win. All the pressure is on Penrith. Pernola
kind of got the monkey off their back last week
with that finals. Who do where they won their first
final in eight attempts. So yeah, Craig fitzgiven didn't want
to use the word free throw at the stumps or
a free hit this week, but it kind of is.
You know, no one expects them to win. They can
(05:54):
go out there and chance they're arm and try to
build this team and continue its kind of growth and
test yourself against the defending premiers and the benchmark for
the competition for a long long time. But you'd imagine
the way Penrith played in that week one of the finals.
They showed us what they're capable of against that rooster's side.
They've had a week off, they're rested. Nathan Cleary looks
(06:16):
in sublime touch show does Jerome Lewis. Dolan Edwards looks
to be back to his best in terms of been
carrying a bit of an injury towards back in the season.
Isaiah Yo tonight becomes the most capped Panther of all time,
playing his two hundred and forty third game. I think
it is to Penterith. So plenty of reasons for the
Panthers to perform tonight. You know, they obviously want to
(06:38):
extend their season one more week and farewell guys like
James Fisher, Harris, Jerome Lewis, Sinea Taruba, guys that are
off to new clubs next year and have been a
part of this premiership success. So look, you'd be a
brave man to bet against Penrith. But you know we've
seen Cronulla. They're a gritty side, They've got some workers.
Nico Heinz's hundredth game tonight, you know, they've got their
(07:02):
own reasons to kind of win, and yeah, it should
be should be an interesting contest.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Yeah, Well, if we go down the path of highest likelihood,
and that is that the Panthers win tonight. Let's say
that they do, and do it in recably comfortable fashion.
They still won't be favorite next week, will they? The
Storm have to be favorite after last night and after
the season they've had.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Oh look, I don't know. I think it'll be pretty tight.
Melbourne a big blow today obviously broke in the last
hour or so that Nelson is a sofa. Solomona is
facing four to five week suspension for that hit on
Lindsay Collins last night and the first couple of twenty
seconds of the game, so in all likelihood he's not
playing in the Grand Final. It's very unlikely they'll be
(07:45):
able to get that down greater enough to miss zero
weeks almost impossible. So they lose Nelson asofa Solomona, that's
a huge loss. They're not the biggest forward pack in
the competition as it stands. He is kind of their
battering ram, for lack of a better word, So losing
him is going to be a big blow for the
Melbourne Storm, especially if Penrith come through unscaled tonight and
(08:07):
have guys like Fisher, Harris and the Oder and those
guys that have done it for so long yo as well,
So I don't know. I think if it is Penwrith Melbourne,
I think I think you might find maybe Bendeth will
be the favorites by the time betting goes up in
the next couple of days, because as I said, they've
done three in a row. You know, they just continue
to do it. But wouldn't it be at mouth water
(08:28):
and clash. You've got Nathan Cleary, who many consider the
best half back in the game versus Jerome Hughes, who
has probably been the best player in the competition this
year and is probably likely to win the Daly m
this week. Just great matchups all across the park. It's
probably the Grand Final we deserve as fans in terms
of Melbourne Penrith and it's kind of a bit of
(08:51):
fate and destiny, right Like you think Melbourne beat Penrith
in twenty twenty to win a Grand Final. Since then,
Penrith have been dominant and won three straight. They now
meet Melbourne again. You know, can Melbourne kind of they
they stopped the Dynasie starting a year early back in
twenty twenty, can they be the ones to kind of
end it now? I think that's the Grand Final that
(09:14):
most people expect, so but we'll wait and see. You know,
anything can happen in eighty minutes of football, you know,
send offs and anything injuries in the modern game, you
know that anything can be twisted and turned on a
on a dime. So yeah, it should be an exciting
clash tonight.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Indeed, all right, I know you're working at the Fox
when you have eyes on the AFL yourn AFL fan,
will you watch that before you get to work in
the NRL.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Unfortunately, I will watch it. I'll probably have to take
off at halftime to get out to of course stadium tonight,
but I'll be keeping an eye on I listening to
on the radio. Yes, AFL fan. I actually had tickets
to go to the Grand Final today, but I had
to work for the league tonight. So you know, work
always takes present and always a rugby league man first.
