Storm soar past Sharks for fifth win on the trot

“I am probably a bit mellow in my old age these days, it probably wasn’t one of the sprays that they would have got ten years ago. There were a couple of things we needed to fix up, and I just wanted to make that point pretty strongly and with all due respect they responded in really good fashion.”

The Sharks may have been languishing in the lower reaches of the ladder as they came into this game, but they were determined not to take a backward step against the Victorian powerhouse and it was the visitors who had the better of the early exchanges.

Reimis Smith celebrates one of his three tries on Friday night.Credit:NRL Photos

They were denied an early lead when Connor Tracey converted a long ball from Chad Townsend only for the pass to be ruled forward.

The Storm would have hoped that an early penalty to Cameron Munster would have calmed any nerves, but that wasn’t how it turned out for the remainder of the half after Townsend’s penalty levelled the scores.

The game turned into something of an arm-wrestle thereafter, with both sides having chances: Wade Graham denied Storm second rower Felise Kaufusi with a try-saving tackle while former Storm legend Will Chambers, returning to the NRL with Cronulla after starring with Melbourne in three grand final wins and 215 games, also looked to get involved.

Storm took the lead against the run of play after 19 minutes when Josh Addo-Carr did what he does best – galloping the length of the field and burning off challengers to go over for a try after some good assist work by Kenny Bromwhich following a Shaun Johnson error.

Many teams might have buckled at this point but the Sharks dug deep. Tracey thought he might have levelled only to be denied by a Jahrome Hughes tackle before the wide man made a significant intervention at the other end to prevent Kaufusi from scoring.

The Sharks got a deserved equaliser when Briton Nikora accelerated through the Storm defence and when Townsend converted it was the visitors who went to the interval with their noses in front.

But that was not to last as the Storm found a way to get back in front. Hughes broke with pace, Munster stepped through gaps and the ball was moved across the storm defensive line, with Tom Eisenhuth eventually collecting the ball to go over in the 46th minute.

Melbourne were now finding their groove after that poor (by their standards) opening half, and they made it back to back tries and stretched the lead to 10 points when Tui Kamikamica powered through a gap to score after being found by Harry Grant, Munster converting.

Reimis Smith celebrates with teammates.Credit:Getty Images

Storm winger Reimis Smith scored twice against the Warriors on Anzac Day, and he got on the scoresheet again, bursting through from a Nicho Hynes pass to extend the advantage with another try.

Hughes was in excellent form against the Warriors, and he showed his stepping skills to break through with 15 minutes remaining for Storm’s fifth try of the evening, Brandon Smith making it six three minutes later.

Smith added two more in the dying minutes and it was scant consolation when Tracey got the Sharks only try of the game in the last minute.