The Melbourne Storm have won their second trial match in 2013 in what was clearly a much needed hit out against the Leeds Rhinos.
I’m not going to go into some huge breakdown of this match because it was only a trial game. The Storm had played one trial game before this match, against the Canberra Raiders, and they had played no other football since the Grand Final victory last year.
At this time of the year, NRL clubs are just looking to get match fit ahead of the season kickoff.
The Leeds Rhinos did their best but their limited ability to break down a defensive lines was there for all to see. Even with the advantages of playing at their home ground, a few weeks into the Super League season, and with months of football under their belts, the Rhinos were outclassed by a side fresh off the plane.
The refereeing in this game was terrible. I could go into it further but I’d be writing about the bad calls made throughout the contest. At one point the Storm were penalized while defending their own line for making a completely legal tackle. A number of the forward passes called against them were interesting to say the least and it all added up to give Leeds the best possible chance they would even have to beat the Melbourne Storm.
The problem was the Rhinos simply were not good enough.
Melbourne will now head back home and look to recover from the travel they have had to do over the last few weeks. They need more game time under their belts. Once they get that, then I’ll be willing to rate them as a premiership force this season.
As for the Sky commentary team….wow…..just wow….
I thought their high highlight was when someone at Sky obviously mentioned them they were being criticized on social media. Eddie obviously took that to heart, and like a little bitch started taking potshots at Phil Gould. The funny thing was, Phil Gould was at home. He wasn’t working for Channel 9 on Saturday morning! It really showed up a lot of the insecurity that you get in the British game. Another bruised Pommy ego….once of many.
This game is silly. I don’t want to see any more of this stuff. Not in England, not in Australia…no where.
All I watched this morning was a great team having its pre season preparation disrupted. The Melbourne Storm, or any other team in the NRL, do not need to qualify themselves against the dregs of northern England’s dying Rugby League competition.
Last but not least, and I have to mention this……Kevin Sinfield was once against embarrassing against world class opposition. Sure his opposition was half fit, jet lagged and handicapped at every chance the Rugby Football league could get, but it was clear to anyone with eyes that Kevin Sinfield isn’t even the best player at Leeds, let alone the best in the world.
So can we please stop with that rubbish now? I know it excites a couple of silly Pommy journos because they feel somehow it is like their own personal achievement over people like me who write about the big league. I know they feel like they were making a statement, but please guys, try to have some self respect. All you have is you credibility….where do you lot think that lies right now?
Well done to the Storm. On to the next trial match!