(10:00):
But look, I'm a bit torn today. I live in
Sydney and I do have a the Swans, but I
grew up on the Gold Coast, always had a bit
of a soft spot for Brisbane Lions, A big fan
of Charlie Cameron, so I don't know a little bit
torn who will win today? Over to tracking game and
you know, as a as a new South Welshman, I
(10:21):
just think it's kind of funny to have no Victorian
teams in the AFL Grand Final.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Yeah, yeah, feels very very unusual. Hey, Jake, great to
ched has always mate, Thanks.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
For taking the time now, no problem, Jake, Thank you
all the best, mate, Jake.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Jake there from Fox Sports and their rugby league coverage.
A regular contributor to our shows here on News Talks
hereb always good to get his insight and analysis. So
the Melbourne Storm into the Grand Final forty eight eighteen
winners over the Sydney Roosters last night comprehensive as comprehensive
as it looks on the scoreboard from what Jake was
saying there, Panthers Sharks tonight. Quick look at the odds.
(10:56):
Panthers playing a dollar twenty two at our tab. The
Sharks are rank outsiders at four dollars fifty. It just
feels as though the Grand Final that the season has
been setting itself up for, basically from the last I
don't know, ten weeks of the regular season. It always
felt as though these two, the Storm and the Panthers
were on a collision course for the Grand Final next week. Yes,
the Panthers still have to get past the Coronella Sharks,
(11:18):
and as Jake said, anything can happen in finals football.
But you just get the feeling that Penrith will have
too much for the Sharks tonight and then we can
really look forward to a mouth watering NRL Grand Final
next Sunday night at around nine thirty New Zealand time,
if it is to be the Storm against the Penrith Panthers.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk said B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The Melbourne Storm of thransh the Roosters forty eight to
eighteen at Amy Park to charge into the NRL Grand Final.
Half back Jerome Hughes a hat trick of tries, stand
off Cameron Munster bagging a brace right at the end
eight tries to three in favor of the Melbourne Storm
and the big dance style face the Panthers or the
Sharks they meet tonight in Penrith to determine the other
(00:33):
Grand finalist. Jake Duke from Sports League is with us,
believe you're doing the game tonight. Jake will get to
that in the moment. But how comprehensive was this from
the Melbourne.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Storm last night? Unbelievable performance from the Melbourne Storm, Jace
to believe in a preliminary final they could win by
what thirty points on just it shows the class of
this side, the class of their spine, the guys that
they've invested in heavily over the past five or six
(01:02):
years in Happenhausen, Monster, Hughes and Harry Grant all unbelievable
last night. You know a hat trick to Jerome W.
Hughes doubles for Monthster and Pappenhaus and Harry Grant was
everywhere defensively and just dictating things through dummy half like
they just have some special, special players and it's a
(01:22):
crazy testament to what Craig Bellamy and the Melbourne Storm
have built over so many years now. I think it's
Craig Bellamy's tenth Grand Final in his twenty one years
of coaching at the Melbourne Storm, which is just unheard
of in probably modern sport anywhere in the world really,
especially in the salary cap sport where there is so
many restrictions on players and things like that. So you
(01:45):
just have to take your hat of to what a
crazy organization they are and what they how dominant they've
been for so long to kind of dominate the Roosters
like that, who have one of the best rosters on paper.
I know they had some injuries, but you know, you'd
be hard pressed to think Sam Walker and Brendan Smith
could turn around that thirty point kind of mauling they
had last night. Obviously they did call their way back
(02:06):
into the Roosters. It was a six point margin there
for a little bit string of tries after halftime, but
you kind of got the feeling that the Melbourne Storm
were never really in danger. The Roosters have got points
in them, they've got star players, we know they can score.
But the Storm were just kind of fully in control
of that game from after conceding that first try. They
kind of wrestled back momentum and never really looked like losing.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
It's remarkable, as you say, articulated it brilliantly the Storm.
You know what they've built there. But I mean, the
Roosters aren't a bad team, aren't they what? They were
third in the regular season one sort of sixteen of
their twenty four games. I think it was so not
a bad team. Could they really have done anything else
or were they just purely outclass last night?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I think Melbourne have just been the better side all year.
