Live: Storm and Sharks clash in heavyweight NRL clash in Melbourne

Great defence from the Sharks.

Blayke Brailey nailed Nelson Asofa-Solomona to deny him a try from short range.

Then off the next play Hughes went to Katoa again but this time the second row looked up and lost the ball.

Cameron Munster is very happy with himself but the Sharks are going to challenge this.

Did Katoa even lose the ball?

Yes, he did! And it was not because Cameron Munster played the ball, but played at the hand of Katoa!

The challenge is lost and the Storm have the ball on the Sharks 20.

Brilliant hands from the Storm!

The Sharks gave away a set restart and the Storm used that field position to release Katoa through a great gap.

It was Jahrome Hughes who played the perfect pass to put the second rower through the gap – and doesn’t he know it!

Trindall came out to look for the intercept and Hughes beat his outstretched finger to send Katoa through the gap that was created and then turns and celebrates in the direction of Trindall!

I reckon there’s a bit of feeling in this one…

Very, very good pass, very good support and a very good start for the Storm.

The Ryan Papenhuyzen kick is good and it’s 6-0.

Some brutal defence early from the Storm.

Nelson
Asofa-Solomona
has been busy, lifting men in the tackle and forcing them back.

The Sharks made just 19 metres in a set there and are regularly kicking from deep inside their own half.

The pressure is building.

It’s 12 degrees, there’s no wind and the Sharks kick from the left to the right to the waiting Storm players, who bring us back in this opening set of the match.

Afteroon, KB.

There has been a lot of talk about open and honest reviews following the hugely entertaining defeat in Brisbane last week.

And the Fox Sports pundits are suggesting that the Sharks are going to produce something today.

It should be a cracking game – I think the forward battle is going to be ferocious in the opening 15 minutes or so.

Once again, the Sharks have come to a ground and flooded it, letting a load of sharks onto the pitch too.

Outrageous behavior.

Braydon Trindall’s boot is the key factor – at least one of them – for the Sharks so far this season.

That’s a hugely impressive outcome from that massive Sharks boot.

In terms of some other stats, the Storm have won their past nine games in Melbourne, while the Sharks have won only one of their past seven games there.

Storm winger Xavier Coates in particular likes the Storm’s home ground, he has scored 35 tries in 33 games here and returns to the side after being rested last week.

However, boisterous Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo has scored five tries in his last six games against the Storm and will no doubt make his presence felt one way or another.

Storm and Maroons hooker Harry Grant has an even better record in this fixture though, scoring seven tries in eight games against the Sharks.

– AAP

Brian To’o will be selected for the third State of Origin match despite his knee injury in a major boost to NSW’s chances of clinching a series win.

To’o went for scans on Saturday after hurting his knee and requiring ice following Thursday night’s win over Canterbury.

AAP has been told To’o will be selected for the third Origin match in Sydney on July 9.

The superstar winger also overcame an untimely hamstring setback to play Origin II in Perth.

To’o was the Blues’ best player in their tight game-two loss, scoring three tries and running for a game-high 229 metres.

– with AAP

Just a quick sweep around the judiciary rounds now.

Brendan Piakura has escaped sanction for the shot that injured Luke Metcalf’s knee and threw the Warriors star’s season into doubt.

Piakura went on report in the second half of Brisbane’s 26-12 win on Saturday for hitting Metcalf fractionally after he had passed the ball.

The 26-year-old was unable to continue and will go for scans on Monday once the team is back in Auckland, although he has suffered a suspected ACL injury.

Metcalf is in the midst of a breakout year and had been leading the Dally M Medal race when voting went behind closed doors after round 12.

On Sunday morning, the match review committee opted against charging Piakura altogether for the late hit.

Elsewhere, Parramatta second-rower Kelma Tuilagi has been offered a three-game ban for a crusher tackle that enraged future Eels teammate Jack de Belin.

A fracas erupted when Tuilagi bent St George Illawarra forward de Belin awkwardly in a tackle during the Dragons’ 34-20 win in Wollongong on Saturday night.

Tuilagi will miss upcoming games against Penrith, Canberra and Brisbane with an early guilty plea, in another blow to a Parramatta side already without Mitch Moses.

He risks missing a fourth game, against Melbourne, by challenging the charge.

Tuilagi is set to become the third Eels player sidelined through suspension, with hooker Ryley Smith and centre Will Penisini offered big bans after last week’s win over Gold Coast.

Parramatta prop Jack Williams can accept a $1,000 fine for his high shot on Dragons forward Emre Guler.

Here’s how the two teams line up today.

One late switch for the Storm, big Nelson Asofa-Solomona will start the game and Stefano Utoikamanu goes to the bench.

In a game where firepower up front will be massive — particularly against Sharks prop Addin Fonua-Blake — I think that’s a clever move from Craig Bellamy.

A late change for the Sharks too, Daniel Atkinson has dropped back to 18th man and Billy Burns comes onto the bench.

Oregon Kaufusi will play after being a late withdrawal last week.

Hi folks and welcome to this week’s edition of ABC Sport Sunday NRL!

My name is Simon Smale, released from the rigours of the overnight cricket to bring you all the action from two matches at opposite ends of the table.

The Storm and Sharks kick us off in Melbourne, a match that could get heated at any moment in all honesty.

Both teams have premiership ambitions but are both far from in vintage form, the Sharks coming off a defeat and the Storm coming off a late rescue job.

Then, we head to cloudy Queensland for a clash between two of the most inconsistent and frustrating teams in the entire league, the Titans against the Cowboys.

I’ll bring you all the action from both games and am looking forward to sharing the afternoon with you.

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