If you look at their record. They finished four points
clear at the top of the table the Minor Premiership
and they even sacrificed the game at the end there
where they rested all their star players. So you know,
this is a team that was effectively six points clear
of everyone else. They were the best team team all season.
The Rusters, you know, they showed all year that they
(03:10):
can dominate and score points and then probably are the
best attacking side in the competition. But I think history
has shown now and questions will be asked, the big
questions about that's what won in twenty two games now
against Penrith and Melbourne that they've lost, Yeah, that they've won,
you know, So they're on an incredible kind of losing
streak coming up against those two sides. So it shows
(03:31):
that they have a lot of a flare and attack
and they can flog the teams kind of below them
on the ladder, but when it comes to those really defensive,
gritty efforts against Penrith and Melbourne, there's just something missing
and now you know, it's only probably going to get harder.
We saw some of the guys that are departing the
club last night in terms of January, Hardgraves, Luke Curio,
(03:52):
it's an end of a year at Joseph Suliligi's going
to rugby Union, Joey Martin who's going to rugby Union
as well. There's four absolute stars there and guys that
have been a part of this Ruster's organization for a
long time. So it's a big kind of rebuilding phase
and plenty of questions for Trent Robinson and his men
to answer and how they kind of rebuild this rooster's
(04:13):
team really, So yeah, there'll be plenty in the post
mortem for them. You know, the Roosters play for premierships.
There probably argued this year had probably the best roster
on paper in the competition. But yet you know, that's
another season where they would probably have expected to be
competing for a title and so a little bit short.
So yeah, not the season they are after and the
(04:34):
finish to a season.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
They're after, all right, So the storm into the Grand
Final next Sunday, they await the winner of the Panthers'
Sharks tonight. This seems on paper, Jake, as though it'll
be I don't want to say one sided, but certainly
Penrith are heavily favored. Are the Sharks a chance tonight?
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Look, anyone's a chance in a game of football. I
guess in a two horse race, you would have to
think something would have to go catastrophically wrong for Penrith
tonight for them not to win. They just such a
dominant team to get into their fifth Grand Final in
a row and win four straight. Team hasn't been to
a five straight Grand finals since I think the rabbit
(05:14):
Os team of the late sixties early seventies. So it
just shows you the kind of achievement that this Pendris
side has created. You know, they finished second on the ladder.
They are one of the great teams in history, so
it would take a lot for this Pernala side to
kind of get up and win. But that being said,
(05:34):
you know, the pressure's kind of off. No one expects
them to win. All the pressure is on Penrith. Pernola
kind of got the monkey off their back last week
with that finals. Who do where they won their first
final in eight attempts. So yeah, Craig fitzgiven didn't want
to use the word free throw at the stumps or
a free hit this week, but it kind of is.
You know, no one expects them to win. They can
(05:54):
go out there and chance they're arm and try to
build this team and continue its kind of growth and
test yourself against the defending premiers and the benchmark for
the competition for a long long time. But you'd imagine
the way Penrith played in that week one of the finals.
They showed us what they're capable of against that rooster's side.
They've had a week off, they're rested. Nathan Cleary looks
(06:16):
in sublime touch show does Jerome Lewis. Dolan Edwards looks
to be back to his best in terms of been
carrying a bit of an injury towards back in the season.
Isaiah Yo tonight becomes the most capped Panther of all time,
playing his two hundred and forty third game. I think
it is to Penterith. So plenty of reasons for the
Panthers to perform tonight. You know, they obviously want to
(06:38):
extend their season one more week and farewell guys like
James Fisher, Harris, Jerome Lewis, Sinea Taruba, guys that are
off to new clubs next year and have been a
part of this premiership success. So look, you'd be a
brave man to bet against Penrith. But you know we've
seen Cronulla. They're a gritty side, They've got some workers.
Nico Heinz's hundredth game tonight, you know, they've got their
(07:02):
own reasons to kind of win, and yeah, it should
be should be an interesting contest.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Yeah, Well, if we go down the path of highest likelihood,
and that is that the Panthers win tonight. Let's say
that they do, and do it in recably comfortable fashion.
They still won't be favorite next week, will they? The
Storm have to be favorite after last night and after
the season they've had.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Oh look, I don't know. I think it'll be pretty tight.
Melbourne a big blow today obviously broke in the last
hour or so that Nelson is a sofa. Solomona is
facing four to five week suspension for that hit on
Lindsay Collins last night and the first couple of twenty
seconds of the game, so in all likelihood he's not
playing in the Grand Final. It's very unlikely they'll be
(07:45):
able to get that down greater enough to miss zero
weeks almost impossible. So they lose Nelson asofa Solomona, that's
a huge loss. They're not the biggest forward pack in
the competition as it stands. He is kind of their
battering ram, for lack of a better word, So losing
him is going to be a big blow for the
Melbourne Storm, especially if Penrith come through unscaled tonight and
(08:07):
have guys like Fisher, Harris and the Oder and those
guys that have done it for so long yo as well,
So I don't know. I think if it is Penwrith Melbourne,
I think I think you might find maybe Bendeth will
be the favorites by the time betting goes up in
the next couple of days, because as I said, they've
done three in a row. You know, they just continue
to do it. But wouldn't it be at mouth water
(08:28):
and clash. You've got Nathan Cleary, who many consider the
best half back in the game versus Jerome Hughes, who
has probably been the best player in the competition this
year and is probably likely to win the Daly m
this week. Just great matchups all across the park. It's
probably the Grand Final we deserve as fans in terms
of Melbourne Penrith and it's kind of a bit of
(08:51):
fate and destiny, right Like you think Melbourne beat Penrith
in twenty twenty to win a Grand Final. Since then,
Penrith have been dominant and won three straight. They now
meet Melbourne again. You know, can Melbourne kind of they
they stopped the Dynasie starting a year early back in
twenty twenty, can they be the ones to kind of
end it now? I think that's the Grand Final that
(09:14):
most people expect, so but we'll wait and see. You know,
anything can happen in eighty minutes of football, you know,
send offs and anything injuries in the modern game, you
know that anything can be twisted and turned on a
on a dime. So yeah, it should be an exciting
clash tonight.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Indeed, all right, I know you're working at the Fox
when you have eyes on the AFL yourn AFL fan,
will you watch that before you get to work in
the NRL.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Unfortunately, I will watch it. I'll probably have to take
off at halftime to get out to of course stadium tonight,
but I'll be keeping an eye on I listening to
on the radio. Yes, AFL fan. I actually had tickets
to go to the Grand Final today, but I had
to work for the league tonight. So you know, work
always takes present and always a rugby league man first.
(10:00):
But look, I'm a bit torn today. I live in
Sydney and I do have a the Swans, but I
grew up on the Gold Coast, always had a bit
of a soft spot for Brisbane Lions, A big fan
of Charlie Cameron, so I don't know a little bit
torn who will win today? Over to tracking game and
you know, as a as a new South Welshman, I
(10:21):
just think it's kind of funny to have no Victorian
teams in the AFL Grand Final.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Yeah, yeah, feels very very unusual. Hey, Jake, great to
ched has always mate, Thanks.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
For taking the time now, no problem, Jake, Thank you
all the best, mate, Jake.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Jake there from Fox Sports and their rugby league coverage.
A regular contributor to our shows here on News Talks
hereb always good to get his insight and analysis. So
the Melbourne Storm into the Grand Final forty eight eighteen
winners over the Sydney Roosters last night comprehensive as comprehensive
as it looks on the scoreboard from what Jake was
saying there, Panthers Sharks tonight. Quick look at the odds.
(10:56):
Panthers playing a dollar twenty two at our tab. The
Sharks are rank outsiders at four dollars fifty. It just
feels as though the Grand Final that the season has
been setting itself up for, basically from the last I
don't know, ten weeks of the regular season. It always
felt as though these two, the Storm and the Panthers
were on a collision course for the Grand Final next week. Yes,
the Panthers still have to get past the Coronella Sharks,
(11:18):
and as Jake said, anything can happen in finals football.
But you just get the feeling that Penrith will have
too much for the Sharks tonight and then we can
really look forward to a mouth watering NRL Grand Final
next Sunday night at around nine thirty New Zealand time,
if it is to be the Storm against the Penrith Panthers.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk said B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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